19 Amendments of Pedro SILVA PEREIRA related to 2015/2317(INI)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that trade and finance is one of the five priority areas of policy coherence for development, a concept enshrined in article 208 TFEU; recalls that all EU external policies, including trade and investment, must be aligned with Article 21 of the TEU and must not undermine sustainable development goals, human rights and gender equality; recalls the principles mentioned in article 24, paragraph 2 of the Council Regulation No 260/2009;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recalls likewise the EUʼs commitment to mainstream gender in all its policies and the importance of guaranteeing that men and women benefit equally from social changes, economic growth and the creation of decent jobs, doing away with discrimination and promoting respect for womenʼs rights in the world
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls that trade liberalisation is not positive, per se, in terms of reducing poverty and could have negative effects on sustainable development if it is not accompanied by re-distribution through fair and progressive tax systemshe final outcome of the Addis Ababa conference and the SDG agenda describes trade as an important means of implementing the global sustainable development goals (SDGs); recalls that fair trade can play a positive role in reducing poverty and inequality; urges the EU to work towards the reinforcement of international fiscal cooperation as agreed by the G20 and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Welcomes that the Commission, in its recent communication "Trade for All", reaffirms the principle of policy coherence for development and aims at 'a more responsible' trade and investment policy, namely by contributing to the SDGs and the inclusive growth in developing countries;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Urges the Commission to align all EU trade-related instruments to the SDGs: free trade agreements, in particular the Economic Partnership Agreement with African countries, plurilateral and multilateral agreements under the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), Aid for Trade, EU Regulations, as well as international standards and code of conducts;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. CRecalls on the Commission to take measures to prevent the potential negative effects of mega trade deals, such as the Transatlantic Tthat fair and properly regulated trade if aligned with SDGs could have potentialities for development; calls on the Commission to include strong and comprehensive sustainable development chapters, which are effectively implemented and enforced, in EU's trade and Iinvestment Partnership (TTIP) and the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), on developing countrieagreements; calls on the Commission to propose measures to ensure that the potential benefits of trade agreements trickle down to developing countries; welcomes the commitment of the Commission in the communication "Trade for All" to undertake in-depth analysis of the potential effects of new FTAs on LDCs;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Regrets that the level of ambition displayed by successive TSD chapters in EU trade agreements has often not met the best standards; stresses the importance of ensuring proper monitoring and enforcement of the provisions contained in such chapters, and calls for the full involvement of civil society organisations and social partners in this respect, both in partner countries and in the EU;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Recalls the European Commission's commitment to carry out Sustainability Impact Assessments (SIAs) on all trade negotiations; regrets that SIAs have not been carried out in a timely fashion; calls on the Commission to deliver on its commitment and to ensure that the impact of potential trade agreements on developing countries is properly taken into account;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Welcomes the progress made since the establishment of the Bangladesh Sustainability Compact while acknowledges that important challenges remain and need to be addressed; calls on the Commission to expand binding frameworks to other sectors; urges, in this regard, the Commission to go beyond corporate social responsibility and propose a mandatory legal framework for due diligence initiatives that complement the existing EU timber regulation, for other sectors, thereby ensuring the EU and its traders and operators live up to the obligation to respect human rights and the highest social and environmental standards;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 d (new)
Paragraph 3 d (new)
3d. Calls the EU and its Member States to commit to increase Aid for Trade (AfT) support for developing countries, particularly least developed countries (LDCs), while addressing fair and ethical trade in the upcoming revision of its Aid for Trade strategy, as announced in the communication "Trade for All"; calls EU Aid for Trade and technical assistance to empower poor producers, micro and small enterprises, women-led enterprises and cooperatives in order to boost their benefits from trading in local and regional markets;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to safeguard the right of countries to regulate and preserve policy space in order to develop infant industries; urges the Commission to ensure that trade agreements and policies do not undermine developing countries’ efforts to increase the domestic value added, in order to upgrade along the global value chains, and to create decent jobs locally, prioritising the contribution of women to economic development, especially in rural areas, as essential elements for endogenous development;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to monitor the implementation of the WTO's Bali and Nairobi Packages, namely with regard to the elimination of agricultural export subsidies at multilateral level, the decisions of specific benefit to the LDCs as well the Agreement on Trade Facilitation;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. In this sense, stresses that capacity building and technical assistance should continue to be made available to developing and least developed countries, in order to enable them to benefit from a bigger share of the value added in global value chains;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Recalls that EU investment policy, especially when involving public money, must contribute to the realisation of the SDGs; recalls the need to enhance transparency and accountability of development finance institutions (DFIs), and public-private partnerships (PPPs) to effectively track and monitor the money flows, debt sustainability and the added value for sustainable development of their projects;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Emphasises that efforts to strengthen the capacity of developing countries for mobilising private resources must of necessity be accompanied by measures to create environments that are favourable to responsible and sustainable entrepreneurship and investment, starting with the eradication of political corruption and with fair taxation, accompanied by firm action to fight tax fraud, tax evasion and tax havens;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses the importance of participation through broad and transparent consultations of civil society organisations and trade unions, both from the European Union member states and from third countries, in the negotiation, implementation and monitoring of EU trade and investment agreements and policies;
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission to develop a complaint mechanism as a basis for sanctions to channel the voices of those whose human rights armay be jeopardised by EU trade policies and which will form an essential element of the EU’'s role in the implementation of the sustainable development goals;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the EU and its Member States to promote the multilateral debate on investment treaties, to take into account UNCTAD´s Investment Policy Framework for Sustainable Development recommendations to stimulate more responsible, transparent and accountable investments, as well as to actively engage with the UN Human Rights Council in its work towards an international treaty that would hold transnational corporations accountable for human rights abuses.
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 e (new)
Paragraph 8 e (new)
8e. Calls on the Commission to set up product traceability systems as well as an EU register of businesses involved in EU development projects, in order to make their actions more transparent and enable citizens to monitor the actions of EU businesses outside the EU, while at the same time facilitating the dissemination of experience on an international scale and, equally important, the visibility and positive image of EU businesses;