15 Amendments of Carlos ZORRINHO related to 2021/0297(COD)
Amendment 3 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) Those objectives remain relevant in the current global context and they are consistent with the analysis and perspective of the recent Commission Communication Trade Policy Review “An Open, Sustainable and Assertive Trade Policy”16 (‘TPR’). According to the TPR, the Union has a “strategic interest to support the enhanced integration into the world economy of vulnerable developing countries” and it “must fully use the strength provided by its openness and the attractiveness of its Single Market” to support multilateralism and to ensure adherence to universal values. For GSP specifically, the TPR notes its important role in “promoting respect for core human and labour rights” and sets the objective for the GSP “to further increase trading opportunities for developing countries to reduce poverty and create jobs based on international values and principles”. Moreover, the scheme should assist beneficiaries in recovering from the COVID-19 impact, reinforcing their capacity building and in re-building their economies in a sustainable manner, including with respect to international human rights, labour, environmental and good governance standards. Coherence should be ensured between the GSP and its objectives and the assistance provided to beneficiary countries, in line with Union’s Policy Coherence for Development (PCD), which constitutes a key pillar of Union’s efforts to enhance the positive impact and increase effectiveness of development cooperation17 . _________________ 16 COM(2021) 66 final, 18 February 2021 17Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU concerning PCD reads: “The Union shall take account of the objectives of development cooperation in the policies that it implements which are likely to affect developing countries”.
Amendment 5 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) The standard GSP arrangement should be granted to all those developing countries which share a common development need and are in a similar stage of economic development and which have signed and ratified the international conventions of Annex VI. Countries should have a transitional period of 5 years from the date of entry into force of that decision to compliance with ratifications. There is no definition of ‘developing country’ at the level of the WTO, and it is left to preference granting countries to determine the list of GSP- eligible developing countries. Countries which have successfully completed their transition from centralised to market economies, and are today powerful economies with a strong position in international trade, such as China, Hong Kong, Macao and Russia, should not be considered as developing countries in the context of the GSP, and should, therefore, be removed from the list of eligible countries. Countries which are classified by the World Bank as high- income or upper-middle income countries have per capita income levels allowing them to attain higher levels of diversification without the scheme's tariff preferences. They are at a different stage of economic development and do not, therefore, share the same development, trade and financial needs as lower income or more vulnerable developing countries. In order to prevent unjustified discrimination, they need to be treated differently; therefore, they do not benefit from the standard GSP arrangement. Furthermore, the use of tariff preferences provided under the scheme by high-income or upper-middle income countries would increase the competitive pressure on exports from poorer, more vulnerable countries and, therefore, could impose unjustifiable burdens on those more vulnerable developing countries. The standard GSP arrangement should take account of the fact that the development, trade and financial needs are subject to change and ensure that the arrangement remains open if the situation of a country changes.
Amendment 8 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) The special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance (GSP+) is based on the integral concept of sustainable development, as recognised by international conventions and instruments such as the 1986 UN Declaration on the Right to Development, the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the 1998 International Labour Organisation (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the 2000 UN Millennium Declaration, the 2002 Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development, the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work of 2019, the Outcome Document of the UN Summit on Sustainable Development of 2015 "Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development", the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Consequently, the additional tariff preferences provided for under the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance should be granted to those developing countries which, due to a lack of diversification, are economically vulnerable, have ratified, and are implementing, core international conventions on human and labour rights, climate and environmental protection and good governance, and commit to ensuring the effective implementation thereof. The special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance should help those countries to assume the additional responsibilities resulting from the ratification and effective implementation of these conventions. The list of conventions relevant for GSP should be updated to better reflect the evolution of core international instruments and standards and take a proactive approach to sustainable development in keeping with the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 203018 . In this regard, the following conventions are added: the Paris Agreement on Climate Change (2015) – replacing the Kyoto Protocol; the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD); the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (OP-CRC-AC); ILO Convention No 81 on Labour Inspection; ILO Convention No 144 on Tripartite Consultation; and the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. _________________ 18United Nations (2015). Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015, Transforming our World: the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development (A/RES/70/1), available at: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post 2015/transformingourworld
Amendment 15 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) For the purposes of monitoring of implementation and, where applicable, withdrawal of tariff preferences, reports from relevant monitoring bodies are essential. However, such reports may be supplemented by other information available to the Commission, including information obtained under bilateral or multilateral technical assistance programmes, and through other sources of information, provided they are accurate and reliable. This could include information from the European Parliament and the Council, governments, international organisations, civil society, human rights organizations, social partners, or complaints received through the SEP provided they satisfy the relevant requirements. Shortcomings identified during the monitoring process may inform the Commission’s future programming of development assistance in a more targeted manner.
Amendment 16 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) In July 2020, the Commission appointed the Chief Trade Enforcement Officer with the role of enforcing trade rules. In this connection, in November 2020, the Commission launched a new complaints mechanism, the Single Entry Point (‘SEP’), as part of its increased efforts to strengthen the enforcement and implementation of trade commitments. Through the SEP, the Commission receives complaints on various matters related to trade policy, including breaches of the GSP commitments. Such new system of complaints should be integrated within the framework of this Regulation and should be accessible to civil society organisations.
Amendment 22 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
Amendment 25 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 27
Recital 27
Amendment 37 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
Amendment 45 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) it has ratified, and is implementing, all the conventions listed in Annex VI (the 'relevant conventions') and the Commission has not identified, based on available information, in particular the most recent available conclusions of the monitoring bodies under those conventions, a serious failure to effectively implement any of those conventions;
Amendment 53 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2
Article 10 – paragraph 2
2. The requesting country shall submit its request to the Commission in writing. The request shall provide comprehensive information concerning the ratification and the implementation of the relevant conventions and shall include the binding undertakings referred to in Article 9, pointes (d), (e), and (f).
Amendment 58 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 1
Article 14 – paragraph 1
1. By 1 January 20276, and every threewo years thereafter, the Commission shall present to the European Parliament and to the Council a report on the status of ratification of the relevant conventions, the compliance of the GSP+ beneficiary countries with any reporting obligations under those conventions and the status of the effective implementation thereof.
Amendment 59 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point b – paragraph 1
Article 14 – paragraph 2 – point b – paragraph 1
The report may include any information from any source the Commission considers appropriate, in particular in cooperation with civil society organizations.
Amendment 61 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 3
Article 14 – paragraph 3
3. In drawing their conclusions concerning effective implementation of the relevant conventions, the Commission and where appropriate the European External Action Service shall assess the conclusions and recommendations of the relevant monitoring bodies, as well as, without prejudice to other sources, information submitted by the European Parliament or the Council as well as third parties, including governments and international organisations, civil society, human rights organizations and social partners.
Amendment 76 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 19 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) serious shortcomings in customs controls on the export or transit of drugs (illicit substances or precursors), or related to the obligation to readmit the beneficiary country’s own nationals or serious failure to comply with international conventions on antiterrorism or anti-money laundering;
Amendment 90 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 – paragraph 2
Article 24 – paragraph 2
2. An investigation shall be initiated upon request by a Member State, by the European Parliament, by any legal person or any association not having legal personality, acting on behalf of Union producers, or on the Commission's own initiative if it is apparent to the Commission that there is sufficient prima facie evidence, as determined on the basis of factors referred to in Article 23, to justify such initiation. The request to initiate an investigation shall contain evidence that the conditions for imposing the safeguard measure set out in Article 22(1) are met. The request shall be submitted to the Commission. The Commission shall, as far as possible, examine the accuracy and adequacy of the evidence provided in the request, to determine whether there is sufficient prima facie evidence to justify the initiation of an investigation.