Activities of Fernando RUAS related to 2016/2301(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the impact of international trade and the EU’s trade policies on global value chains PDF (626 KB) DOC (102 KB)
Amendments (42)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
- Having regard to its Resolution of XX/XX 2017 on the “State-of-play of the implementation of the Sustainability Compact in Bangladesh”
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 32
Citation 32
— having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Children’s Rights and Business Principles developed by UNICEF, the UN Global Compact and Save the Children13 , _________________ 13 http://childrenandbusiness.org
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 33 a (new)
Citation 33 a (new)
- Having regard to the Council Conclusions on responsible global value chains (GVCs) of 12th May 2016;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 33 b (new)
Citation 33 b (new)
- Having regard to the Council Conclusions on Child Labour (20 June 2016)
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the ‘Trade for All’ communication bases EU trade policy on three key principles – effectiveness, transparency and values – and has a dedicated section on the responsible management of supply chains, reminding also its complexity, the necessity of thinking prospectively and for the involvement of a range of public, private and civil society actors and the use of a mix of soft and innovative tools and legislative changes;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas global value chains (GVCs) are a complex, technology driven and rapidly changing reality, which have become a key feature of today’s global economy; whereas, on the one hand, GVCs offer new prospects for growth, development and jobeconomic growth, sustainable development, job creation and for the involvement of civil society organisations such as Business Associations, Unions or ONGs, but on the other hand, their extremely complex nature, lack of transparency and dilution of liabilities hascan lead to a higher risk of human rights violations;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas EU trade policy must maintain the multilateral system as its cornerstone, it also must strengthen Europe’s placeosition in global supply chains, but must also be a tool with whichand promote tools to establish clear rules and liabilities for governments and multinationalalso for companies (MNCs) in order to ensure compliance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. Whereas global responsible management of GVCs is essential to align trade policy with the European values as enshrined in the Treaties; whereas both the Commission and the Member States have been in the forefront of these debates worldwide;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. Whereas the Council underlined in its May 2016 conclusions “the need for continued advocacy for the uptake of internationally agreed principles, guidelines and initiatives on CSR/RBC such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the UN Global Compact, the ILO Tripartite Declaration on Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy, and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, including in non-OECD member countries, also contributing to anti-corruption efforts by creating more open and transparent business environments”;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Cc (new)
Recital Cc (new)
Cc. Whereas voluntary due diligence and GVC transparency schemes are being used and promoted worldwide by the Economic and Social partners and ONGs, producing substantive and positive results;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
C d. Whereas the EU has already given important steps towards a more responsible management of GVCs, worldwide, with specific partners- such as the Bangladesh Sustainability Compact and the Labour Rights Initiative with Myanmar, and on specific issues- such as the conflict minerals initiative, illegal logging regulations, sustainability criteria for biofuels, corporate reporting on supply chain issues, corporate transparency on payments made to governments by extractive and logging industries, as underlined in the Trade for All Communication;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the EU has developed binding corporate due diligence regulations in specific sectors such as timber and conflict minerals; whereas some Member States have also developed legislation, such as the UK Modern Slavery Act and, the French billLaw on the duty of care of MNCs; whereas Parliament has repeatedly called for the EU toich only applies to the largest French companies (more than 5000 workers) and the Dutch Child Labour Due Diligence Bill (approved recently on 7/02/2017 by the Dutch Parliament but not yet by the Senate); whereas the European Union have developed Initiatives aiming at promoting due diligence, and former European Parliament Resolutions have called for the EU to include the possible consideration of develop aing binding framework on corporatelegislation in specific sectors on due diligence;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas most, but not all, recently concludedrecent EU trade and investment agreements contaisystematically include chapters on trade and sustainable development (TSD) chapters;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas a multilateral, global holistic approach to corporate liability for human rights abuses is needed in the context of GVCsand environmental sustainability is needed in the context of world trade and particularly in GVCs and therefore it's important that the EU continues to lead these debates worldwide;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas gender equality in all EU policies is firmly established in Article 8 of the TFEU; whereas trade and investment agreements affect women and men differently owing to structural gender inequalities;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
Ia. Whereas according to Article 3(3) TUE, the Union shall protect the rights of the child; whereas all Member States ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas EU Member States are the world’s largest exporters of financial services, and the sector is of strategic importance in the EU’s trade policy; whereas the inclusion of provisions relating to financial services in trade agreementEU External Agreements, including FTAs has raised some concerns regarding their potential negative effects in terms of money laundering and tax evasion and avoidance;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas labelling is a useful tool to enablehat allows the EU consumer to make more informed and adequate choices;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
K a. Whereas Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) form an important part of the GVCs, and play an important role in promoting economic growth, sustainable development, quality jobs and keeping the population from moving away from their regions;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Commission to actively promote further reforms of the WTO in order to increase transparency and also to define and enforce multilateral rules for the sustainable management of GVCs;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Asks the Commission and the Member States to continue to engage actively in all multilateral world forums about Business, GVCs, Human and Labour Rights, Economic Growth and Sustainable Development, promoting the European values enshrined in the Treaties and bearing in mind the necessity for the protection of the particular characteristics of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs);
Amendment 115 #
3. Welcomes the on-going negotiations on a binding UN Treaty for Transnational Corporations and Human Rights; calls for the EU and the Member States to engage constructively in these negotiations;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Calls on the Member States to accelerate the application and effectiveness of the National Action Plans (NAPs) implementing the UN Guiding Principles (UN GP) on Business and Human Rights; underlines that 8 out of the 13 NAPs already approved are from EU Member States and welcomes the fact that 11 more EU NAPs are being drafted; asks the Commission to assist and promote the implementation of these UNGP;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Welcomes the convergence of the international standards on Business and Human Rights, particularly between the UNGPs and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the integral inclusion of Decent Work and the four pillars of the ILO Decent Work Agenda in the UN SDGs; Calls on the Commission and the Member States to work within the UN and ILO towards the adopeffective application of a newthese international labour standard for decent works on GVCs;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Acknowledges the smart mix of regulatory and voluntary action, but recallimportance of the existence of clear international rules on CSR, GVCs and due diligence; welcomes the smart mix of regulatory and voluntary actions which are being implemented and have been increasing during last years, underlining the good results which have been obtained by these actions; notes that voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR) possibly is not enough and might creates unfair competition for suppliers that have chosen to comply with international labour and environmental standards; reiterates its call for the Commission to include the possible consideration of developing GVC transparency strategies and rules, including through legislation on due diligence in specific sectors, initiating this process by presenting an in depth assessment of the current system and if needed consider additional initiatives; suggests that the EU Institutions and the Member States should initiate a common reflection on the systematic inclusion of binding and enforceable rules, associated sanctions, remedies and independent monitoring mechanisms;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. RegretNotes that the disclosure of non- financial information by large companies has not yet been extended to cover all actors operating in GVCs;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. WelcomNotes the green card initiative launched by some national parliaments following the adoption of the French bill on MNCs’ duty of care; recalls on the Commission to work on a legislative proposal for mandatory corporate due diligence for EU companies operating both in and outside the EUthe European Parliament former resolutions asking the Commission to include the possible consideration of developing legislation on due diligence in specific sectors;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recalls that CSR policies should take into account the special characteristics of micro- and small enterpriseMSMEs;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – introductory part
Paragraph 9 – introductory part
9. Calls onWelcomes the new trade and investment strategy for the European Union “Trade for All”; asks the Commission to address in its trade policy and FTAs, when appropriate, the challenges associated with the rise of GVCs by taking into consideration the following measures;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – point b
Paragraph 9 – point b
b) including, enforceable anti- corruption and whistle-blower, protection provisions in all, when feasible, in future FTAs;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – point c
Paragraph 9 – point c
c) including the possibility for the introduction of standstill clauses fixing a minimum level for social, environmental and safety standards in all EU FTAs;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – point e
Paragraph 9 – point e
e) supplementing all these provisions with supporting measures for developingour partner countries and rigorously monitoring their implementation in conjunction with the national parliaments and civil societyall interested stakeholders;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls the EU to work towardsUnderlines that the EU could promote the introduction of an mandatory international ‘social and environmental traceability’ labelling system along the entire production chain for products sold oin the EUinternational markets, in compliance with the WTO TBT Agreement;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the Member States to disclose to the public upon request, while making sure to safeguard confidential information, the customs data collected from parties trading in products or goods imported into the EU;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Invites the Commission to submit a proposalEncourages reflexion on the extension of jurisdictional rules under the Brussels I Regulation to third-country defendants in cases brought against companies with a clear link with one Member State or companies for which the EU is an essential outlet;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. DeplorWelcomes the fact that gender is not mentionedequality is firmly established in all EU Policies as stated in Article 8 of the TFEU; Nevertheless, there is no mention to gender in the Trade for All strategy; calls on the Commission to ensure that gender perspective is included and mainstreamed in trade policy, the Aid for Trade strategy, and all future FTAs and impact assessments; calls on the Commission to collect gender- disaggregated data, especially in the agricultural sector and take gender into account in GVC analysis;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Underlines the importance of the ratification of ILO Conventions No. 182 on the worst forms of child labour and No. 138 on the minimum age for admission to employment and work by the Countries which haven’t done it; recalls the EU is committed to eradicating the worst forms of child labour at a global level, as this arises from our values, which include the prohibition of child labour in our external action as enshrined in Article 21 TEU; Reiterates its call for the strengthening of import and supply chain controls to ensure that only forced labour free and child labour- free products enter the EU market; calls on the Commission and the Member States to vigorously defend this proposal in all international forums;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Strongly supports the Council Conclusions of 20 June 2016 to encourage “the High Representative and the Commission to explore how the EU can step up its contribution to the realisation of UN SDG target 8.7 which calls for measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms.”
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. NotUnderlines that GVCs are an extremely important opportunity for firms in developing countries, particularly MSMEs to develop a link with the global economy; stresses that complementaryspecific policies and accompanying measures are key to making this a reality in our trade partners, particularly policies aimed at eliminating the so-called ‘context costs’ or to help these companies escalating in the added value scale and expanding their participation in Global Value Chains;
Amendment 283 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Expects the GSP mid-term review towill clarify definitions and include additional tariff preferences forprovide incentives for trade in sustainably produced products;
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Notes that simplified, effective and preferential RoO are key in the context of GVCs; calls on the Commission to ensure RoO coherence across FTAs and consistency with the transparency and accountability objectives laid out in this resolution;