462 Amendments of Sorin MOISĂ
Amendment 22 #
2018/2085(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas blockchain technology may provide all parties, public and private, involved in trade, with permanent access in real time to an immutable, time- stamped database holding documents pertaining to transactions, thus helping to build confidence, avoid compliance issues, and tackle the use of counterfeited goods or fake documents;
Amendment 96 #
2018/2085(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Calls on the Commission to launch and supervise a pilot project to manage a major EU trade corridor, such as between two major ports and/or alongside a key trade route, using blockchain technology, in order to test its benefits;
Amendment 11 #
2018/0227(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 39 a (new)
Recital 39 a (new)
(39a) Blockchain and other distributed ledger technologies can significantly enhance access to distributed datasets across the Union, facilitate notarisation of documents, and enable traceability of transactions or movement of products in a way that is secure and compliant with the EU acquis. They reinforce trust in applications involving multiple stakeholders, enhance collaborative models and enable the defragmentation of distributed datasets. This will lead to quality and efficiency gains, reducing administrative burden, in particular for regulatory reporting and auditing, combating and limiting fraud, incentivising the adoption of best practices and ethical behaviours. Moreover strengthening capacities in Europe to develop and exploit Blockchain and other distributed ledger technologies will reinforce digital innovation ecosystems in Europe and help position European actors amongst the leaders of a new internet economy.
Amendment 12 #
2018/0227(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 39 b (new)
Recital 39 b (new)
(39b) At the European Council meeting on 19 October 2017 Member States concluded the Union needs a sense of urgency to address emerging trends: including blockchain technologies, while at the same time ensuring a high level of data protection, digital rights and ethical standards. The European Parliament resolution on "Distributed ledger technologies and blockchains: building trust with disintermediation" (2017/2772(RSP)) passed on 16 May2018, recognises the role of blockchain in enhancing innovation in Europe and around the world.
Amendment 13 #
2018/0227(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 39 c (new)
Recital 39 c (new)
(39c) At the second Digital Day on 10 April, 2018, European counties committed to working together in the development of advanced trusted solutions for public services (e.g. through the development of a European blockchain infrastructure for services) and invited the European Commission to support the development and deployment of blockchain and distributed ledger technology through its digital programmes.
Amendment 17 #
2018/0227(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. The Programme will have fivesix specific objectives:
Amendment 18 #
2018/0227(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e a (new)
(ea) Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies
Amendment 21 #
2018/0227(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 a (new)
Article 8 a (new)
Article 8a Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies The financial intervention by the Union under Specific Objective 6: Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies, shall pursue the following operational objectives: (a) Build up and strengthen core Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies capacities in the Union, connecting national / regional blockchain infrastructures and establishing a governance model that can support the development and deployment of new digital services enabled by Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies in accordance with the Union's legal framework; (b) Make those capacities accessible to businesses, [in particular SMEs], public administrations or other organisations in order to support development of innovative cross-border applications of those technologies that will benefit European citizens and the digital economy [in Europe]; (c) Further develop, deploy, coordinate and operate at the Union level a European Blockchain Services Infrastructure meeting the highest global standards of cybersecurity, energy efficiency, privacy-compliance and accessible on a non-commercial basis to public and private users to support the delivery of services of public interest; (d) Support the deployment of ready to use/operational technology resulting from research and innovation strengthening an integrated Union innovation ecosystem on Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies, offering testing and experimentation facilities in Member States.
Amendment 15 #
2017/2271(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission to engage with other WTO members in order to ensure the proper functioning of the WTO Dispute Settlement System and to explore ways of reforming it in order to overcome the current impasse on filling the vacancies in the Appellate Body, if necessary excluding the USby reforming it; such reforms could aim at ensuring the highest possible level of efficiency and independence of the system, while remaining consistent with the values and the general approach that the EU has constantly defended since the creation of the WTO, notably the promotion of free and fair trade on a global basis, under the rule of law and the need for all WTO Members to comply with all WTO obligations;
Amendment 35 #
2017/2271(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Commends the EU and the US for the good bilateral cooperation on a wide range of regulatory issues, as evidenced by the recently concluded bilateral agreement on prudential measures regarding insurance and re-insurance or the mutual recognition agreement on recognition of inspections of medicines manufacturers; invites them to explore new avenues for cooperation, including the possibility to open further trade negotiations in selected sectors; stresses however that the opening of such negotiations can only take place within an appropriate timeframe and in full respect of the EU internal rules and best practices in terms of transparency and stakeholder involvement; calls upon the Commission and the Council to fully respect the role of the European Parliament in this process;
Amendment 48 #
2017/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights the vital role that the Committee on Petitions has to plays as a contact point where EU citizens and residents can submit their grievances, and where the requests of citizens are examined and resolved wherever possible and within a reasonable timeframe;
Amendment 57 #
2017/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls that petitions allow Parliament and other EU institutions to reconnect with EU citizens who are affected by the application of EU law at different administrative levels; considers enhanced cooperation of EU institutions and other EU bodies with national, regional and local authorities on matters linked to the application of EU law to be a vital means of strengthening the democratic legitimacy and accountability of the Union’s decision-making process; calls therefore for a strong commitment from all the authorities involved at national and European levels in handling and resolving petitions as a matter of priority;
Amendment 60 #
2017/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reminds the Commission that petitions offer a unique means to refer situations where EU law is not respected and to investigate with the help of political scrutiny of the European Parliament; reminds the Commission that requests for assistance from the Committee on Petitions should be followed up properly, and reiterates its call on the Commission to improve the quality of its replies, in substance as well as depth, to ensure that the concerns of European citizens are addressed properly; insists that the Commission identifies the means for enhancing cooperation with Member States’ authorities when it comes to responding to inquiries regarding the implementation of, and compliance with, EU law;
Amendment 69 #
2017/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Asks the Commission to inform the Committee on Petitions regularly on developments with regard to ongoing infringement proceedings, and to guarantee its timely access to relevant Commission documents on infringements, and to EU pilot procedures pertaining to petitions in this regard; asks to receive, on a systematic basis, the documents exchanged in the course of EU pilot and infringement procedures once these are closed in application of the jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice;
Amendment 72 #
2017/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Urges the Commission to use properly its powers stemming from its role as Guardian of the Treaties as such a role is of utmost importance in the functioning of the EU with regards to the citizens and to the European legislators; calls for a timely handling of the infringement procedures in order to put an end without delay to situations where EU law is not respected;
Amendment 82 #
2017/2222(INI)
7. Notes the anxiety of petitioners concerned about their future rights following the referendum in the United Kingdom on withdrawal from the European Union; supports the Commission’s commitment to fully guarantee the rights of European citizens residing in the United Kingdom during the Brexit negotiations and following its exit from the EU;recalls its resolution of 5 April 20171aby which the European Parliament underlines that the withdrawal agreement can only be concluded with its consent and its requirement of a fair treatment of EU-27 citizens living or having lived in the United Kingdom and of United Kingdom citizens living or having lived in the EU- 27 and is of the opinion that their respective rights and interests must be given full priority in the negotiations; _________________ 1a P8_TA(2017)0102
Amendment 86 #
2017/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Points to the important ongoing work carried out by the Committee on Petitions in connection with petitions pertaining to issues on disabilities, and underlines the willingness of the committee to continue its support to efforts to strengthen the rights of persons with disabilities; calls on the European institutions to lead by example on this subject and to ensure that national authorities are correctly implementing without delay the legislation adopted in this field;
Amendment 100 #
2017/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses the wide range of subjects raised in the petitions filed, from the internal market, justice, energy and transport to fundamental rights, health, environmental law, disability and animal welfare; underlines the increase by 10% of the number of petitions received in 2016 (1.569) and calls on the European institutions to adequately staff the services in charge of handling petitions, notably the secretariat of the Committee on Petitions;
Amendment 109 #
2017/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
Amendment 113 #
2017/2222(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses the important role of the SOLVIT network, which provides a means for citizens and enterprises to address concerns about possible breaches of EU law by public authorities in other Member States; calls on the Commission, and on the Member States themselves, to promote SOLVIT in order to make it more helpful and visible to citizens; welcomes, in this regard, the Action Plan to reinforce the SOLVIT network published by the Commission in May 2017; calls on the Commission for a swift implementation of this Action Plan and to report back to the European Parliament on its results;
Amendment 4 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
- having regard to the European Commission´s study of 15 November 2016 on the Cumulative Economic Impact of future trade agreements on EU agriculture;
Amendment 11 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas the EU concluded negotiations on the EU-New Zealand Partnership Agreement on Relations and Cooperation (PARC) on 30 July 2014;
Amendment 17 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
F a. whereas New Zealand is among the EU’s oldest and closest partners, sharing common values and committed to promoting prosperity and security within a rules-based system globally;
Amendment 21 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas New Zealand is one of only six WTO members for which there is still no preferential access to the EU market or negotiations in progress to that end;
Amendment 23 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
H a. whereas the conclusion of the EU- New Zealand free trade agreement will deepen the trade and investment relationship and whereas it could not be contemplated if the agreement adversely affected the ability of the parties to introduce, maintain or enhance their social, environmental or labour standards;
Amendment 25 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)
Recital H b (new)
H b. whereas, the Belgian national government has on the 6 September 2017 requested the European Court of Justice to review if ICS is compatible with EU treaties;
Amendment 26 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H c (new)
Recital H c (new)
H c. whereas following the EU-New Zealand draft negotiating mandate investment-protection is not included;
Amendment 27 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H d (new)
Recital H d (new)
H d. whereas the European Parliament will be required to decide whether to give its consent to the potential EU-New Zealand-FTA;
Amendment 28 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H e (new)
Recital H e (new)
H e. whereas the European Court of Justice opinion on the EU-Singapore agreement of 16 May 2017 clarifies that, except for portfolio investment and investor-to-state-dispute stellment, the agreement is of EU exclusive competence, showing the need to strengthen the democratic accountability of EU trade policy by enhancing the role of the EP in negotiating trade agreements at all stages;
Amendment 39 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers that the full potential of the Union’s bilateral and regional cooperation strategies can only be realisbe improved by concluding a high-quality FTA, balanced and fair trade agreement with New Zealand in a spirit of reciprocity and mutual benefit while under no circumstances undermining the ambition to achieve progress multilaterally or the implementation of already concluded multilateral and bilateral agreements;
Amendment 43 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Believes that the negotiation of a modern, ambitious, balanced, fair and comprehensive FTA is a pragmatic way of deepening the bilateral partnership and further reinforcing the existing, already mature bilateral trade and investment relationships; while keeping social and environmental concerns high on both partners´ agendas;
Amendment 50 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to conclude, as soon as possible, its assessments of the potential impact of such a trade deal, with a view to being able to evaluate thoroughly evaluathe possible gains and losses from the enhancement of the EU- New Zealand trade and investment relationships, for the benefit of citizens and businesses on both sides, including in the outermost regions and the overseas countries and territories, and paying special attention to environmental and social impacts, including the EU labour market and to take into account the impact Brexit might have on the increase of exportations from New Zealand to the EU;
Amendment 57 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Calls on the Commission to duly take into account and to respect the opinion of the European Court of Justice about the compatibility of ICS with EU treaties;
Amendment 62 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Council to authorise the Commission to start negotiations for a trade and investment agreement and an investment protection agreement with New Zealand on the basis of the outcome of the scoping exercise, the conditions set out in this resolution, the impact assessment and with clear targets;
Amendment 63 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Welcomes the Commission's step to publish the proposed negotiating directive and considers this a positive precedent;urges the Council to follow suit and publish the negotiating directive as soon as it is adopted;
Amendment 66 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls on the Commission and the Council to clearly distinguish between an agreement on trade and the liberalisation of foreign direct investment (FDI),to make as soon as possible a proposal about the future architecture of trade agreements taking into account the ECJ opinion on the FTA-Singapore and if there will be in future a distinction between a trade and investment agreement which only containings issues under EUthe Union´s exclusive competence, and a second agreement on investment protecwhich covers subjects whose competences are shared with Member States; stresses that such distinction would have implication,s including on FDI and non-direct investment, which would be subject to an Investment Court System the parliamentary ratification process and that it should not be perceived as a way to circumvent national democratic processes; calls for stronger EP involvement in all ongoing and future FTA negotiations at all stages of the process;
Amendment 84 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses that an FTA must lead to genuine market openness and trade facilitation on the groundimproved market access, creating decent jobs, gender equality for the benefit of citizens on both sides, sustainable development, upholding EU standards, safeguarding services of general interest, and respecting democratic procedures whilst boosting EU export opportunities;
Amendment 86 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Emphasises that an ambitious agreement must address, in a meaningful way, high quality sanitary and phyto- sanitary standards and other norms in agricultural and food products, without weakening EU´s high standards; robust and enforceable commitments on labour and environmental standards, the fight against tax avoidance and corruption, investment, trade in goods and services (drawing on recent European Parliament recommendations as regards reservations of policy space and sensitive sectors), e- commerce, public procurement, energy, state-owned enterprises, competition, regulatory issues such as sanitary and phytosanitary barriers, as well as technology research and, especially, the need of micro-enterprises and SMEs;
Amendment 91 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Calls on the Council to recognise explicitly the other Party's obligations towards indigenous peoples in the negotiating directives and to allow for reservations for domestic preference schemes in this regard;the Agreement should reaffirm both Parties' commitment to ILO Convention 169 on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
Amendment 105 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point a a (new)
Paragraph 14 – point a a (new)
a a) to ensure and explicitly foresee that this agreement does not prevent the parties’ ability to define, regulate, provide and support services of general interest, that it will by no means require governments to privatise any service nor preclude governments from expanding the range of services they supply to the public, and that it will not prevent governments from providing services of general interest previously supplied by private service suppliers or from bringing back under public control services that governments have previously chosen to privatise;
Amendment 107 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point a b (new)
Paragraph 14 – point a b (new)
a b) to ensure that the right and the ability of the parties to adopt and apply their own laws and regulations in the public interest is enshrined throughout the entire text in order to achieve legitimate public policy objectives such as the protection and promotion of public health, social services, public education, safety, the environment, public morals, social or consumer protection, privacy and data protection, and the promotion and protection of cultural diversity;
Amendment 115 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point b
Paragraph 14 – point b
b) The reduction of unjustified non- tariff barriers and the strengthening and extension of regulatory cooperation dialogues with binding disciplines to improve respect for intbut to ensure that any cooperation on regulatory matters remains voluntary, respects the autonomy of regulatory authorities, must be purely based on enhanced information exchange and administrative cooperation with a view to identifying unnecessary barriers and administrative burdens; to recall that regulatory coopernational standards and regulatory harmonisation, in particular through the adoption and implementation of the standards set by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) must aim to benefit governance of the global economy by intensified convergence and cooperation on international standards for example through the adoption and implementation of the standards set by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) while guaranteeing the highest level of consumer (e.g. food safety), environmental (e.g. animal health and welfare, plant health), social and labour protection;
Amendment 117 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point c
Paragraph 14 – point c
c) Significant concessions on public procurement guaranteeing market access for European companies in strategic sectors and the same degree of openness as that of the EU’s public procurement markets; to consider that simplified procedures and transparency for bidders, including those from other countries, can also be effective tools to combat corruption and foster integrity in public administration while providing value for money to taxpayers, in terms of the quality of delivery, efficiency, effectiveness and accountability; to guarantee that ecological and social criteria, including gender equality criteria, are applied in awarding public procurement markecontracts;
Amendment 123 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point d
Paragraph 14 – point d
d) A separate chapter taking into account the needs and interests of micro- enterprises and SMEs with regard to market access facilitation issues in order to generate concrete business opportunities;
Amendment 126 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point d a (new)
Paragraph 14 – point d a (new)
d a) relating to the ECJ-opinion on the FTA-Singapore that trade and sustainable development is an EU-exclusive competence and that sustainable development forms an integral part of the common commercial policy of the EU a robust and ambitious sustainable development chapter with a sanction- based mechanism, covering, among other things, core labour standards, the four ILO priority governance conventions and multilateral environmental agreements, is an indispensable part of any potential trade agreement;considers that the agreement should also include the establishment of a joint civil society forum that monitors and comments on its implementation and how the parties respect their commitments and obligations on human rights, labour standards and environmental protection;
Amendment 129 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point d b (new)
Paragraph 14 – point d b (new)
d b) to include in the negotiating directives the requirement for the parties to promote corporate social responsibility (CSR) via binding standards, including with regard to internationally recognised instruments, and the uptake of sectorial OECD guidelines and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights;
Amendment 131 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point d c (new)
Paragraph 14 – point d c (new)
d c) to ensure that the parties include a specific chapter on trade and gender equality and women’s empowerment, foreseeing active measures aiming to enhance opportunities for women to benefit from the opportunities provided by the FTA;to provide for measures aimed at, inter alia, a better work-family life balance and access to social and health services;to pursue an enhanced participation of women enterprises (particularly micro-enterprises and SMEs) in public procurement;to support the internationalisation of women enterprises and the participation of women in Mode 4 opportunities;to ensure, inter alia, that the parties commit to collecting disaggregated data allowing for thorough ex ante and ex post analysis on the impact of the FTA on gender equality;
Amendment 134 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point f
Paragraph 14 – point f
f) EStrong and enforceable measures covering the recognition and protection of intellectual property rights, including geographical indications (GIs) for agricultural and foodstuff products, and for wines and spirits; to simplify rules of origin and customs procedures with a view to adapting them to the reality of increasingly complex global value chains, including in terms of enhancing transparency and accountability within them;
Amendment 137 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point g
Paragraph 14 – point g
g) A balanced outcome in the agriculture and fisheries chapters which gives due consideration to the interests of all European producers and consumers, for instance by introducing appropriate quotas in the most sensitive sectorsrespecting that there are a number of sensitive agricultural products which should be given appropriate treatment, for example through tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) or allocated adequate transition periods, taking into proper consideration the cumulated impact of the agricultural concessions made by the EU both in multilateral and bilateral agreements and other ongoing FTA negotiations and excluding from the scope of the negotiations the most sensitive sectors; to include a usable and effective bilateral safeguard clause enabling the temporary suspension of preferences, if, as a result of the entry into force of the trade agreement, a rise in imports causes or threatens to cause serious injuries to sensitive sectors; points out that the potential impact of Brexit, developments in the withdrawal negotiations and at the WTO regarding the existing TRQs should be factored in to the negotiations; therefore Brexit has to be taken duly into account; considers that only then can it boost competitiveness and be beneficial to both consumers and producers;
Amendment 147 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point g a (new)
Paragraph 14 – point g a (new)
g a) the inclusion of a tax good governance clause and binding transparency standards that reaffirm the parties’ commitment to implement international standards in the fight against tax evasion, avoidance and elusion, in particular the relevant OECD recommendations on taxation (such as the initiative on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting), and that includes obligations for country-by-country reporting, automatic exchanges of information and the establishment of public registers of beneficial ownership;
Amendment 155 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point g b (new)
Paragraph 14 – point g b (new)
g b) to increase cooperation in the fight against corruption and therefore include commitments to multilateral Anti- Corruption Conventions, such as the UNCAC and the OECD Anti-bribery Convention;
Amendment 156 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point g c (new)
Paragraph 14 – point g c (new)
g c) to include digital innovations and data flows, as they are crucial drivers of the services economy and an essential element of the GVC of traditional manufacturing companies and therefore forced localisation requirements should be curbed to the extent possible within and outside Europe while accommodating necessary exemptions based on legitimate public purposes such as consumer protection and the protection of fundamental rights;recalls that data protection and privacy are not a trade barrier but fundamental rights, enshrined in Article 39 TEU, Articles 7 and 8 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union as well as Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
Amendment 160 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Looks forward to the launch of negotiations with New Zealand and to following them closely and contributing to their successful outcome;stresses that following the ECJ opinion on the EU-Singapore FTA, the EP should see its role strengthened at all stages of EU FTA negotiations, from the adoption of the mandate to the final conclusion of the agreement, and calls for necessary arrangements to be made in the interinstitutional agreement; in this regard, reminds the Commission of its obligationthe need not only to inform the Parliament immediately and fully at all stages of the negotiations (both before and after the negotiating rounds)but also to associate Parliament fully at all stages; is committed to addressexaminge the legislative and regulatory issues that may arise in the context of the negotiations and the future agreement without prejudice to its prerogatives as a co-legislator; reiterates its fundamental responsibility to represent the citizens of the EU, and looks forward to facilitating inclusive and open discussions during the negotiating process;
Amendment 164 #
2017/2193(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Recalls that the European Parliament will endeavour to monitor the implementation of the future agreement;
Amendment 4 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
- having regard to the European Commission´s study of 15 November 2016 on the Cumulative Economic Impact of future trade agreements on EU agriculture,
Amendment 6 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas the EU concluded negotiations on the EU-Australia Framework Agreement (FA) on 22 April 2015;
Amendment 11 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
F a. whereas Australia is among the EU’s oldest and closest partners, sharing common values and committed to promoting prosperity and security within a rules-based system globally;
Amendment 13 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas Australia is one of only six WTO members for which there is still no preferential access to the EU market or negotiations in progress to that end;
Amendment 17 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
H a. whereas the conclusion of the EU- Australia free trade agreement will deepen the trade and investment relationship and whereas it could not be contemplated if the agreement adversely affected the ability of the parties to introduce, maintain or enhance their social, environmental or labour standards;
Amendment 18 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)
Recital H b (new)
H b. whereas, the Belgian national government has on the 6 September 2017 requested the European Court of Justice to review if ICS is compatible with EU treaties;
Amendment 19 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H c (new)
Recital H c (new)
H c. whereas following the EU- Australia draft negotiating mandate investment-protection is not included;
Amendment 20 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H d (new)
Recital H d (new)
H d. whereas the European Parliament will be required to decide whether to give its consent to the potential EU-Australia- FTA;
Amendment 21 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H e (new)
Recital H e (new)
H e. whereas the European Court of Justice opinion on the EU-Singapore agreement of 16 May 2017 clarifies that, except for portfolio investment and investor-to-state-dispute stellment, the agreement is of EU exclusive competence, showing the need to strengthen the democratic accountability of EU trade policy by enhancing the role of the EP in negotiating trade agreements at all stages;
Amendment 32 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers that the full potential of the Union’s bilateral and regional cooperation strategies can only be realisbe improved by concluding a high-quality FTA, balanced and fair trade agreement with Australia in a spirit of reciprocity and mutual benefit while under no circumstances undermining the ambition to achieve progress multilaterally or the implementation of already concluded multilateral and bilateral agreements;
Amendment 36 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Believes that the negotiation of a modern, ambitious, balanced, fair and comprehensive FTA is a pragmatic way of deepening the bilateral partnership and further reinforcing the existing, already mature bilateral trade and investment relationships, while keeping social and environmental concerns high on both partners´ agendas´;
Amendment 42 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to conclude, as soon as possible, its assessments of the potential impact of such a trade deal, with a view to being able to evaluate thoroughly the possible gains and losses from the enhancement of the EU- Australia trade and investment relationships, for the benefit of citizens and businesses on both sides, including in the outermost regions and the overseas countries and territories, and paying special attention to environmental and social impacts, including the EU labour market and to take into account the impact Brexit might have on the increase of exportations from Australia to the EU;
Amendment 49 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Calls on the Commission to duly take into account and to respect the opinion of the European Court of Justice about the compatibility of ICS with EU treaties;
Amendment 54 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Council to authorise the Commission to start negotiations for a trade an investment agreement and an investment protection agreement with Australia on the basis of the outcome of the scoping exercises, the conditions set out in this resolution, the impact assessment and with clear targets;
Amendment 55 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Welcomes the Commission's step to publish the proposed negotiating directive and considers this a positive precedent;urges the Council to follow suit and publish the negotiating directive as soon as it is adopted;
Amendment 57 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Welcomes the inclusion in the proposed negotiating directive ofthe clarification that payments under the Common Agricultural Policy should not be targeted by (i) anti-subsidy and (ii) anti-dumping measures;takes note of the ongoing investigative proceedings undertaken by the counterpart on European exports of processed tomatoes and therefore, calls on the Commission to engage with the counterpart to avoid any further discrimination against European workers and businesses;
Amendment 60 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls on the Commission and the Council to clearly distinguish between an agreement on trade and the liberalisation of foreign direct investment (FDI),to make as soon as possible a proposal about the future architecture of trade agreements taking into account the ECJ opinion on the FTA-Singapore and if there would be in future a distinction between a trade and investment agreement which only containings issues under the Union´s exclusive EU competence, and a second agreement on investment protecwhich covers subjects whose competences are shared with Member States; stresses that such distinction would have implication,s including on FDI and non-direct investment, which would be subject to an Investment Court System the parliamentary ratification process and that it should not be perceived as a way to circumvent national democratic processes; calls for stronger EP involvement in all ongoing and future FTA negotiations at all stages of the process;
Amendment 79 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses that an FTA must lead to genuine market openness, and trade facilitation on the groundimproved market access, creating decent jobs, gender equality for the benefit of citizens on both sides, sustainable development, upholding EU standards, safeguarding services of general interest, and respecting democratic procedures whilst boosting EU export opportunities;
Amendment 82 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Emphasises that an ambitious agreement must address, in a meaningful way, high quality sanitary and phyto- sanitary standards and other norms in agricultural and food products, without weakening EU´s high standards, robust and enforceable commitments on labour and environmental standards, the fight against tax avoidance and corruption, investment, trade in goods and services (drawing on recent European Parliament recommendations as regards reservations of policy space and sensitive sectors), e- commerce, public procurement, energy, state-owned enterprises, competition, regulatory issues such as sanitary and phytosanitary barriers, as well as technology research and especially, the need of micro-enterprises and SMEs;
Amendment 88 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Calls on the Council to recognise explicitly the other Party's obligations towards indigenous peoples in the negotiating directives and to allow for reservations for domestic preference schemes in this regard;the Agreement should reaffirm both Parties' commitment to ILO Convention 169 on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
Amendment 103 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point a a (new)
Paragraph 14 – point a a (new)
a a) to ensure and explicitly foresee that this agreement does not prevent the parties’ ability to define, regulate, provide and support services in the general interest, that it will by no means require governments to privatise any service nor preclude governments from expanding the range of services they supply to the public, and that it will not prevent governments from providing services in the general interest previously supplied by private service suppliers or from bringing back under public control services that governments have previously chosen to privatise;
Amendment 105 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point a b (new)
Paragraph 14 – point a b (new)
a b) to ensure that the right and the ability of the parties to adopt and apply their own laws and regulations in the public interest is enshrined throughout the entire text in order to achieve legitimate public policy objectives such as the protection and promotion of public health, social services, public education, safety, the environment, public morals, social or consumer protection, privacy and data protection, and the promotion and protection of cultural diversity;
Amendment 113 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point b
Paragraph 14 – point b
b) The reduction of unjustified non- tariff barriers and the strengthening and extension of regulatory cooperation dialogues with binding disciplines to improve respect for intbut to ensure that any cooperation on regulatory matters remains voluntary, respects the autonomy of regulatory authorities, must be purely based on enhanced information exchange and administrative cooperation with a view to identifying unnecessary barriers and administrative burdens; to recall that regulatory coopernational standards and regulatory harmonisation, in particular through the adoption and implementation of the standards set by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) must aim to benefit governance of the global economy by intensified convergence and cooperation on international standards for example through the adoption and implementation of the standards set by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) while guaranteeing the highest level of consumer (e.g. food safety), environmental (e.g. animal health and welfare, plant health), social and labour protection;
Amendment 116 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point c
Paragraph 14 – point c
c) Significant concessions on public procurement guaranteeing market access for European companies in strategic sectors and the same degree of openness as that of the EU’s public procurement markets; to consider that simplified procedures and transparency for bidders, including those from other countries, can also be effective tools to combat corruption and foster integrity in public administration while providing value for money to taxpayers, in terms of the quality of delivery, efficiency, effectiveness and accountability; to guarantee that ecological and social criteria, including gender equality criteria, are applied in awarding public procurement markecontracts;
Amendment 122 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point d
Paragraph 14 – point d
d) A separate chapter taking into account the needs and interests of micro- enterprises and SMEs with regard to market access facilitation issues in order to generate concrete business opportunities;
Amendment 125 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point d a (new)
Paragraph 14 – point d a (new)
d a) relating to the ECJ-opinion on the FTA-Singapore that trade and sustainable development is an EU-exclusive competence and that sustainable development forms an integral part of the common commercial policy of the EU a robust and ambitious sustainable development chapter with a sanction- based mechanism, covering, among other things, core labour standards, the four ILO priority governance conventions and multilateral environmental agreements, is an indispensable part of any potential trade agreement;considers that the agreement should also include the establishment of a joint civil society forum that monitors and comments on its implementation and how the parties respect their commitments and obligations on human rights, labour standards and environmental protection;
Amendment 128 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point d b (new)
Paragraph 14 – point d b (new)
d b) to include in the negotiating directives the requirement for the parties to promote corporate social responsibility (CSR) via binding standards, including with regard to internationally recognised instruments, and the uptake of sectorial OECD guidelines and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights;
Amendment 130 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point d c (new)
Paragraph 14 – point d c (new)
d c) to ensure that the parties include a specific chapter on trade and gender equality and women’s empowerment, foreseeing active measures aiming to enhance opportunities for women to benefit from the opportunities provided by the FTA;to provide for measures aimed at, inter alia, a better work-family life balance and access to social and health services;to pursue an enhanced participation of women enterprises (particularly micro-enterprises and SMEs) in public procurement;to support the internationalisation of women enterprises and the participation of women in Mode 4 opportunities;to ensure, inter alia, that the parties commit to collecting disaggregated data allowing for thorough ex ante and ex post analysis on the impact of the FTA on gender equality;
Amendment 135 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point f
Paragraph 14 – point f
f) EStrong and enforceable measures covering the recognition and protection of intellectual property rights, including geographical indications (GIs) for agricultural and foodstuff products, and for wines and spirits; to simplify rules of origin and customs procedures with a view to adapting them to the reality of increasingly complex global value chains, including in terms of enhancing transparency and accountability within them;
Amendment 139 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point g
Paragraph 14 – point g
g) A balanced outcome in the agriculture and fisheries chapters which gives due consideration to the interests of all European producers and consumers, for instance by introducing appropriate quotas in the most sensitive sectorsrespecting that there are a number of sensitive agricultural products which should be given appropriate treatment, for example through tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) or allocated adequate transition periods, taking into proper consideration the cumulated impact of the agricultural concessions made by the EU both in multilateral and bilateral negotiations and excluding from the scope of the negotiations the most sensitive sectors; to include a usable and effective bilateral safeguard clause enabling the temporary suspension of preferences, if, as a result of the entry into force of the trade agreement, a rise in imports causes or threatens to cause serious injuries to sensitive sectors; points out that the potential impact of Brexit, developments in the withdrawal negotiations and at the WTO regarding the existing TRQs should be factored in to the negotiations; therefore Brexit has to be taken duly into account; considers that only then can it boost competitiveness and be beneficial to both consumers and producers;
Amendment 150 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point g a (new)
Paragraph 14 – point g a (new)
g a) the inclusion of a tax good governance clause and binding transparency standards that reaffirm the parties’ commitment to implement international standards in the fight against tax evasion, avoidance and elusion, in particular the relevant OECD recommendations on taxation (such as the initiative on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting), and that includes obligations for country-by-country reporting, automatic exchanges of information and the establishment of public registers of beneficial ownership;
Amendment 157 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point g b (new)
Paragraph 14 – point g b (new)
g b) to increase cooperation in the fight against corruption and therefore include commitments to multilateral Anti- Corruption Conventions, such as the UNCAC and the OECD Anti-bribery Convention;
Amendment 160 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point g c (new)
Paragraph 14 – point g c (new)
g c) to include digital innovations and data flows, as they are crucial drivers of the services economy and an essential element of the GVC of traditional manufacturing companies and therefore forced localisation requirements should be curbed to the extent possible within and outside Europe while accommodating necessary exemptions based on legitimate public purposes such as consumer protection and the protection of fundamental rights;recalls that data protection and privacy are not a trade barrier but fundamental rights, enshrined in Article 39 TEU, Articles 7 and 8 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union as well as Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
Amendment 164 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Looks forward to the launch of negotiations with Australia and to following them closely and costresses that, following the ECJ opinion on the EU-Singapore FTA, the EP should see its role strengthened at all stages of EU FTA negotiations, from the adoption of the mandate to the final conclusion of the agreement, and calls for necessary arrangements to be made in the inteributing to their successful outcome;nstitutional agreement; in this regard, reminds the Commission of its obligationthe need not only to inform the Parliament immediately andbut to associate Parliament fully at all stages of the negotiations (both before and after the negotiating rounds); is committed to addressexaminge the legislative and regulatory issues that may arise in the context of the negotiations and the future agreement without prejudice to its prerogatives as a co-legislator; reiterates its fundamental responsibility to represent the citizens of the EU, and looks forward to facilitating inclusive and open discussions during the negotiating process;
Amendment 169 #
2017/2192(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Recalls that the European Parliament will endeavour to monitor the implementation of the future agreement;
Amendment 131 #
2017/2115(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital P a (new)
Recital P a (new)
Pa. Whereas in several Member States the number of bee colonies is declining and the population employed in apiculture sector is aging.
Amendment 142 #
2017/2115(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital T a (new)
Recital T a (new)
Ta. Whereas the medicines available on the market to treat bee diseases are limited and there is an increased need for innovative veterinary medicines.
Amendment 143 #
2017/2115(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital T b (new)
Recital T b (new)
Tb. Whereas exchange of good practices and innovative practices would bring added value to the European apiculture sector, and a specific programme like "Erasmus" for beekeepers could be financed by Pillar II of the CAP.
Amendment 144 #
2017/2115(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital T c (new)
Recital T c (new)
Tc. Whereas the veterinary medicines residues in honey can prevent it being marketed and deprive beekeepers of income.
Amendment 167 #
2017/2115(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital AE a (new)
Recital AE a (new)
AEa. Whereas products that contain less than 30 percent honey are sold as honey, thereby misleading consumers.
Amendment 239 #
2017/2115(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Amendment 255 #
2017/2115(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission to adopt recommendations in order to introduce a uniform, high-quality, basic and vocational beekeeping education programme in the EU;, given the pressing need for generational renewal in the sector.
Amendment 274 #
2017/2115(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Underlines that in several Member States insurance companies refuse to insure bee colonies and that bee keepers have difficulties in using the risk management tools from the Pillar II of the CAP. Therefore, calls on the Commission and the Member States to facilitate the access of bee keepers to private insurance and risk management tools.
Amendment 284 #
2017/2115(INI)
9b. Calls on the Commission and Member States to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and innovation between bee-keepers from different Member States. The Erasmus programme could be a successful example to be followed.
Amendment 318 #
2017/2115(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Calls on the Commission to stimulate research and innovation in the apiculture sector in order to develop innovative medicines for the specific bee diseases and innovative ways of honey production.
Amendment 427 #
2017/2115(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Reminds the Commission that consumers have the right to know the place of origin of all foodstuffs; however, the ‘blend of EC honeys’, ‘blend of non-EC honeys’ and especially ‘blend of EC and non-EC honeys’ labelling completely conceals the origin of the honey from the consumer; Calls on the Commission to ensure accurate labeling of honey and honey based products in order to prevent misleading the consumers.
Amendment 443 #
2017/2115(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28 a. Calls on the Commission to revise Directive EC 110/2010, in order to clarify the definition of honey as a product that contains 100% natural honey, produced from pollen.Other blends that contain small percentages of honey should not be sold under the name "honey" because this is misleading the consumers.
Amendment 2 #
2017/2069(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
Citation 2 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 2 February 2017 on recommendations to the Commission on cross border aspects of adoptions
Amendment 3 #
2017/2069(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 b (new)
Citation 2 b (new)
Amendment 4 #
2017/2069(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 c (new)
Citation 2 c (new)
- having regard to the Council conclusions of 29 February2017 on the Single Market strategy1cand especially to the document on the Outcome of the informal meeting of SOLVIT Centres held in Lisbon on 18 September 20151d _________________ 1c Council document 6622/16 1d Council document 14268/15
Amendment 14 #
2017/2069(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6
Citation 6
– having regard to Articles 2, 6 and 9-12 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), to Articles 18-25 of the TFEU and to Articles 11 and 39-46 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights,
Amendment 48 #
2017/2069(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas as petitions and complaints addressed to the European Commission and to SOLVIT have shown, EU citizens face notable difficulties in exercising this right, owing to administrative burdens and bureaucracy in Member States, and to misinformation and/or a lack of cooperation by Member State authorities;
Amendment 51 #
2017/2069(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the principle ofArticle 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights explicitly prohibits non- discrimination on the basis of nationality, sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or beliefbased on any grounds such as sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation is as the primary expression of EU citizenship; whereas it forms at the same time a crucial component of the successful exercise of the freedom of movement, as evidenced in petitions;
Amendment 71 #
2017/2069(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Takes note of the Commission’s 2017 EU Citizenship Report, which contains an enumeration of priorities by field of activity; expresses its doubt as to whether these priorities will effectively answer citizens’ concerns; regrets the lack of well-defined, concrete commitments and actions for the next three years;
Amendment 72 #
2017/2069(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Takes note of the Commission’s willingness to increase its efforts in order to inform the European citizens of their rights whereas strongly recalls the predominant importance of a timely and effective enforcement of them ;reminds that the correct application of EU law is a shared responsibility of the Member States and the European institutions; underlines in that respect the crucial role the Commission has to play as the Guardian of the Treaties in the implementation of the articles 258-260 TFEU;
Amendment 75 #
2017/2069(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1d. Urges the Commission to speed up its EU law enforcement policy by using all available tools mechanisms in order to bring a correct application of EU law closer to the citizens.
Amendment 123 #
2017/2069(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes with appreciation the Commission’s efforts to make multiple information and assistance outlets about the EU and Citizenship rightthe rights it confers to its citizens, such as the Europe Direct network, the Your Europe portal and the e- justice portal, available and more accessible; urges the Commission to systematise the information and possibly plan for a single, EU-wide information window; at the same time, invites the Member States to promote the SOLVIT network and its services among EU citizens, as well as other redress mechanisms, both at EU level, such as the Committee on Petitions and the European Ombudsman and at national level, such as the local ombudsman;
Amendment 129 #
2017/2069(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls on the Commission to reinforce the SOLVIT network by improving the interaction between its services and national centres in order to ensure a better follow-up of unresolved and repetitive cases as well as a greater articulation between the different EU law enforcement tools such as EU PILOT and CHAP ;at the same time, invites the Member States to promote the SOLVIT network and its services among EU citizens, as well as other redress mechanisms, both at EU level, such as the Committee on Petitions and the European Ombudsman and at national level, such as the local ombudsman;
Amendment 130 #
2017/2069(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Calls on Member States to better inform EU citizens as to their rights and duties, and to facilitate entitlement to these rights being respected equally both in their country of origin and in any other Member State
Amendment 136 #
2017/2069(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Points out that citizens should have access to all the necessary information, which should be presented in a clear and comprehensible way, in order to be able to make informed decisions on the exercise of their Treaty rights, and especially their right to free movement, which is one of the key elements of EU citizenship, and residence within the EU; recommends the promotion of transparency and proactive publishing as the most appropriate tools to that end;
Amendment 139 #
2017/2069(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Recalls that access to health services, coordination of social security schemes and recognition of professional qualifications in other Member States are the areas where EU citizens are often facing difficulties and calls for a vigorous enforcement by the Commission in order to redress those situations ;
Amendment 142 #
2017/2069(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 f (new)
Paragraph 9 f (new)
9f. Encourages Member States to give more space to political education on EU affairs, inter alia on EU citizens’ rights, in their school curricula and to adapt teacher training accordingly; considers that Member States should promote school visits to EU institutions in their educational systems; emphasises that accessible education plays a vital role in informing future citizens
Amendment 168 #
2017/2069(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. ERecalls the fundamental right to freedom of expression and information enshrined in article 11 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights ; expresses its conviction that free media and access to a plurality of voices in society and in the media are an indispensable part of a healthy democracy and constitutes therefore a constitutional foundation of EU membership as enshrined in Articles 2 and 6 of the TEU; underlines the need for a defined EU policy to tackle anti- European propaganda and false information; proposes that EU institutions proceed with the creation of a European television channel broadcasting in all Member Statesunderlines the need for a defined EU policy to tackle anti-European propaganda and false information;
Amendment 175 #
2017/2069(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Deplores any populist rhetoric that aims to create discriminatory practices based on grounds of nationality
Amendment 193 #
2017/2069(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Urges the Member States to guarantee that their national legislation is sufficiently clear and detailed to ensure that the right to free movement of citizens and their families is respected; to proceed with the proper training of competent national authorities in this respect on the basis of an electronic learning tool and to disseminate accurate information to interested parties in a precise manner; to foster, furthermore, good cooperation and a swift exchange of information with other national administrations, especially where cross-border insurance and old age pensions are concerned; urges the Commission to submit a proposal for an act on the cross-border recognition of adoption orders;
Amendment 199 #
2017/2069(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 f (new)
Paragraph 15 f (new)
15f. Welcomes the launch of the EU solidarity corps for young European citizens and asks for the initiative to be properly funded and that quality jobs are not replaced by unpaid volunteering;
Amendment 201 #
2017/2069(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 h (new)
Paragraph 15 h (new)
Amendment 2 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9
Citation 9
– having regard to the announced Agreement in Principle on the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement of 6 July 2017,
Amendment 7 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15
Citation 15
Amendment 13 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 20 a (new)
Citation 20 a (new)
– having regard to the upcoming 11th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 10 - 13 December 2017 where E-commerce is likely to be discussed,
Amendment 16 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas technological developments and access to the open internet enable companies, particularly SMEs,and the digitisation of the economy could enable companies, particularly start-ups, micro-enterprises and SMEs, to create new opportunities for business, to improve their capacity to export, to participate in global value-chains and to reach customers all over the globe at a faster pace and lower cost than ever before;
Amendment 20 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the internet and internet- based technologies play an important role in developing, ordering, producing, marketing or delivering products and services;
Amendment 22 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas counterfeiting is a global and growing phenomenon, particularly online;
Amendment 23 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the digitisation of traditional industries affects supply chains, manufacturing and services models, which could lead to job creation in new industries, but could also lead to job losses, as more and more tasks traditionally performed by humans are either automated or off-shored, or both;
Amendment 29 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the current tax framework does not account for large online businesses who are avoiding taxes by routing most of their profits to tax havens;
Amendment 32 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas access to a free, open and secure internet is a prerequisite for rules- based trade andthe development inof the digital economy which can contribute to rules-based trade;
Amendment 36 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the UN’s SDGs stress that providing universal and affordable access to the Internet for people in least developed countries by 2020 will be crucial in terms of fostering development, as the development of a digital economy could be a driver for jobs and growth, e- commerce being one opportunity to increase the numbers of small exporters, export volumes and export diversification;
Amendment 37 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas women as entrepreneurs and as workers can benefit from better access to global markets and as consumers from lower prices, still many challenges and inequalities prevent women´s participation in the global economy, as many of the women in low- and middle-income countries, still have no access to internet;
Amendment 38 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas electronic commerce is also booming in developing countries;
Amendment 41 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas governments around the world are engaging in digital protectionism by putting up unjustified and disproportionate barriers that hinder market access and direct investment, or create unfair advantages for domestic companies;
Amendment 44 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas geo-blocking should be ended and no forms of unjustified discrimination based on a customer’s nationality, place of residence or place of establishment within the internal market should appear in future;
Amendment 70 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses the need to bridge the digital divide in order to minimise potential negative social and development Impacts; underlines in this regard the importance to promote female participation in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), to remove barriers to lifelong learning, to close gender gaps in access to and in the use of new technologies; calls on the Commission to explore further how current trade policy and gender equality are linked and how trade can promote women´s economic empowerment;
Amendment 72 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Notes that while intensified digital trade can lead to welfare benefits the digital economy has already shown a troubling tendency towards excessive market and power concentration; considers therefore that a digital trade strategy must be complemented by a reinforced and effective international framework for competition policy including by increased cooperation between competition authorities and strong competition chapters in trade agreements;
Amendment 75 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the Commission to ensure that businesses and companies comply with competition rules and that there is no discrimination against competitors to the detriment of consumers’ welfare; highlights in this regard that manufacturers and retailers, acting in a competitive market, must respond to consumers’ preferences rather than stipulate the terms on which consumers may access products;
Amendment 79 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Considers that trade agreements should provide for increased cooperation between consumer protection agencies and welcomes initiatives to foster consumer trust-enhancing measures in trade negotiations such as disciplines on electronic signatures and contracts and unsolicited communications; highlights that the rights of consumers must be protected and must not be diluted in any case; stresses in this regard that the processing of services has to comply with high standards such as the protection of data and privacy, and underlines in this regard the importance of the fight against Internet crime;
Amendment 81 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Recalls the need to put in place simplified, tax- and duty-free customs treatment of items sold online and returned unused, since a customer’s opportunity to return the item is a pillar of the competitiveness of e-commerce retailers; Calls on the Commission to address public concerns through better information on regulations such as data security, privacy, intellectual property protection, consumer protection and the safeguarding of cultural values;
Amendment 82 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 d (new)
Paragraph 2 d (new)
2d. Points out that a digital development strategy should include investment in digital infrastructure, such as internet access, devices and computers as well as in digital enterprises, including relevant trainings; stresses that such investments are particularly important for local firms, especially in developing countries to be able to interact digitally with MNEs and to access global value- chains; highlights in this regard, that sustainable development should not be seen as a barrier for investments in the digital economy, but rather as a means to achieve a rules-based investment regime that aims at sustainability and inclusiveness;
Amendment 83 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 e (new)
Paragraph 2 e (new)
2e. Underlines that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries make up the majority of businesses and employ the majority of manufacturing and service sector workers; Recalls that facilitating cross-border e-commerce can have a direct impact on improving livelihoods, fostering higher living standards and boosting economic development.
Amendment 84 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 f (new)
Paragraph 2 f (new)
2f. Recalls that the digital economy generally and digital trade specifically can cause disruption in other sectors and do not automatically lead to equitable and shared growth; stresses in this regard that the necessary social flanking measures must be put in place for them to benefit the whole society, such as strong education and training policies, active labour market policies and measures to overcome the digital divide;
Amendment 85 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 g (new)
Paragraph 2 g (new)
2g. Recalls that the new digital labour market claims to be flexible and cost- efficient, for both clients and independent contractors; stresses in this regard, that this new flexibility often goes hand in hand with precarious working conditions and undermines hard-won legal and social standards of decent work; Calls therefore on the Commission to focus on increasing protection of workers in the field of crowd working, including minimum wage, a form of social and health insurance, privacy protection and liability insurance;
Amendment 86 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 h (new)
Paragraph 2 h (new)
2h. Stresses that rules and regulations on digital commerce must be feasible not only for online monopolists and big companies, but also for micro-enterprises, SMEs and start-ups to achieve fair competition and a level playing field in the digital economy;
Amendment 88 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recognises that adequacy decisions, including partial and sector- specific ones, are a fundamental mechanism in terms of safeguarding the transfer of personal data from the EU to a third country; notes that the EU has only adopted adequacy decisions with four of its 20 largest trading partners; recalls that instruments other than general disciplines in trade agreements exist to enable the transfer of data from one country to another such as binding corporate rules or standard contractual clauses;
Amendment 93 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to prioritise and speed upcontinue with the adoption of adequacy decisions while ensuring that each individual adequacy decision is fully in line with the Union’s data protection legal framework and ensures a high level of protection for personal data; in order to facilitate the adoption of adequacy decisions; calls on, the Commission should consider the possibility to adopt, and to make public, updated and detailed binding procedures for reaching these decisions;
Amendment 99 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that the ability to access, collect, process and transfer data has become a prerequisitemore important for every type of company that delivers goods and services internationally;
Amendment 116 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission to prohibit unjustified and disproportionate data localisation requirements in FTAs;
Amendment 120 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Welcomes the Commission proposal for a regulation on a framework for the free flow of non-personal data in the European Union; Calls on the Commission to put forward its position on cross- border data transfers and unjustified and disproportionate data localisation requirements in trade negotiations before the end of the year; agreements and underlines the need to ensure consistency between EU approach on free flow of non-personal data in the European Union and the provisions on cross border data transfers and data localisation in trade agreements; in the case of trade agreements where it is not yet possible to include provisions on cross border data transfers and data localisation due to the fact that the negotiations are nearly concluded, encourages the Commission to use review clauses that would allow for a prompt alignment to EU’s horizontal approach to data transfers and data localisation.
Amendment 151 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Highlights that a coherent EU approach is necessary regarding the taxation of the digital economy to achieve fair and effective taxation of all companies in order to create a level playing field and recalls that the fundamental guiding principle must be that taxes are paid where the profit is made; Welcomes recent efforts by the Commission to pursue the effective and just taxation of digital multinational companies and recalls that trade Agreements should include a Tax Good Governance Clause that would reaffirm the Parties’ commitment to implementation of agreed international standards in the fight against tax evasion and avoidance, on obligations for country-by-country reporting, automatic exchange of information and the establishment of public registers of beneficial ownership;
Amendment 159 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Recalls that, since 1998, members of the WTO have upheld a moratorium on tariffs on electronic transmissions; stresses that such tariffs would entail unnecessary additional costs for businesses and consumers alike; calls on the Commission to transform the moratorium into a permanent agreement on banning tariffs on electronic transmissions subject to careful analysis of the implication in the area of 3D printing;
Amendment 162 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls on the Commission to use trade agreements to promote the interoperability of ICT-standards that benefit both consumers and producers, notably in the context of a secure Internet of things, while not circumventing legitimate fora for multi stakeholder governance which have served the open internet well;
Amendment 178 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Strongly supports the further mainstreaming of digital technologies and services in the EU’s development policy; calls on the Commission to stimulate public-private partnerships to increase investinvestments and cooperation for developments in digital infrastructure in the Global South; urges the Commission to make investments in broadband infrastructure in developing countries conditional upon respect forto achieve the establishment of a free, open and secure internet; calls on the Commission to use trade agreements to improve and promote digital rights;
Amendment 180 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Stresses the imperative that any digital trade strategy must be fully in line with the principle of policy coherence for development, and should in particular seek to promote and enable start-ups and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises engaging in cross border e-commerce recalling the contribution this could make to gender equality since a great number of these companies are women owned and operated;
Amendment 182 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Considers that digital issues should also feature more prominently in the EU’s Aid for Trade policy to facilitate the growth of e-commerce via increased support for innovation and infrastructure and access to financing, notably via micro finance initiatives, as well as assistance in increasing online visibility for developing country e-commerce businesses, facilitating platform access and promoting the availability of e-payment solutions and access to cost-effective logistics and delivery services;
Amendment 184 #
2017/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 c (new)
Paragraph 20 c (new)
20c. Stresses that any digital trade strategy, including its flanking measures, must be fully in line with and contribute to the realisation of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; notes that SDG 4 on quality education, providing free, equitable and Quality primary and secondary education to all girls and boys, SDG 5 to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, SDG 8.10. on promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, in particular via strengthened capacity of domestic financial institutions and access to financial services, as well as SDG 9.1. on developing reliable and resilient infrastructure with a focus inequitable access for all and SDG 9.3. on increasing access of small enterprises, in particular in developing countries, to financial services, including affordable credit, and their integration into value chains and markets are particularly relevant in this regard;
Amendment 15 #
2017/2028(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises that trade agreements should be seen as a key mechanism for promoting anti-corruption measures and good governance; calls for such agreements to include commitments to multilateral anti-corruption conventions in all trade deal, such as the UNCAC and the OECD Anti- bribery Convention; calls on the Commission to consider developing assistance projects to help states overcome constraints complying with these international conventions;
Amendment 20 #
2017/2028(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Recognises the major role of the Trade Facilitation Agreement in fighting corruption at ports of entry which was adopted in Bali in 2013 and entered into force in February 2017;
Amendment 27 #
2017/2028(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for whistle-blower protection to be addressed in EU trade deals; therefore recalls that proper European legislation is needed and urges the Commission to propose legislative instruments ensuring effective measures to protect whistle-blowers acting in the public interest when disclosing confidential information of companies and public bodies; stresses that signatory parties of trade agreements should take measures to promote the active participation of the private sector, civil society organisations and domestic advisory groups in the implementation of anti-corruption programmes and clauses in international trade and investment deals;
Amendment 31 #
2017/2028(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Is of the opinion that special provisions on SMEs should be foreseen in trade agreements in order to enable them to tackle corruption, as they often do not have the means;
Amendment 32 #
2017/2028(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Recognises that some chapters of trade agreements are more exposed to corruption than others and therefore require tailored solutions; recalls that ambitious transparency provisions in trade agreements can help fighting corruption;
Amendment 37 #
2017/2028(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Regrets the lack of effective enforcement and monitoring of the implementation of anti-corruption provisions in current EU trade agreements; calls on the Commission to negotiate enforceable anti-corruption and anti- money-laundering provisions in all future trade agreements and to explore possibilities on the establishment of an independent monitoring body for an effective implementation of the provisions;
Amendment 15 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 32 a (new)
Citation 32 a (new)
– having regard to the Africa Human Development Report 2016 "Accelerating Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Africa"1e __________________ 1eUNDP, Africa Human Development Report 2016: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/li brary/corporate/HDR/Africa%20HDR/Af HDR_2016_lowres_EN.pdf?download
Amendment 16 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 32 b (new)
Citation 32 b (new)
– having regard to the OCDE report "Enhancing Women’s Economic Empowerment through Entrepreneurship and Business Leadership in OECD Countries" (2014)1f __________________ 1fOCDE technical report "Enhancing Women’s Economic Empowerment through Entrepreneurship and Business Leadership in OECD Countries": http://www.oecd.org/gender/Enhancing% 20Women%20Economic%20Empowerme nt_Fin_1_Oct_2014.pdf
Amendment 17 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 32 c (new)
Citation 32 c (new)
Amendment 18 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 32 d (new)
Citation 32 d (new)
– having regard to the increasing international efforts to promote gender equality though trade policies -such as the UNCTAD programme on gender and development1j (which includes studies on the impact of trade on women; a teaching packet on trade and gender, online training or the creation of the status of "Gender Champions") and the World Bank, which since 2016, in each of their 14 working areas has a gender strategy; __________________ 1jUNCTAD's Website: http://unctad.org/en/Pages/DITC/Gender- and-Trade/Trade,-Gender-and- Development.aspx
Amendment 23 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A. whereas Art. 8 of the TFEU commits the EU to eliminate inequalities and to promote equality and combat discrimination, among others, on the grounds of sex, when defining and implementing its policies and activities;
Amendment 25 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A a (new)
Recital -A a (new)
-Aa. whereas gender discussions should concern both men and women equally and whereas engagement and partnership between the public sector and private sector stakeholders, at international and local levels, are key to promote the necessary awareness and synergies to promote gender equality and women empowerment;
Amendment 26 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A b (new)
Recital -A b (new)
-Ab. whereas there is abroad consensus that a fair, open and rules-based international trade plays a vital role in shaping economic and social performance and prospects of countries around the world, especially those of developing countries; whereas trade is instrumental in empowering women and supporting communities and women's fully-fledged participation in the economy is essential for growth; whereas studies show that empowering women could add a quarter to world’s GDP, that helping women is essential as much from economic as social and poverty eradication perspectives, due to their role in families and communities; whereas, however, trade policies lacking an appropriate gender focus, may further entrench or exacerbate existing gender biases and discrimination;
Amendment 27 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A c (new)
Recital -A c (new)
-Ac. whereas, therefore, synergy between different policies, domestic and external, is crucial to achieve gender equality and women empowerment, including issues such as property rights, access to finance, education and vocational training, corporate behaviour, government procurement, digital gap, cultural bias;
Amendment 28 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A d (new)
Recital -A d (new)
-Ad. whereas the relationship between international trade and gender is complex and demands a deep understanding of economic and social dynamics, as well as of specific local contexts, in order to develop efficient trade policies to pursue economic development and poverty reduction, while also promoting women’s empowerment and gender equality;
Amendment 44 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas economic development and gender equality frequently go hand- in-hand; whereas there is a broad understanding that societies where gender inequalities are lower, also tend to grow faster;
Amendment 94 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the European Commission has announced its commitment to ensure that the future trade negotiations to modernise the current Association Agreement between Chile and the EU will include, for the first time in the EU, a specific Chapter on Gender and Trade;
Amendment 112 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) and GSP+ systems aim to include a human rights conditionality aimed at ensureing the ratification and implementation of human and labour rights conventions in developing countries;
Amendment 114 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas the garment sector employs mainly women, whereas it is important to recall that 289 people perished in a blaze in Karachi, Pakistan, in September 2012, in the same year, a fire at the Tazreen Fashions factory, in Bangladesh, caused the death of 117 people and injured more than 200 workers and, the Rana Plaza's structural failure, in 2013, resulted in 1.129 casualties and caused injuries to approximately 2 500 people, in the same country, all of which were garment factories;
Amendment 121 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas multilateral platforms and intergovernmental fora, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Women20 (W20), are crucial for fostering gender-related discussion and action among experts and for providing a good basis for consensus-building;
Amendment 157 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Calls on the EU and its Members States to systematically carry out ex-ante and ex-post evaluations of trade policies from a gender perspective, with an improved methodology, clear and measurable indicators, allowing to assess the possible effects of EU trade policies on gender equality and women empowerment as well as to consider possible offensive and defensive interests to defend, throughout entire process of trade negotiations, from negotiation to execution; stresses that all impact assessments and evaluations of EU Trade Agreements and trade policies should be supported by sufficient and adequate gender disaggregated data and a detailed analysis at regional, national, as well as sectorial levels, with particular attention to women in most vulnerable socio- economic sectors; stresses that the results of the gender-focused analysis should be incorporated into trade negotiations, foreseeing the necessary strategies and measures to compensate losses and imbalances;
Amendment 160 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Amendment 169 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines the urgent need to adopt gender-sensitive binding human rights regulations on an international level to regulate transnational companies (TNCs) and other companies; welcomes the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; welcomes the on-going negotiations on a binding International Treaty on Human Rights and transnational companies (TNCs) and other companies, welcomes the involvement of the EU in the process, calls on the Commission and Member States to engage constructively in these negotiations and to encourage trading partners to equally engage; likewise, welcomes the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, calls on EU Member States to elaborate national action plans taking women's rights into particular consideration and calls on the Commission to use trade negotiations to encourage our trade partners to do so;
Amendment 179 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on European Commission, the Council and Member States to actively engage in, and support efforts to organise regular gender-related discussion and action, with a view to improve awareness and the basis for consensus-building;
Amendment 181 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Calls on the Commission, the Council and the Member States to further work within the ILO towards the implementation and to work towards reinforcement of international labour standards for decent work on global value chains, with a particular focus on women;
Amendment 199 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that IPR provisions in trade have a significant impact on women’s health which must be taken carefully into considerationCalls on the Commission and the Council to ensure that IPR provisions in trade agreements take due account of women's rights, particularly their impact on women’s health, including access to affordable healthcare and medicines, which must be taken fully into consideration; further, calls on the Commission and the Council to promote the protection of IPR in negotiations, particularly the protection of Geographical Indications (GI), as a tool particularly important for rural women empowerment; further, it calls the Commission, the Council and Member States to reconsider the extension of protection to non-agricultural products, bearing in mind not only that this can be a very useful tool to promote women empowerment in both in developed and developing countries, but also that the EU has already agreed to protect non- agricultural GI products in FTAs;
Amendment 219 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Calls on the Commission to explore further how EU policies and trade agreements can promote women´s economic empowerment and female participation in areas such as in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and how to close gender gaps in access to, and in the use of, new technologies;
Amendment 221 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for binding measures to combat exploitation and improve working conditions for women in the export- oriented industries, in particular the garment and textile manufacturing and agriculture sectors where trade liberalisation has contributed to precarious labour rights and gender wage gaps; Believes that these frameworks should enable a harmonic cooperation with international organisation as the UN, the WTO, the ILO and the OECD, establishing common definitions, to allow for more clear and coordinated actions and evaluations; in this regard, values the 'Compact for Continuous Improvements in Labour Rights and Factory Safety in the Ready-Made Garment and Knitwear Industry in Bangladesh' (the Sustainability Compact) as a step forward in regards to the monitoring activity, which should be subject of full compliance;
Amendment 271 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Calls on the Commission, the Council and Member States, to promote agreements at multilateral level to expand the protection granted by gender-sensitive EU laws such as the Conflict Minerals Regulation;
Amendment 272 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Calls on the European Investment Bank (EIB) to ensure that companies participating in projects co-financed by the EIB shall be required to adhere to the principle of equal pay and pay transparency and to the principle of gender equality as set out in Directive 2006/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council1k __________________ 1k Directive 2006/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council1a of 5 June 2006 on the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation (OJ L 204, 26.7.2006, p. 23)
Amendment 306 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Calls the EU, the Council and commits itself to ensure that the Secretariats of the EU Institutions with responsibility over trade policies and negotiations have the means and the technical capacity to elaborate gender analysis of trade rules and to incorporate a gender perspective into the entire process of negotiations, from inception, to application and evaluation; to ensure the necessary expertise among EU officials, including by appropriate training; to ensure the involvement of women, as well as gender expertise, in the EU trade negotiating teams, including, for each relevant round of negotiation, an expert on gender with thorough knowledge of the different policy sectors concerned;
Amendment 308 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 d (new)
Paragraph 16 d (new)
16d. Calls on the European Commission, the Council and Member States to recognise and support international efforts to promote the inclusion of gender perspectives into trade policies and programmes, such as, for example the "She Trades" initiative of the International Trade Centre, which is aimed to connect 1 million women entrepreneurs to markets by 20201h; __________________ 1h International Trade Centre's webpage on the "She Trades" initiative: http://www.intracen.org/itc/women-and- trade/SheTrades/
Amendment 10 #
2017/0007(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) The Union's macro-financial assistance should support Moldova's commitment to values shared with the Union, including democracy, the rule of law, good governance, respect for human rightsan independent judiciary, respect for human rights, the freedom and pluralism of the media, sustainable development and poverty reduction, as well as its commitment to the principles of open, rules-based and fair trade.
Amendment 12 #
2017/0007(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) A pre-condition for granting the Union's macro-financial assistance should be that Moldova respects effective democratic mechanisms – including a multi-party parliamentary system – and the rule of law, and guarantees respect for human rights. In addition, the specific objectives of the Union's macro-financial assistance should strengthen the efficiency, transparency and accountability of the public finance management systems, ensure an effective fight against corruption and money laundering, the governance and supervision of the financial and banking sector in Moldova and promote structural reforms aimed at supporting sustainable and inclusive growth, employment creation and fiscal consolidation. The Union's macro- financial assistance to Moldova should also include measures to support the implementation of the Association Agreement, including the DCFTA. To ensure that such conditions are properly assessed, it is crucial that they are set out in a verifiable and measurable manner. Both the fulfilment of the preconditions and the achievement of those objectives should be regularly monitored by the Commission and the European External Action Service.
Amendment 14 #
2017/0007(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) In order to ensure that the Union’s financial interests linked to the Union’s macro-financial assistance are protected efficiently, Moldova should take appropriate measures relating to the prevention of, and fight against, fraud, corruption and any other irregularities linked to the assistance. Moldova should regularly inform the Commission about the implementation of the macro- financial assistance on the basis of full disclosure and strict compliance with Union financial rules. In addition, provision should be made for the Commission to carry out checks and for the Court of Auditors to carry out audits.
Amendment 15 #
2017/0007(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 24
Recital 24
(24) The Union's macro-financial assistance should be subject to economic policy conditions, to be laid down in a Memorandum of Understanding. Such conditions should be linked to the disbursement of each of the three instalments. In order to ensure uniform conditions of implementation and for reasons of efficiency, the Commission should be empowered to negotiate such conditions with the Moldovan authorities under the supervision of the committee of representatives of the Member States in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011. Under that Regulation, the advisory procedure should, as a general rule, apply in all cases other than as provided for in that Regulation. Considering the potentially important impact of assistance of more than EUR 90 million, it is appropriate that the examination procedure be used for operations above that threshold. Considering the amount of the Union's macro-financial assistance to Moldova, the examination procedure should apply to the adoption of the Memorandum of Understanding, and to any reduction, suspension or cancellation of the assistance,
Amendment 40 #
2016/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
E a. Whereas the EU is the world’s largest exporter and importer of goods and services taken together, the largest foreign direct investor and the most important destination for foreign direct investment (FDI).Whereas the EU should use this strength to benefit both its own citizens and those in other parts of the world, particularly those in the world’s poorest countries.
Amendment 82 #
2016/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
K a. whereas the full observance of human rights in the production chain and full respect of food safety standards of goods released for free circulation in the European market should be respected by both States and enterprises and whereas the burden of responsibility should not only lay on consumers, whose choice is constrained by both individual resources (economy, time, knowledge) and external elements (information, offer);
Amendment 83 #
2016/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
Ka. whereas Rules of Origin (RoO) have become increasingly important in the context of GVCs in which the production spans across several countries; whereas lax rules of origin can create additional hurdles towards establishing full transparency and accountability throughout supply chains;
Amendment 86 #
2016/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas better, harmonised and more efficient customs procedures in Europe and abroad help facilitate trade and meet respective trade facilitation requirements, and help prevent forgeries and illegal, dumped and counterfeit goods from entering the single market, which undermines EU economic growth, and seriously exposes EU consumers; whereas making customs data on imports entering the EU publicly available would increase GVC transparency and accountability;
Amendment 103 #
2016/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Reiterates its call to the Commission and Member states to adopt reinforced trade defence instruments to combat unfair commercial practices, taking into account social and environmental dumping
Amendment 126 #
2016/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Acknowledges the smart mix of regulatory and voluntary action, but recalls that voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR) creates unfair competition for suppliers that have chosen to comply with international labour and environmental standards; reiterates its call for the systematic inclusion of binding and enforceable rules, associated sanctions, remedies and independent monitoring mechanisms; therefore reiterates its call for binding due diligence obligations to be put in place; Stresses that mandatory human rights due diligence should follow the steps required in the UN Guiding Principles and the OECD Guidelines related to the proactive identification of risks to human rights, the drawing up of rigorous and demonstrable action plans to prevent or mitigate these risks, adequate response to known abuses, and transparency;
Amendment 225 #
2016/2301(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. stresses the need for harmonised rules and a reinforced EU coordination and supervision of the application of import duties by Member States (including conventional, anti-dumping and countervailing duties) on all types of commodities and goods, especially involving false declarations of origin (in both preferential and non-preferential regimes) and undervaluation and wrong description of goods;
Amendment 1 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the global apparel tradetrade in ready- made garment (RMG) is worth an estimated USD 3EUR 2.8 trillion and employs up to 75 million people; whereas about three quarters of these workers are female; whereas gender equality is a driver of development; whereas women rights fall under the human rights spectrum; whereas the complex nature of garment supply chains leads to low level of transparency, increases the risk of human rights violation and exploitation;
Amendment 6 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas the clothing and textile sector in Europe provides for 1.7 million workplaces and generates an output of EUR 166 million; whereas the EU imports about half of the world's total clothing production; whereas the manufacturing countries are mostly emerging economies;
Amendment 7 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas Article 207 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union demands the EU's trade policy to be built on EU's external policies principles and objectives; whereas Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union establishes the principle of policy coherence for development and set the poverty's eradication as the main objective; whereas the ‘'Trade for All’' communication bases EU's trade policy on three key principles – effectiveness, transparency and values – and has a dedicated section on responsible management of supply chains;
Amendment 8 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas it is firmly established in Article 8 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union that "In all its activities, the Union shall aim to eliminate inequalities, and to promote equality, between men and women" and, therefore, the EU has a duty to mainstream gender equality in all its policies, 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 women's rights in the world;
Amendment 9 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas 289 people perished in a blaze in Karachi, Pakistan, in September 2012; whereas, in the same year, a fire at the Tazreen Fashions factory, in Bangladesh, caused the death of 117 people and injured more than 200 workers; whereas the Rana Plaza's structural failure, in 2013, resulted in 1 129 casualties and caused injuries to approximately 2 500 people;
Amendment 10 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas following these dramatic events European consumers' demand for increased transparency and traceability over the entire supply chain has strongly increased;
Amendment 11 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
Bd. whereas, despite the various commitments undertaken by the EU, international organizations, local governments and private operators, labour rights' protection in suppliers countries continue to fall well short of international standards;
Amendment 12 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital B e (new)
Recital B e (new)
Be. whereas Export Processing Zones (EPZs) are often exploited in order to circumvent national labour laws and international commitments;
Amendment 13 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital B f (new)
Recital B f (new)
Bf. whereas the ILO Decent Work Agenda has, from 2015, become integral part of the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
Amendment 14 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital B g (new)
Recital B g (new)
Bg. whereas many Member States, such as Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and France, giving the lack of a EU wide initiative, have promoted national programs;
Amendment 15 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas all recently concludnewly negotiated EU free trade agreements aim to include ‘'Trade and sustainable development’' chapters, which have to be binding and enforceable; whereas the EU is committed to sustainable development through its trade facilitation agreements, such as the economic partnerships agreements, the GSP and the GSP+ programmes;
Amendment 22 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. SupportsCalls on the Commission’s examination of a possible EU-wide initiative on the garment sector; notes, in addition, that the current multiplication of existing initia to develop a EU-wide mandatory due- diligence system congruent with OECD guidelines; believes that the proposal should address human rights related issues, with a particular focus on social and labour rights and gender equality, promote the traceability and the transparency of value chains, enhance conscious consumption, supporting the improvement of consumer knowledge and participation; to this objective the Commission should further promote dialogue between public authoritives could result in an unpredictable environment for companieand all key actors -including women and women's rights organizations-, with a view not only to identify possible risks linked to the value chain, but also to improve the dissemination of any new opportunities created by EU trade policies both within and outside our borders;
Amendment 27 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Believes that the proposal should enable a harmonic cooperation with international organisation as the UN, the WTO, the ILO and the OECD, establishing common definitions to allow for more clear and coordinated actions and evaluations; calls for the recognition and valorisation of the existing successful initiatives, for example, through sustainable public procurement, linking access to public procurement to compliance with Corporate Social Responsibility schemes; and in this regard, values the 'Compact for Continuous Improvements in Labour Rights and Factory Safety in the Ready- Made Garment and Knitwear Industry in Bangladesh' (the Sustainability Compact) as a step forward in regards to the monitoring activity but calls on the actors involved to reach the full compliance and demands the European Commission to take action against the shortfalls indicated by the evaluation reports;
Amendment 32 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses the need for a unifin integrated approach to the collection of data on social, environmental and labour performance, to be applied along the whole supply chain; points out that the industry-driven Higg Index covers all nevertheless notes that the supply chain's complexity and the diversity among the different players operating in the sector should be takeyn impact areasnto account;
Amendment 38 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission to take into account the special needs of SMEs and base its approach on the scalability principle, with particular regard to their capacity to deliver on traceability and transparency, and base its approach on the scalability principle; therefore invites the Commission to establish a specific helpdesk for SMEs and to support them with tailored capacity-building programs;
Amendment 54 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that theCalls on supplier countries' governments to engage with all the stakeholders to development of industrial relations and collective bargaining, and to commit the producers for the establishment of easy- to-access and effective grievances mechanisms, that, according to internationally agreed standards, are among the main guarantees for the proper respect of labour standards and human rights in supplier countries; calls on the European Commission to further promote the ratification and the effective control over the implementation of the core ILO conventions and the ILO Decent Work Agenda; to this aim, calls the Commission to support the ILO, local governments and labour organizations providing capacity-building assistance in industrial relations, as well as in the enforcement of labour rights and labour laws, with a special focus on the eradication of child labour and forced labour, as well as the promotion of the highest standards of health and safety protection; considers unacceptable the suspension of workers' rights in the Export Processing Zones (EPZs) and calls on the European Commission to take concrete actions in this regard;
Amendment 62 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for the gender aspect to be taken into account in the EU garment initiative. mainstreamed in the EU garment initiative; therefore believes that the proposal should promote women empowerment, non-discrimination, gender equality, with a particular focus on women's social and labour rights and international standards, including the promotion of equal pay for equal job, maternity protection and women participation in collective bargaining, and pursue the eradication of and harassments in workplaces as already envisaged by European and international commitments;
Amendment 67 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Calls on the Commission to engage with multinational companies, retailers and brands and encourage them to commit for an enhanced corporate social responsibility; expects EU companies to guaranty full respect of ILO core labour standards, across their supply chains in line with the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy, demands them to engage in fruitful dialogues with local workers and organisations; invites the European Commission to favour the exchange of best practices;
Amendment 68 #
2016/2140(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Acknowledges the need of a global level playing field to protect workers from environmental and social dumping; taking into account its critical mass, trusts the EU capacity to be a global champion and to drive the change; believes that only a multilateral framework could prevent human and labour rights' violations; therefore encourages the European Commission to engage with international partners at the next World Trade Organisation ministerial meeting to launch a global initiative;
Amendment 1 #
2016/2100(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Emphasises that fair competition in the area of trade, services and investment has a positive impact on the social and economic development of Member States and of the EU’s trade partnerfor the EU and the EU’s trade partners; calls upon the Commission and the Council to swiftly pursue their work on the modernisation of the trade defence instruments, which are needed to secure fair competition in the EU market and takes the view that trade agreements should systematically address the challenge of unfair trade practices by third countries such as those subsidies favouring particular interest groups at the expense of the common good, government interference and other anti-competitive practices;
Amendment 5 #
2016/2100(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission to include, in all trade agreements, ambitious provisions on competition and state aid in all trade agreements; to address the risk that the provisions ensuring market access and non-discrimination for EU operators in third countries are undermined by anti-competitive practices of state owned enterprises of the same third countries; and to carry out effective monitoring to ascertain whether those provisions are properly respected by the parties;
Amendment 15 #
2016/2100(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Reiterates that equal access to natural resources, including energy sources, has a fundamental impact on fair and equal competition on the global market and calls upon the Commission to include in trade agreements provisions that improve access to such resources, including provisions on anti-competitive practices of state-owned enterprises and on non-discrimination and transit.
Amendment 101 #
2016/2100(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 f (new)
Paragraph 3 f (new)
3f. Calls for improving the one-stop shop based on the current experience of the Mini One Stop Shops for digital products; notes that even with the Mini One Stop Shop, small and micro- businesses can face a significant administrative burden;
Amendment 150 #
2016/2100(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on the Commission to take the necessary steps towards establishing an EU-wide VAT system for cross-border transactions;
Amendment 151 #
2016/2100(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Considers that enhancing the participation of SMEs should play an essential role in the efforts to promote an unified digital single market and stresses the need to assess the potential impact of every initiative, notably those aiming to promote e-commerce and clarify the permanent establishment status for digital sector, on the ability of SMEs to benefit from the digital single market;
Amendment 154 #
2016/2100(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Calls on the Commission to use its policy and financial instruments and promote exchanges of best practices between Member States to foster investments in various traditional sectors and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that are lagging behind the digital industrial revolution;
Amendment 182 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses that the social standards that will be part of the European Pillar of Social Rights should be applied to all EU citizens;
Amendment 243 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for the enactment of a directive on fair working conditions for all forms of employment, ensuring for every worker a core set of enforceable rights, including equal treatment, social protection, protection in case of dismissal, health and safety protection, provisions on working time and rest time, freedom of association and representation, collective bargaining, collective action, access to training, and adequate information and consultation rights; underlines that this directive should apply to all employees as well as to all, including workers in non-standard forms of employment, such as fixed-term work, part-time work, on-demand work, self- employment, crowd-working, work-at home, internship or, traineeship or apprenticeship; requests that the EU acquis be updated accordingly so as to apply to all workers;
Amendment 314 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point a
Paragraph 4 – point a
a. decent working conditions for internships, traineeships and apprenticeships, prohibiting those that are unpaid or paid so little that they do not enable workers to make ends meet; to prevent these tools from being abused and the exploitation of people employed on these types of contract;
Amendment 422 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses the importance of collective rights; expects the Commission to step up concrete support and incentives for strengthening social dialogue in Member States and sectors where it is weak owing to the prolonged crisis or the prevalence of non-standard forms of employment;
Amendment 433 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on each Member State to determine and apply a statutory minimum wage for all workers, regardless of their field of occupation or duration of contract;
Amendment 477 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Agrees with the importance of universal access to timely, good-quality and affordable preventative and curative health care; emphasises that all workers must be covered by social security and health insurance;
Amendment 501 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Is aware that rising life expectancy and workforce shrinking pose a challenge to the sustainability of pensions systems and to intergenerational fairness; reaffirms that the best response is to increase the overall employment rate; considers that pensionable ages should reflect, besides life expectancy, other factors including labour market trends, the economic dependency ratio, the birth rate and, differences in job arduousness and sociographic measurements of work ability around the (proposed) pension age;
Amendment 523 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Stresses the importance of supplementing the financial instruments, like the Youth Employment Initiative, that support investments in education and training, in order to develop and improve youngsters' skills and their level of employability in sectors needed in the labour market;
Amendment 604 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Emphasises the link between housing and employment and calls for the maintenance of housing among the investment priorities of the European Structural and Investment Fund for the future programming period, in order to make housing accessible to all EU citizens with particular focus on those without adequate economic resources and with children living in poverty;
Amendment 729 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls for full implementation of the Youth Guarantee for all people under 305 and of the recommendation on the long- term unemployed; highlights these as important structural reforms and social investments that are in need of adequate financing;
Amendment 806 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Emphasises that labour mobility within the EU is a right whose exercise must be supported but which should not be forced on workers by poor conditions in their home regions, and should not undermine host countries’ social standard, under fair working conditions;
Amendment 924 #
Amendment 1023 #
2016/2095(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Calls on the Commission and the EIB to refocus the EFSI on job creation and social investment and adapt its risk/return requirements accordinglyo-economic impact criteria in the evaluation of EFSI projects;
Amendment 1 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
– having regard to the Commission communication entitled "Action Plan for strengthening the fight against terrorist financing (COM(2016) 50 final),
Amendment 2 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 b (new)
Citation 11 b (new)
– having regard to the Commission communication entitled "Developing the EU Customs Union and Its Governance" (COM(2016)813 final),
Amendment 3 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 a (new)
Citation 12 a (new)
– having regard to the European Court of Auditors Special report No 23/2016: Maritime transport in the EU: in troubled waters — much ineffective and unsustainable investment,
Amendment 4 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)
Citation 13 a (new)
– having regard to the OECD report entitled "Illicit Trade, Converging Criminal Networks",
Amendment 9 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the progress Report on the implementation of the EU Strategy and Action Plan for customs risk management highlights that insufficient financing to upgrade the existing IT systems and develop the required new systems is a major issue hampering progress, most notably in relation to the new Import Control System; whereas in the absence of additional resources, a number of actions will not be able to be implemented by the end of 2020, as envisaged in the Strategy and Action Plan; whereas a delay would also affect the implementation of commitments to Customs related aspects in the context of the EU Agenda on Security;
Amendment 13 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the proposed directive for a Union legal framework for customs infringements and sanctions does not take into due account the current differences between the Member States’ criminal and administrative sanctions, allowing operators to make strategic choices when importing from third countries, causing a distortion in tax collection and a negative environmental impact;
Amendment 20 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas effective customs cooperation between the Member States’ customs administrations, authorised economic operators, police forces and judicial authorities, with third countries and at multilateral level, plays a vital role, given the significant trade volumes, and is a cornerstone in the fight against illicit trade terrorism, money laundering, wildlife trafficking, tax evasion, drugs trafficking, falsified medicines and in the protection of EU intellectual property rights (IPR);
Amendment 24 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas the EU has concluded customs cooperation and mutual administrative assistance agreements with Korea, Canada, USA, India, China and Japan;
Amendment 28 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas International free trade zones, together with those third countries most frequently source of illicit trade, represent potential background areas for a continued proliferation of trade of illegal products in the EU, responsible for more intensive border controls and may therefore require further and specific analysis;
Amendment 31 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
Gb. whereas counterfeiting trade may contribute to the financing of criminal organisations active in drugs, fire arms, human trafficking and terrorism;
Amendment 32 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G c (new)
Recital G c (new)
Gc. whereas the role played by customs in the security area is particularly relevant in preventing terrorist organisations from moving their funds and in disrupting their sources of revenue, as recognised in the Commission Action Plan for strengthening the fight against terrorist financing;
Amendment 33 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the Commission to work closely with the Member States to ensure a coordinated, uniformed and efficient implementation of the new system set by the UCC, avoiding divergent practices among the Member States during the transition period and developing benchmark analysis and information on customs operations and enforcement procedures in force in the Member States;
Amendment 39 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Calls on the Commission to ensure greater uniformity in the application of the Union Customs Code and the implementation of customs procedures by setting out common basic guidelines for all European customs;
Amendment 40 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Highlights that there is no system in place for identifying and monitoring differences in how customs authorities treat economic operators; calls on the Commission to require Member States to provide specific information on the type and number of customs checks at individual core port level;
Amendment 43 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Invites the Commission to continue cooperation with the Member States and relevant trade stakeholders further to develop customs simplifications while ensuring appropriate, effective, efficient and harmonised control at EU borders in order to guarantee EU security, safety and economic interests, with a particular effort regarding IPR protection and the fight against illicit trade, terrorism, money laundering, wildlife trafficking, tax evasion, drugs trafficking and falsified medicines;
Amendment 52 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recalls that the development of the required IT systems needs sufficient financing and calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure the availability of resources for the necessary IT systems in order to meet the objectives of the EU Strategy and Action Plan for customs risk management;
Amendment 53 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Calls on the Commission to advance in the implementation of an EU Single Window environment for customs;
Amendment 60 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Asks the Commission to coordinate and cooperate with customs and other, border agencies on the ground and stakeholders in a better way, within the EU as well as with its trade partners on data sharing, in particular as regards recognition of custom controls and trusted trade partners;
Amendment 61 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls on the Commission to promote increased cooperation and coordination between customs and other law enforcement authorities, in particular in the area of organised crime, security and fight against terrorism both at the national and EU level;
Amendment 63 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Invites the Commission to present a communication on better practises on custom control and trade rules enforcement for the interim period, in order to bolster convergence between control and enforcement bodies, highlight best practices and results, and analyse the counterfeiting trade flows at border points;
Amendment 67 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on the Commission to establish a set of key performance indicators to provide a detailed performance evaluation of customs activity;
Amendment 68 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Urges the Commission to continue working on the implementation of the EU Strategy and Action Plan for customs risk management, notably in the areas of availability of data, access to and exchange of information for customs risk management purposes and the strengthening of capacities;
Amendment 69 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the Commission to periodically report to the responsible committees of the European Parliament on the monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the EU Strategy and Action Plan for customs risk management;
Amendment 71 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Urges the Commission to investigate the different practices for customs controls, criminal and administrative sanctions and enforcement in the EU and on their impact on trade diversion, focusing in particular on EU customs at external borders;
Amendment 73 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Regrets that there is currently important divergences in the type of controls within the Union that favours some access ports to the detriment of others, resulting in goods being delivered to their final destination via an unusual route, seeking clearance in a Member State other than the one importing the goods, either to reduce the likelihood of being subject to checks or to complicate any potential recovery procedure, undermining a level playing field for economic operators in the European Union, causing a distortion in tax collection and with a negative environmental impact;
Amendment 75 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Highlights that the different customs procedures, in particular regarding customs clearance, inspections and sanctions create fragmentation, additional administrative burdens and delays, cause uncertainty, market distortion and a negative environmental impact;
Amendment 76 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8c. Considers that it is necessary to guarantee homogeneous and standardised control techniques among Member States customs; calls on the Commission to ensure uniqueness of criteria for customs inspections, by facilitating harmonisation of procedures and working methods, both in operating hours and in economic and human resources;
Amendment 79 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Insists on the need to advance from the current paper-less to a paper- free customs environment;
Amendment 80 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Requests the Commission to work closely with the Member States, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World Custom Organisation (WCO) in addressreducing the existing gaps in the customs control systems by ensuring that illicit trade is tackled using more systematically co- ordinated risk-based controls based on harmonised criteria and interoperable IT systems, with timely and appropriate support provided by other competent authorities; recalls, in this regard, the importance of ensuring inquiry powers to all EU customs and border agencies, and of guaranteeing appropriate training to their operators;
Amendment 88 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Urges the Commission to work further with the Member States on aligning, where appropriate, policies as regards customs and VAT, reinforcing the cooperation between tax, customs and other authorities to fight VAT fraud, with a view to ensuring synergies, including in finding and applying legal and practical solutions to challenges relating to small consignments, e- commerce and simplifications;
Amendment 94 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Call on the Commission to create a single EU control body to ensure harmonised treatments along the EU points of entrance; and to monitor the performance and activities of customs administrations, inform upon best practices, collect and process customs data, coordinate customs and trade facilitation specific interests within the EU institutions, reflecting on the provisions of article 23 of WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, which calls for a Trade Facilitation body;
Amendment 98 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Encourages the Commission and the Council to ensure an early adoption of the Sanction Directive with a view to enabling, within the Customs Union, a level playing field and equal treatment of trade stakeholders infringing customs rules, furthermore, invites the Commission to further develop an accurate cost-benefit analysis on the implications connected to the harmonisation of the enforcement of criminal sanctions in place in the Member States to fight illicit trade activities;
Amendment 111 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Invites the Commission to reinforce international cooperation to further develop the implementation of the EU Strategy and Action Plan for customs risk management of the supply chain;
Amendment 113 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Invites the Commission to reinforce its cooperation in customs matters with its main trading partners customs authorities, with a view to collaborating in the fight against threats to society and the economy, and to further facilitating bilateral trade, beyond strict TFA commitments; points out that this can be achieved as part of free trade agreements or through specific customs agreements;
Amendment 117 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Invites the Commission to continue and deepen customs cooperation on IPR with Cthina and Hong Kongrd countries and free trade zones most frequently source of illicit trade;
Amendment 120 #
2016/2075(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Invites the Commission to strengthen cooperation with the European Observatory on infringements of IPRs and with EUIPO Agency in order to support initiatives on IPR enforcement, such as facilitation procedures for right holders through electronic exchange of data, which would especially benefit SMEs;
Amendment 9 #
2016/0351(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Articles 2(7)(a) and 2(7)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1036 stipulate the basis on which normal value should be determined in the case of imports from non-market economy countries. In view of developments with respect to certain countries that are Mmembers of the WTO, it is appropriate that, for those countries, normal value should be determined on the basis of paragraphs 1 to 6a of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2016/1036, with effect from the date on which this Regulation enters into force, and subject to the provisions of this Regulation. In the case of countries which are, at the date of initiation, not Members of the WTO and listed in Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2015/7552 , norma1 value should be determined on the basis of paragraph 7 of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2016/1036, as amended by this Regulation. This Regulation should be without prejudice to establishing whether or not any WTO Member is a market economy. Furthermore, it should be without prejudice to the terms and conditions set out in protocols and other instruments in accordance with which countries have acceded to the Marrakesh Agreement establishing the World Trade Organisation. _________________ 2 Regulation (EU) 2015/755 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2015 on common rules for imports from certain third countries (OJ L 123, 19.5.2015, p. 33).
Amendment 13 #
2016/0351(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) In the light of experience gained in past proceedings, it is appropriate to clarify the circumstances in which significant distortions affecting to a considerable extent free market forces may be deemed to exist. In particular, it is appropriate to clarify that this situation may be deemed to exist, inter alia, when reported prices or costs, including the costs of raw materials, are not the result of free market forces because they are affected by government intervention. It is further appropriate to clarify that in considering whether or not such a situation exists regard may be had, inter alia, to the potential impact of the following: the market in question is to a significant extent served by enterprises which operate under the ownership, control or policy supervision or guidance of the authorities of the exporting country; state presence in firms allowing the state to interfere with respect to prices or costs; public policies or measures discriminating in favour of domestic suppliers or otherwise influencing free market forces; and access to finance granted by institutions implementing public policy objectives. It is further appropriate to provide that the Commission services may issue a report describing the specific situation concerning these criteria in a certain country or a certain sector; that such report and the evidence on which it is based may be placed on the file of any investigation relating to that country or sector; and that interested parties should have ample opportunity to comment on the report and the evidence on which it is based in each investigation in which such report or evidence is used. and other factors of production, are not the result of free market forces because they are affected by government intervention, or when there is a situation of overcapacities 1a. It is further appropriate to clarify that in considering whether or not such a situation exists regard should be had, inter alia, to the potential impact of the following: government influence over the allocation of resources and decisions of enterprises, whether directly or indirectly (e.g. public bodies), for example through the use of state-fixed prices, or discrimination in the tax, trade or currency regimes; state- induced distortions in the operation of enterprises linked to privatisation and the use of non-market trading or compensation system; the lack of a transparent and non-discriminatory company law which ensures adequate corporate governance (application of international accounting standards, protection of shareholders, public availability of accurate company information); the lack of a transparent and effective set of laws that prevents the respect of property rights and the operation of a functioning bankruptcy regime; the lack of a genuine financial sector which operates independently from the state and which in law and practice is subject to sufficient guarantee provisions and adequate supervision; wage rates are not the result of free bargaining between labour and management; the absence of a transparent set of laws produces discriminatory effects with regards to joint-ventures and other foreign investments and access to finance granted by institutions implementing public policy objectives; the lack of ratification and of correct implementation of core International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions and of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA) to which the Union is party; the non- compliance with the relevant OECD recommendations pertaining to the field of taxation (e.g. the BEPS initiative); and any other circumstance the Commission considers appropriate in order to evaluate the existence of significant distortions. For indicative purposes, a detailed list of the examples of significant distortions is available in the Annex. That list should be updated after each case. The existence of one or more significant distortions in the economy as a whole or in one or several sectors of the economy of the exporting country should lead automatically to the use of undistorted third country, international or Union prices, costs or benchmarks for each and every factor of production in the construction of the normal value, as well as to the disapplication of the lesser-duty rule for the calculation of the anti-dumping duty to be imposed on imports from exporting producers from that country. In the absence of undistorted third country or international costs or benchmarks, the Commission should determine the normal value on any other reasonable basis, including on the basis of relevant prices and costs in the Union. This is especially the case where a significant portion of the complaining industry is made up of SMEs. The reliability of the costs and prices of a given factor of production to be considered undistorted should be assessed, inter alia, by reference to the quantities involved, their proportion in relation to the total costs of that factor, and actual use in production. Under this methodology, the burden of proving the absence of significant distortions on every factors of production falls on the exporting country's producers. If an exporting producer from a country where one of more significant distortions exist conclusively demonstrates at an early stage of the investigation that the costs of one or more of its factors of production are not distorted, those individual factors of production costs should be used in the construction of the normal value, without prejudice to the use of undistorted third country, Union or international prices, costs or benchmarks for those individual factors of production that are significantly distorted. It is further appropriate to provide that the Commission services should, at their own initiative or on the request of the European Parliament, of a Member State or of the Union industry (including Trade Unions and SMEs), issue a report describing the specific situation concerning these criteria in a certain country (departing from horizontal country distortions and then focussing on factors of production and sector distortions) or a certain sector; for those countries for which a substantial number of anti-dumping cases have been recorded, the report should be completed three months before the entry into force of this Regulation and adopted fifteen days within its entry into force. Union industry, including Trade Unions and SMEs, should be consulted during the report drafting process. When drafting a report, the Commission shall coordinate with the Union's major trading partners. Such report and the evidence on which it is based may be placed on the file of any investigation relating to that country or sector; interested parties should have ample opportunity to comment on the report and the evidence on which it is based in each investigation in which such report or evidence is used. In accordance with its role, the European Parliament is to monitor the report drafting process. On the request of the European Parliament, of a Member State, of the Union industry (including Trade Unions and SMEs) or in the case of a change of circumstances in a specific country or sector, the Commission should adopt a specific report or update an existing one. In any event, the Commission should carry out a review of the report every two and a half years. _________________ 1a Overcapacities are defined when the commercial surpluses start being structural without any comparative advantage in the country, when domestic prices and costs are lower than the prices in the world market or when investments in new production capacities are realised in discordance with a growing commercial surplus
Amendment 31 #
2016/0351(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) It is further appropriate to recall that costs should normally be calculated on the basis of records kept by the exporter or producer under investigation. However, where there are one or more significant distortions in the exporting country with the consequence that costs reflected in the records of the party concerned are artificially low, such costs may be adjusted orshould be established on any reasonable basis, including information from other representative markets or from, from markets in the Union or from undistorted international prices or benchmarks. In the light of experience gained in past proceedings, it is appropriate to further clarify that, for the purposes of applying the provisions introduced by this regulation, due account should be taken of all relevant evidence, including relevant assessment reports regarding the circumstances prevailing on the domestic market of the exporting producers and the evidence on which they are based, which has been placed on the file, and upon which interested parties have had an opportunity to comment. In applying the rules, it is essential, in order to maintain the balance of the rights and obligations which the WTO and its Agreements and Protocols establish, that the Union take account of how they are interpreted, and applied by the Union's trading partners.
Amendment 46 #
2016/0351(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Regulation (EU) 2016/1036
Article 2 – paragraph 6a – point a
Article 2 – paragraph 6a – point a
(a) In case it is determined, when applying this provision or any other relevant provision of this Regulation, that it is not appropriate to use domestic prices and costs in the exporting country due to the existence of one or more significant distortions in the economy or in one or several sectors of the economy, the normal value shall be constructed on the basis of costs of production and sale reflecting undistorted prices or benchmarks. For this purpose, the sources that may be used include undistorted international prices, costs, or benchmarks, or corresponding costs of production and sale in an appropriate representative country with a similar level of economic development as the exporting country, provided the relevant cost data are readily available. The constructed normal value shall include a reasonable amount for administrative, selling and general costs and for profits. for each and every factor of production, and the lesser-duty rule shall not apply for the calculation of the anti-dumping duties to be imposed on imports from the exporting producers from that country. For this purpose, the sources that may be used include: – corresponding costs of production and sale in an appropriate representative producer country where the prices and costs concerned by the investigation are the result of free market forces, including those in the Union or – if considered inappropriate by the Commission, undistorted international prices, costs, or benchmarks, provided the relevant cost data are readily available. The constructed normal value shall include a reasonable amount for administrative, selling and general costs and for profits. In the absence of undistorted international or third country costs or benchmarks, the Commission shall determine the normal value on any other reasonable basis, including on the basis of relevant prices or costs in the Union. This is especially the case where a significant portion of the complaining Union industry is made up of SMEs. The reliability of the costs and prices of a given factor of production to be considered undistorted shall be assessed, inter alia, by reference to the quantities involved, their proportion in relation to the total costs of that factor, and actual use in production. Under this methodology, the burden of proving the absence of significant distortions on every factors of production falls on the exporting country's producers. If an exporting producer from a country where one or more significant distortions exist conclusively demonstrates that the costs of one or more of its individual factors of production are not distorted, those individual factors of production costs should be used in the construction of the normal value, without prejudice to the use of undistorted third country, Union or international prices, costs of benchmarks for those individual factors of production that are significantly distorted.
Amendment 81 #
2016/0351(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Regulation (EU) 2016/1036
Article 2 – paragraph 6a – point c
Article 2 – paragraph 6a – point c
(c) When appropriateAt their initiative or on the request of the European Parliament, of a Member State of or the Union industry (including Trade Unions and SMEs), the Commission services mayshall issue a report describing the specific situation concerning the criteria listed in point (b) in a certain country or a certain sector. Such report and the evidence on which it is based may be placed on the file of any investigation relating to that country or sector. Interested parties shall have ample opportunity to supplement, comment or rely on the report and the evidence on which it is based in each investigation in which such report or evidence is used. The determinations made shall take into account all of the relevant evidence on the file. (departing from the horizontal country distortions and then focussing on factors of production distortions and sector distortions) or a certain sector. For those countries for which a substantial number of anti-dumping cases have been opened, the report shall be completed three months before the entry into force of this Regulation and adopted fifteen days within its entry into force. The Union industry, including Trade Unions and SMEs, shall be consulted during the report drafting process. When drafting a report, the Commission shall coordinate with the Union's major trading partners. Such report and the evidence on which it is based may be placed on the file of any investigation relating to that country or sector. Interested parties shall have ample opportunity to supplement, comment or rely on the report and the evidence on which it is based in each investigation in which such report or evidence is used. The determinations made shall take into account all of the relevant evidence on the file. In accordance with its role, the European Parliament shall monitor the report drafting process. On the request of the European Parliament, of a Member State, of Union industry - including Trade Unions and SMEs - or on the Commission's own initiative when the circumstances in a specific country or sector have changed, the Commission shall adopt a specific report or update an existing one. In any event, the Commission shall carry out a review of the report every two and a half years.
Amendment 97 #
2016/0351(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Regulation (EU) 2016/1036
Article 2 – paragraph 6 a – point d
Article 2 – paragraph 6 a – point d
(d) The Union industry may rely on the report referred to in point (c) for the calculation of normal value when filing a complaint in accordance with Article 5 or a request for a review in accordance with Article 11 or in a request for reinvestigation in accordance with Article 12. When the conclusions of the report show the existence of one or more significant distortions, the report pursuant to the paragraph 6 (b) shall constitute sufficient evidence in order to justify the calculation of the normal value pursuant to the methodology referred to in subparagraph (a). In any event, no additional burdens shall be requested from the Union industry. In the absence of a report, the Commission shall use any available information or data to establish the existence of significant distortions and use the methodology referred to in subparagraph (a) if the relevant requirements are met. A helpdesk and special mechanisms (e.g.: free legal advice, explicit user-friendly guidelines, especially regarding confidentiality rules) are put in place in order to help SMEs in the process of making use of the reports and filing complaints.
Amendment 113 #
2016/0351(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Regulation (EU) 2016/1036
Article 2 – paragraph 6 a – point e
Article 2 – paragraph 6 a – point e
(e) The parties to the investigation shall be informed shortly after initiation about the relevant sources that the Commission intends to use for the purpose of point (a) and shall be given 10 working days to comment. For this purpose, interested parties shall be given access to the file, including any evidence on which the investigating authority relies, without prejudice to Article 19. A disclosure regarding the methodology to be used shall be communicated to the parties no later than three months from initiation of the investigation.
Amendment 115 #
2016/0351(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Regulation (EU) 2016/1036
Article 2 – paragraph 6 a – point e a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 6 a – point e a (new)
(ea) During the investigations phase, in case of less than full cooperation by an exporting producer from a country in which one or more significant distortions are deemed to exist, and without prejudice to the application of Article 18, the lesser- duty rule shall not apply for the determination of the anti-dumping duties to be imposed on imports from that exporting producer
Amendment 65 #
2016/0308(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex III – table 1 – row 3
Annex III – table 1 – row 3
Amendment 747 #
2016/0280(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 11 – paragraph 1
Article 11 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall provide publishers of press publications with the rights provided for in Article 2 and Article 3(2) of Directive 2001/29/EC for the digital use of their press publications and shall ensure that a fair share of the revenue derived from the uses of the press publishers right is attributed to journalists and other employees.
Amendment 761 #
2016/0280(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 11 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 11 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Member States shall provide publishers of press publications with an unwaivable right to obtain equitable remuneration for the use of their press publications.
Amendment 19 #
2016/0084(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 40 a (new)
Article 40 a (new)
Article 40 a Review The Commission shall present to the European Parliament and the Council a report on the application of this Regulation no later than [Publication Office, please insert the date: 4 years from the entry into force of this Regulation] and every five years thereafter. The report shall assess the impact of the regulation on the environment, on the Union economic operators, notably SMEs, on competition inside the internal market and on consistency with the principles and objectives of Union's external action, notably the trade policy. When assessing the impact on the Union economic operators, the Commission shall address the issue of the access to existing and future Union funding opportunities available for research and for adjustment of their activity to the new requirements imposed by this Regulation.
Amendment 268 #
2016/0084(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 42 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 42 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 43 and taking into account the results of the report mentioned in paragraph 1a (new) to amend Annexes I to IV for the purposes of adapting them to technical progress and facilitating internal market access and free movement for CE marked fertilising products
Amendment 283 #
2016/0084(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 42 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 42 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. The Commission shall present to the European Parliament and the Council a report on the application of this Regulation no later than 4 years from [Publication office, please insert the date of entry into force of this Regulation] and at regular intervals afterwards. The report shall assess the impact of the regulation on the environment, on EU economic operators, notably SMEs, on competition inside EU internal market and on consistency with the principles and objectives of EU external action, notably EU trade policy. When assessing the impact on EU economic operators, the Commission should address the issue of the access to existing and future EU funding opportunities available for research and for adjustment of their activity to the new requirements imposed by this Regulation.
Amendment 287 #
2016/0084(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 42 – paragraph 1 b (new)
Article 42 – paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Notwithstanding paragraph 1, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts to amend the provisions on Annex I in relation to the maximum quantity for contaminant Cadmium only after the presentation of the report mentioned above and taking into account its results. The Commission may not lower the admissible limit of cadmium: i) below 60 mg/kg during the 5 years after [Publication office, please insert the date of entry into force of this Regulation]; ii) below 40 mg/kg during the 12 years after [Publication office, please insert the date of entry into force of this Regulation];
Amendment 75 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) Almost twenty years after its adoption, it is necessary to assess whether important to ensure that the Posting of Workers Directive stillcontinues to strikes the right balance between the need to promote the freedom to provide services and the need to protect the rights of posted workers. The complete transposition of the Directive 2014/67/EU is essential to the protection of the rights of the posted workers.
Amendment 87 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 5
Recital 5
Amendment 95 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) The Rome I Regulation generally permits employers and employees to choose the law applicable to the employment contract. However, the employee must not be deprived of the protection of the mandatory rules of the law of the country in which or, failing that, from which the employee habitually carries out his work. In the absence of choice, the contract is governed by the law of the country in which or, failing that, from which the employee habitually carries out his work in performance of the contract.
Amendment 174 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) In a competitive internal market, service providers compete not only on the basis of a labour costs but also on factors such as cost, productivity and efficiency, or the quality and innovation of their goods and services.
Amendment 207 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) The elements of remunerationates of pay under national law or universally applicable collective agreements should be clear and transparent to all service providers. It is therefore justified to impose on Member States the obligation to publish the constituent elements of remunerationand should therefore be mandatory for them to publish the constituent elements of rates of pay including all the bonuses and allowances in accordance with point (c), on the single website provided for by Article 5 of the Enforcement Directive.
Amendment 239 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) Laws, regulations, administrative provisions or collective agreements applicable in Member States may ensure that subcontracting does not confer on undertakings the possibility to avoid rules guaranteeing certain terms and conditions of employment covering remunerationates of pay. Where such rules on remunerationates of pay exist at national level, the Member State may apply them in a non-discriminatory manner to undertakings posting workers to its territory provided that they do not disproportionately restrict the cross-border provision of services.
Amendment 253 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) In accordance with the Joint Political Declaration of 28 September 2011 of Member States and the Commission on explanatory documents6, Member States have undertaken to accompany, in justified cases, the notification of their transposition measures with one or more documents explaining the relationship between the components of a directive and the corresponding parts of national transposition instruments. With regard to this Directive, the legislator considers the transmission of such documents to be justified, _________________ 6 OJ C 369, 17.12.2011, p. 14.
Amendment 472 #
2016/0070(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point c a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point c a (new)
Directive 96/71/EC
Article 3 – paragraph 1 b a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 b a (new)
(ca) the following paragraph is added: 1ba. The undertakings must inform the temporary employment agency, in a clear, transparent and unambiguous manner, on the working conditions, rates of pay, including various allowances and bonuses, which they apply.
Amendment 12 #
2015/2353(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the Commission to allocate resources in order to assess possible compensatory measures for European sectors that could be affected by the granting of emergency autonomous trade preferences for third countries;
Amendment 17 #
2015/2353(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls for adequate financing in order to better support the internationalisation of SMEs by developing specific and clear guidebooks for SMEs about the opportunities and benefits offered by each trade agreement concluded by the EU;
Amendment 21 #
2015/2353(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes the increasing recourse to guarantees and financial instruments outside the EU budget to respond to multiple crises despite budgetary constraints; deplores the various cuts in Heading 4 in order to provide funding for the newly created Trust Funds for Syria and Africa and the Turkey Facility; insists that such funding instruments must remain an exception and should eventually be included in the budget and thus ensure democratic accountability;
Amendment 23 #
2015/2353(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the Commission to tackle the lack of resources in order to prevent a new payment crisis towards the end of the current Multiannual Financial Framework by revising upward the payment ceiling;
Amendment 27 #
2015/2353(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Considers that European Globalisation Adjustment Fund could be a more efficient and effective instrument if reformed and shaped in a way that it is adequately funded by lowering the threshold for EGF eligibility in order to ensure that employees of small and medium companies in sectors that are directly damaged by the effects of globalisation, are assisted;
Amendment 35 #
2015/2353(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls for sufficient resources under Heading 5 in order to conduct both ex-ante and ex-post assessments of trade agreements; to improve the quality and effectiveness of ex-ante and ex-post assessments by reviewing its methodology, and ensure that the obligations of the EU and its trading partners are implemented and enforced.;
Amendment 37 #
2015/2353(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Recalls the importance of gender mainstreaming, which should underpin Union policies as a horizontal principle; calls on the Commission to put the principle of gender mainstreaming into practice when preparing the post-electoral revision of the MFF 2014-2020; calls on the Commission to ensure that the gender perspective is included, horizontally, in all future trade agreements and also, as an essential part of the EU mainstreaming strategy and proposes, to allocate sufficient resources to guarantee a thorough monitoring and evaluation of the gender impact of the trade agreements in force;
Amendment 3 #
2015/2317(INI)
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 11 #
2015/2317(INI)
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 #
2015/2317(INI)
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 #
2015/2317(INI)
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 37 #
2015/2317(INI)
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 45 #
2015/2317(INI)
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 47 #
2015/2317(INI)
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 51 #
2015/2317(INI)
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 65 #
2015/2317(INI)
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 22 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the TiSA negotiations arshould be aimed at achieving better international regulation, not lower domestic regulation;
Amendment 38 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas any trade agreement must provide more rights, contribute to sustainable development and lower prices to European consumers and level the playing field for European companies;
Amendment 45 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas any trade agreement must be a market opener for our companies abroad and a safety net for our citizens at home, while being an instrument for promoting corporate social responsibility globally;
Amendment 71 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas trade in services ismust be an engine for jobs and growth in the EU;
Amendment 83 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas numerousunnecessary barriers to trade in services, which if translated into equivalent tariffs amount to 15 % for Canada, 16 % for Japan, 25 % for South Korea, 44 % for Turkey and 68 % for China, continue to prevent European companies from reaping the full benefits of their competitiveness; whereas the EU, where the tariff equivalent of services restrictions is only 6 %, is substantially more open than most of its partners;
Amendment 88 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas non-tariff barriers, which on average represent more than 50 % of the cost of cross-border services, disproportionately affect small and medium-sized enterprises, which often lack the human and financial resources necessary to overcome those obstacles; whereas the elimination of unnecessary barriers would facilitate their internationalisation as long as these barriers can be removed without jeopardizing the public policy objectives underpinning them;
Amendment 105 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas citizens’ trust in EU’s trade policy is a must, whichhas been seriously undermined in recent years, and can only be restored by ensuring the highest level of transparency, by maintaining constant dialogue with social partners and civil society, and by setting clear guidelines in the negotiations;
Amendment 149 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point i a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point a – point i a (new)
ia. to reflect on the recent withdrawal of Uruguay from the TiSA negotiations; to ensure that special attention is paid to developing countries in this regard, and that TISA includes the provisions contained in GATS article IV;
Amendment 157 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point ii
Paragraph 1 – point a – point ii
ii. to reiterate its support for a comprehensive and balanced agreement, which should unleash the untapped potential of a more integrated global services market, while preventing social and economic dumping and fully guaranteeing compliance with the EU acquis; to shape globalisation and to create international standards, while fully preserving the right to regulate; to secure increased market access for European services suppliers in key sectors of interest, while accommodating specific carve-outs for sensitive sectors including all public services;
Amendment 170 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point iii
Paragraph 1 – point a – point iii
iii. to push forguarantee multilateralisation by crafting GATS-compatible provisionsrejecting any provision that would be incompatible with the GATS and by accepting new parties conditional on their acceptance of the agreed rules and level of ambitions; to incentivise wider participation in the talks by granting interested parties observer status; to note that both the highest barriers and the highest growth potential regarding trade in services are to be found in the BRICS and the MINT countries; to recognise the importance of those countries for the EU, as export destinations with a rising middle class, as sources of intermediate inputs and as key hubs in global value chains; to open the way for the participation of China;
Amendment 225 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point i
Paragraph 1 – point b – point i
i. to exclude public services and culturs well as cultural and audio-visual services from the scope of the negotiations, and to seek the further opening of foreign markets in telecommunications, transport and professional services;
Amendment 260 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point v
Paragraph 1 – point b – point v
v. to undertake extremely limited commitments in Mode 1 so as to avoid regulatory arbitrage and social dumping; to ensure that European rules are fully respected when a company provides a service from abroad to European consumers; , particularly concerning sensitive sectors such as ICT; to ensure that European rules are fully respected and enforced on foreign providers established in third countries when a company provides a service from abroad to European consumers; to include provisions guaranteeing easy access to redress for consumers;
Amendment 291 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point ix
Paragraph 1 – point b – point ix
ix. to exclude, in line with Articles 14 and 106 of the TFEU as well as protocol 26 to the TFEU, current and future Services of General Interest as well as Services of General Economic Interest from EU commitments the scope of the agreement through a carve-out located in its core text (including but not limited to water, waste management, health, social services, social security systems and education);, as the only means to ensure that European, national and local authorities retain the full right to introduce, adopt, maintain or repeal any measures with regard to the commissioning, organisation, funding and provision of public services; to apply this exclusion, irrespective of how the public services are provided and funded; to acknowledge that social security systems are excluded from the negotiations;
Amendment 301 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point x
Paragraph 1 – point b – point x
x. to introduce an unequivocal ‘gold standard’ clause, which could be included in all trade agreements and would clarifyensure that the public utilities clause applies to all modes of supply and to, any services considered as public services by European, national or regional authorities in any sector and irrespective of the service's monopoly status;
Amendment 338 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point ii
Paragraph 1 – point c – point ii
ii. to acknowledge that data protection is not a trade barrier, but a fundamental right, enshrined in Article 39 TEU and Article 8 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, as well as in Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; to acknowledgensure that GATS Article XIV, which fully exempts the existing and future EU legal framework for the protection of personal data from these negotiations, will be replicated in the TiSA core text; in addition, to insert a legally binding horizontal clause in TiSA to guarantee full respect of these fundamental rights, taking due account of recent developments in the digital economy and in full compliance with the European Court of Justice's ruling with respect to the Safe Harbour Agreement;
Amendment 378 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point vii
Paragraph 1 – point c – point vii
vii. to address persistent regulatory asymmetries regarding the telecommunications sector, by preventing parties from imposing foreign equity caps, by laying down pro-competitive wholesale access rules for incumbent operators’ networks, by providing clear and non- discriminatory rules for licensing and securing genuine access to last mile infrastructures in export markets for EU telecom providers, by guaranteeing the independence of regulators, and by supporting an extensive definition of telecommunications services covering all types of network;
Amendment 383 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point viii
Paragraph 1 – point c – point viii
viii. to strongly support provisions on international mobile roaming; to increase publicly available information regarding retail rates in the short run; to make the case for maximum caps in the long run; to push for online consumer protection, in particular vis-à-vis unsolicited commercial electronic messages; to include provisions directly aimed at lowering the cost of international calls and messages and to provide for effective means of redress for consumers;
Amendment 386 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point i
Paragraph 1 – point d – point i
i. to ensure that nothing will prevent the EU and its Member States from maintaining, improving and applying their labour and social regulations, as well as their legislation on entry and temporary stay; and that international labour standards, as defined in the International Labour Organisation's fundamental conventions, as well as collective agreements, are respected; to guarantee that these labour rights are made fully enforceable through a monitoring process that has the full involvement of trade unions; to guarantee Member States' sovereign right to take or refuse to take commitments under Mode 4;
Amendment 400 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point ii a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point d – point ii a (new)
iia. to guarantee that Directive 96/71/EC on the posting of workers, together with other national and EU labour and social legislation as well as collective agreements, should be applicable to contractual service suppliers and business sellers accessing the EU, today and in the future, through the Mode 4 provisions in GATS;
Amendment 426 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e – point i
Paragraph 1 – point e – point i
i. to aim at reinforcing financial stability, ensuring adequate protection for consumers, including their data privacy, and guaranteeing fair competition between financial services providers;
Amendment 436 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e – point ii
Paragraph 1 – point e – point ii
ii. to step upcommit parties to TiSA to the implementation and application of international standards for the regulation and supervision of the financial sector, such as those endorsed by the G20, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, the Financial Stability Board, the International Organisation of Securities Commissions and the International Association of Insurance Supervisors; to bind TiSA parties not signatory to the WTO Understanding on Financial Services to equivalent rules;
Amendment 445 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e – point iv
Paragraph 1 – point e – point iv
iv. to ensure that this agreement does not limit the EU’s ability to ban certain financial products in line with its regulatory framework or to adopt any measure it deems necessary to regulate financial markets;
Amendment 461 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f – point i
Paragraph 1 – point f – point i
i. to ensure a high level of ambibalanced regulation inof the transport sector, which is critical to the sustainable development of global value chains; to increase the speed, reliability, security and interoperability of transport services, to the benefit of business customers and individual users and workers;
Amendment 487 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g – point i
Paragraph 1 – point g – point i
i. to fully preasservet that European, national and local authorities’ have the right to regulate to adopt policies in the public interest and that this should not be subject to additional necessity tests beyond those foreseen in GATS article VI; provisions on domestic regulations should not be more restrictive than the general proportionality obligation enshrined in the EU Treaties;
Amendment 496 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g – point ii
Paragraph 1 – point g – point ii
ii. to promote good governance and foster good practices in administrative and lregisulativeory processes, by encouraging the wide take-up of measures that strengthen the independence of decision-makers, and increase the transparency of decisions, and reduce red tape; to stress that consumerand democratic accountability of decisions; to stress that consumer, health and environmental protection and safety and labour rights must be at the centre of regulatory endeavours;
Amendment 532 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g – point x
Paragraph 1 – point g – point x
x. to oppose any proposals calling for the mandatory submission of legislative proposals to third parties prior to their publication; to bear in mind that stakeholders have different access to resources and expertise, and to ensure that the introduction of a voluntarily stakeholder consultation process in TiSA does not create a bias towards the better funded organisations;
Amendment 535 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g – point x b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g – point x b (new)
xb. to secure full transparency as to the conditions prevailing in TiSA participants' markets in particular with respect to regulation applicable at sub- federal level;
Amendment 540 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h – point i a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point h – point i a (new)
ia. to allow participating countries to modify or withdraw a commitment in their schedule if they can negotiate a substitute commitment with all other parties, by analogy to the provisions of GATS article XXI;
Amendment 543 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h – point i b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point h – point i b (new)
ib. to include a dispute settlement mechanism in TiSA to be used until the agreement is multilateralised and the WTO dispute settlement mechanisms become available;
Amendment 546 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h – point ii
Paragraph 1 – point h – point ii
ii. to endeavour to include a regulatory chapter on government procurement with a view to maximising the participation of European companies in foreign tenders and to safeguard the ability of public authorities in the EU to discriminate on the basis of environmental and social criteria; to deplore the lack of transparency regarding non-European calls for tenders and to denounce the lack of reciprocity in this area, as illustrated by the preferential treatment granted to domestic companies in several countries; to encourage the ratification and implementation of the WTO Government Procurement Agreement and its 2011 revision; to call upon the Member States to reinvigorate discussions on the proposed international public procurement instrument;
Amendment 560 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i – point i
Paragraph 1 – point i – point i
i. to ensure the highest level of transparency, dialogue and accountability, and to emulate the document disclosure policy of the WTO, whereby all negotiating documents are made available to the public;
Amendment 567 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i – point ii
Paragraph 1 – point i – point ii
ii. to ensure that the members of Parliament’s Committee on International Trade receive all the negotiating documents related to TiSA as well as Commission internal assessments including briefing documents, minutes and summaries of negotiating rounds;
Amendment 580 #
2015/2233(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i – point iv
Paragraph 1 – point i – point iv
iv. to welcome theensure serious and continuous engagement of the EU institutions with social partners and a wide range of stakeholders throughout the negotiation process;
Amendment 5 #
2015/2113(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 a (new)
Citation 22 a (new)
– having regard to the Commission communication entitled "The Future of Carbon Capture and Storage in Europe" (COM(2013)0180),
Amendment 165 #
2015/2113(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital P
Recital P
P. whereas 30 million European jobs are at risk owing to the US shale gas boom, asin the energy- intensive industries move operations to the US, where energy costs are far loweral sector are at risk owing to European companies potentially opting to move to countries with lower climate regulation standards and/or cheaper energy prices;
Amendment 208 #
2015/2113(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital U a (new)
Recital U a (new)
Ua. whereas new interconnections will also require additional reinforcements of the existing grid in order to fully use their capacity;
Amendment 229 #
2015/2113(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital X a (new)
Recital X a (new)
Xa. whereas it is recognised that Carbon, Capture and Storage can make a decisive contribution to fight climate change, and specifically can help reduce the cost of the transition to a decarbonised energy market and a low carbon economy;
Amendment 458 #
2015/2113(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Believes that indigenous resources, both conventional and unconventional, which have the potential to increase the EU's energy security of supply should be fully tapped and that unnecessary regulatory burdens on the entitietapped, while fully complying with environmental, health and safety regulation as wielling to invest in these fields must be avoided; as the principle of legal proportionality.
Amendment 492 #
2015/2113(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on the Commission, and in particular DG TRADE, to continue to press for a dedicated energy chapter within the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), with a view to removing US export restrictions on both crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) and eliminating protectionist measurestariff and non-tariff barriers to trade concerning both liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil;
Amendment 555 #
2015/2113(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Calls on the Commission to monitor the evolution of final energy prices in Europe, including taxes, levies, subsidies and any other hidden costs, with a view to identify actions that may help reduce such prices;
Amendment 571 #
2015/2113(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Believes that ACER should be able to take decisions which directly bind operators in cross-border issues, ENTSO- E, ENSTO-G and other bodies with essential EU functions; ACER should be able to obtain the information it requires for its monitoring activities and directly to decide on subsidiary instruments in the case of EU-wide proposals prepared under network codes and guidelines, with measures additional put in place to ensure compliance with ACER's decisions; ACER should be equipped with sufficient resources in order to cope with all its tasks and responsibilities in network codes, infrastructures and market operation including REMIT;
Amendment 592 #
2015/2113(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Stresses the need forCalls on the Commission to ensure the full implementation and enforcement of existing EU energy legislation and for a swift adoption of ambitious European network codes and guidelines, which must go hand in hand with strengthening the competences of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) and, the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSO-G);
Amendment 623 #
2015/2113(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Calls for the development of well- integrated and competitive regional electricity and gas markets that ensure the adequacy and flexibility of the energy system covering all parts of the Union; demands that the Commission act decisively and transparently against all instances of protectionism, anti- competitive behaviour and barriers to market entry and exit; emphasises the importance to ensure stable national regulatory frameworks, address administrative barriers and stream-line national administrative procedures, also to guarantee a level playing field for citizens based projects;
Amendment 654 #
2015/2113(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to support the use of PCIs for the roll out of low carbon technologies, including transport and storage infrastructure for carbon dioxide; specifically to aid the development of vital technologies which require significant initial investments and support the creation of regional hubs;
Amendment 678 #
2015/2113(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Supports regional approaches where there are particular regional challenges or opportunities, or where acting regionally could speed up market integration, including through the creation of regional hubs to enhance market liquidity or support appropriate infrastructure for the transportation and storage of carbon dioxide;
Amendment 715 #
2015/2113(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Stresses the need to create a legislative framework that empowers consumers and makes them active participants in the market as investors and stakeholders; notes that consumers' involvement can be strengthened through, inter alia, energy cooperatives and micro-generation and enhanced transparency of prices and consumer choices; points out that such initiatives could contribute to reducing energy prices and help address serious social problems, such as fuel poverty; in this regard, ask the Commission to ensure that Member States fully implement the Third Energy Package and come up with a definition of vulnerable consumers; ask the Commission to gather impact assessments and collection of best practices of measures taken at national level to fight energy poverty and make sure that those best practices are centralised and promoted by a dedicated European body;
Amendment 898 #
2015/2113(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 b (new)
Paragraph 36 b (new)
36b. Calls on the Commission to ensure the implementation of the Market Stability Reserve and the reform of the ETS with an adequate carbon price so as to promote investments in clean technology, whilst taking into account the risks of an adverse impact on industrial competitiveness;
Amendment 939 #
2015/2113(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38a. Stresses that the commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emission must not undermine the EU economy's global competitiveness, particularly in the energy intensive sector and in other sectors and subsectors deemed to be exposed to a significant risk of carbon leakage; stresses the need for compensation mechanisms and EU-harmonized measures different from the current state aid guidelines so as to offset, in all Member States, carbon costs passed through in the electricity bill, therefore securing a full level playing field; calls on the European Commission to put in place the appropriate tools to support energy efficiency in the high energy intensive sector deemed to be exposed to the risk of carbon leakage; considers, however, that the impact of the differentiated electricity prices due to the carbon footprint of the suppliers' energy mix is a legitimate competitive factor pertaining to each Member State's domestic choices;
Amendment 946 #
2015/2113(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
Amendment 1107 #
2015/2113(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Underlines that it should be a priority forCalls on both the Commission and the Member States to help bring down the costs of less mature low-carbon energy technologies, particularly those that are likely to be critical to global decarbonisation, such as power plants fitted with CCS, and potential breakthrough technologies, such as electricity storage (i.e. Carbon Capture and Storage, electricity storage or advanced biofuels) by providing a clear legal and strategic framework as well as funding opportunities for research and development initiatives and deployment projects that help the European Union achieve both its climate and economic competitiveness goals;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
Citation 2 a (new)
– having regard to its recommendations to the Commission for the negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the Trade in Services Agreement of 8 July 2015 and 3 February 2016 respectively,
Amendment 10 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
– having regard to the opinion of the Committee on International Trade to the report on Transparency, accountability and integrity in the EU institutions,
Amendment 16 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas openness to trade is a necessity for the European economy as most of the global wealth will be created elsewhere in the future but this must go hand in hand with a robust framework at home that ensures trade delivers for citizens consisting of effective trade defence and social flanking policies;
Amendment 19 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris agreement are of the highest importance for global sustainable development and EU trade policy has to contribute to the fulfilment of their key elements;
Amendment 20 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the common commercial policy (CCP) has undergone a profound change since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in December 2009; whereas trade does not operate in isolation, but rather is linked to and dependent on many other polices; whereas negotiations on trade and investment agreements have changed and evolved over time; must go beyond simply cutting tariffs as complex challenges lie today in regulatory matters and convergence on international standards;
Amendment 26 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas trade can be a tool to increase potential economic output by permitting businesses to increase their supply to satisfy a growing external demand and without increasing public spending;
Amendment 28 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas new-generation trade policy needs to respond to people’'s concerns; whereas trade can help fighting poverty and improve the living and working conditions of the people in Europe and in our trading partner countries whereby a fair and equitable wealth distribution in society is indispensable;
Amendment 38 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas on-going trade negotiations such as ACTA, TTIP, CETA and TiSA have brought European trade policy increasingly to the public’'s attention, and whereas more and more citizens are worried that European regulation and standards could be undermined by the CCP;
Amendment 40 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the European Commission made a clear pledge that no trade agreement will ever lower levels of regulatory protection, that any change to levels of protection can only be upward and that the right to regulate will always be protected;
Amendment 51 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas by 2050 the EU-28 will account for only 15 % of the world’'s GDP, down from 23.7 % in 2013, and whereas by 2015 90 % of world economic growth will be generated outside Europe;
Amendment 79 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission to regularly update its trade and investment strategy and to publicly present a detailed annualmid-term implementation report to Parliament to ensure it delivers on its promises;
Amendment 83 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Urges the Commission to expedite its procedures so that negotiated trade agreements can be referred to Parliament within a shorter period of time and can therefore be provisionally applied or enter into force more swiftly;
Amendment 84 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Stresses that enhanced cooperation between regulators is key to facilitate trade and investment through the identification of technical barriers to trade and duplicated or redundant administrative burdens and formalities, which disproportionately affect SMEs, while not compromising the technical procedures linked to fundamental standards and regulations or procedures serving a public policy objective, preserving European standards on health, safety, consumer, labour, social and environmental legislation and cultural diversity and fully respecting the regulatory autonomy of national, regional and local authorities;
Amendment 90 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the Commission’'s attempts to increased transparency and openness at all stages of trade negotiations, such aand supports the Commission’'s TTIP transparency initiative; acknowledges that, after a number of requests from Parliament, the Commission enhanced the transparency of negotiations by providing all Members of the European Parliament and of the national parliaments access to classified negotiating documents and providing more information to stakeholders; recalls that enlarged access to classified information by Members of Parliament in the TTIP negotiations has strengthened parliamentary scrutiny, thereby allowing Parliament to assume its responsibility under the CCP even better; calls therefore for a widening of the Commission’'s transparency initiative to extend its key elements to all ongoing trade negotiations;
Amendment 94 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Council to publish all existingpreviously adopted and future negotiating mandates as soon as they are adoptedwithout delay;
Amendment 96 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that the involvement of civil society and stakeholdocial partners, including through appropriate public online consultations and communication campaigns, is crucial in order to strengthen the legitimacy of trade policy and to improve its content;
Amendment 97 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Stresses that, where possible, EU institutions documents should be published. Reminds that where confidential information is beyond the reach of public access it must be available to parliamentarians who scrutinise trade policy on behalf of citizens; considers that there should be clear criteria for classifying documents to avoid ambiguity and arbitrary decisions; notes that the case law of the ECJ makes it clear that where a document originating in an EU institution is covered by an exception to the right to public access, the institution must clearly explain why access to this document could specifically and effectively undermine the interest protected by the exception, and that this risk must be reasonably foreseeable and not purely hypothetical; calls on the Commission to implement the recommendations of the European Ombudsman of July 2015 with particular regard to access to documents for all negotiations;
Amendment 111 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses the co-legislator role played by the Parliament and therefore calls on the Commission to build upon and improve its cooperation with the Parliament and to enhance its efforts in order to constructively work with the other Institutions prior to taking decisions;
Amendment 136 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Calls on the Commission to establish a structured and depoliticised process whereby consultations with a partner for suspected violations of obligations under trade and sustainable development chapters have to be launched according to clear criteria;
Amendment 137 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Highlights the importance of Domestic Advisory Groups (DAGs) and the involvement of civil society in joint fora under the free trade agreements (FTAs) that monitor and comment on the agreements' implementation and the parties respect for their commitments and obligations on human rights, labour standards and environmental protection; calls for the further strengthening of the work of DAGs; stresses that they should be fully independent; calls on the Commission to take measures to improve the work of DAGs such as providing financial resources, prior information and the possibility of using more advanced media in order to facilitate civil society participation; and to thoroughly take into account the Domestic Advisory Group's recommendations; calls on the EU to reinforce its monitoring capacity in the EPAs dedicated to sustainable development and human rights that ensure the proper and transparent involvement of civil society organisations;
Amendment 143 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recalls that the ILO estimates that 865 million women around the world, if better supported, could contribute more robustly to economic growth; notes that women-owned businesses represent an underutilised lever to boost competitiveness, accelerate business and sustain growth; states that trade policy can have differing gender impacts across the various sectors of the economy; and that more data on gender and trade is needed regrets that the Commission does not address the gender dimension of trade agreements in its ‘'Trade for All’' communication; calls on the Commission to step up its efforts to use trade negotiations as a tool to promote gender equality worldwide, as well as to ensure that both women and men can take advantage of the benefits of trade liberalisation and be protected from its negative effects; to this aim, the Commission should make sure that the gender perspective is included, horizontally, in all future trade agreements and also, as an essential part of the EU mainstreaming strategy and proposes, the Commission should guarantee a thorough monitoring and evaluation of the gender impact of the trade agreements in force;
Amendment 151 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Calls on the Commission to make its trade and investment policy fully aligned with the ILO Decent Work Agenda;
Amendment 160 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Acknowledges that the internationalisation of the world’'s production system has resulted in new openings for economic development and an employment-based path out of poverty for hundreds of millions of people; recalls that, according to the ILO, around 780 million active women and men are not earning enough to be lifted out of poverty; underlines that the expansion of GVCs has created job opportunities but also propelled some supplier firms to ignore labour laws, engage workers in unsafe and unacceptable conditions, demand exhaustive working hours and deny workers their fundamental rights; recalls that these practices create unfair competition for suppliers that are compliant with labour laws and international labour standards and for governments that want to improve wages and living standards; concludes therefore that mutual respect for labour and environmental standards is an indispensable tool to ensure there is no race to the bottom; calls on the Commission to improve conditions in GVC in close cooperation with the ILOs; emphasises that the EU’'s further integration into GVCs must be driven by the dual principles of safeguarding the European social and regulatory model and securing and creating sustainable and equitable growth and decent jobs in the EU and for its partners;
Amendment 165 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Underlines that the emergence of GVCs has also led to a substantial increase of imported components in exports; consequently there are less incentives for countries to levy high tariffs as trade policy should not just open up exports, but also facilitate imports in order to stabilise value chains without prejudice to the legitimate use of trade defence instruments;
Amendment 187 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on the Commission not to request provisional application of trade agreements, including trade chapters of association agreements, before European Parliament gives its consent; recalls that it cwould seriously undermine Parliament’'s rights and create potential legal uncertainty vis-à- vis the agreement’'s other signatory and the economic operators concerned; recalls and welcomes the Trade Commissioner's commitments in this regard but strongly urges to formalise this arrangement in the new inter-institutional agreement;
Amendment 209 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Notes that limited improvements were achieved at the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference in Nairobi in 2015; recognises the differences among WTO members on how to proceed as regards the Doha Round, including the need to consider new approaches to solve outstanding issues; welcomes the interest of some WTO members in starting to address new negotiating areas; believes that the outcome of the Nairobi Ministerial Conference provides an opportunity to give new life to the WTO’'s negotiating function; urges the Commission to take the initiative in reforming and strengthening the WTO in order to ensure greater effectiveness, transparency and accountability including by strengthening coordination with the ILO and other Environment and Human rights related UN Agencies;
Amendment 213 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Believes that it is vital to conclude the longstanding Doha Round with its developing mandates fulfilled; recalls the crucial role of Aid for Trade (AfT) in trade-related capacity building and technical assistance to developing countries and LDCs; in this regard, calls on the EU and its Member States to commit to increase AfT, enabling developing countries to benefit from a bigger share of the value added in GVCs; calls on the Commission to address fair and ethical trade in the upcoming revision of Aid for Trade strategy; welcomes the EU engagement of targeting EUR 400 million in funding over 5 years to support and provide technical assistance to developing countries, especially LDCs, in their efforts to implement the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement;
Amendment 217 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Considers plurilateral negotiations within the WTO such as the Information Technology Agreement and the Environmental Goods Agreements to be the second-best option; emphasises that trade policy should also be used as a tool for increasing the competiveness of environmentally beneficial products; stresses the importance of maintaining an open door of any plurilateral initiative so interested WTO members can join and of multilateralising the ‘'green goods’' initiative and of considering whether bilateral or unilateral trade agreements could provide premium preferences for environmental goods;
Amendment 223 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Calls for a strong and effective parliamentary dimension of the WTO in order to enhance the transparency of the organisation and to strengthen the democratic legitimacy of global trade policy; urges the WTO to make full use of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO, ensuring that parliamentarians have access to all the information they need to carry out their oversight role effectively and contribute meaningfully to trade policies;
Amendment 225 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls on the Commission to focus in a balanced way on the conclusion of the on-going trade negotiations while being mindful of their cumulative effects, in particular via the different rules of origin, and finding an appropriate balance between protecting sensitive agricultural sectors and the offensive interests of the Union as one of the biggest agri-food exporters , and to show the potential benefits of the concluded trade agreements before launching new FTA negotiations; reminds the Commission to carry out a thorough, impartial and unprejudiced ex- ante evaluation of European interests before deciding on future FTA partners and negotiation mandates;
Amendment 252 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Underlines, in the context of the current talks on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the EU- Japan FTA, the high importance of focusing on core soffensitive issuenterests such as the protection of geographical indications (GIs) and public procurement when negotiating FTAs as part of ambitious, balanced and comprehensive packages;
Amendment 278 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Stresses the importance of deepening and redefining the EU's relationships with its partners on the African continent and in the Caribbean and Pacific region; regrets that the communication "Trade for All" does not make any reference to the Cotonou Agreement, which expires in 2020, and stresses that the human rights clauses in the EPAs and trade agreements with a link to the Cotonou Agreement should not lose their effect after the 2020 expiration date; calls on the EU to engage in a broad consultation and dialogue process, including with ACP countries, about the post-Cotonou framework;
Amendment 287 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Stresses that further trade liberalisation measures require the EU to be able to respond even more effectively to unfair trading practices and ensure a level playing field; underlines that TDIs must remain an indispensable component of the EU’'s trade strategy; recalls that the current EU trade defence legislation dates back to 1995; stresses that the Union’'s trade defence system needs to be modernised urgently; points out that EU trade defence law must be more effective, adapted to today’'s challenges and trade patterns, investigations must be shorter, and also increase transparency and predictability; regdeplorets that the TDI modernisation proposal is blocked in the CouncilCouncil has been unable to deliver on this essential piece of legislation; regrets that the Commission does not refer at all to the need for TDI modernisation in its ‘'Trade for All’' communication; calls on the Council to boost its effortsreak the stalemate regarding TDI modernisation urgently on the basis of the European Parliament's position, especially at a time when China is firmly requesting recognition of MES, and asks the Commission to present a new proposal;
Amendment 292 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Calls on the Commission to quicken the pace of investigations in order to accelerate the adoption of provisional and definitive trade defence measures, to open investigations "ex officio" and to impose measures on the ground of the "threat of injury" where the evidence justifies this, to eliminate the lesser duty rule which is not an obligation under WTO law, and to allow all European social partners, including not only business leaders but also trade unions, to urge the Commission to open anti-dumping investigations;
Amendment 305 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Regrets that not enough hasConsiders that more needs to been done to comprehensively address European industries’' needs and that the EU manufacturing sector is too often placed behind the services and financial sectors; emphasises that trade policy must ensure a level playing field for European industry, provide access to new and emerging markets and facilitate upward convergence on standards while reducing double certification; calls on the Commission to ensure coherence between the EU’'s trade and industrial policies and to promote the development and competitiveness of European industry with particular reference to the reindustrialisation strategy;
Amendment 309 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33a. Recalls the importance of GIs in promoting traditional European agri-food products, protecting them from harmful free-riding practices, guaranteeing consumers´ rights and conscious choices, and safeguarding rural producers and farmers, with particular reference to SMEs;
Amendment 310 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 b (new)
Paragraph 33 b (new)
33b. Acknowledges the success story of GIs in protecting European workers and producers from unfair practices and therefore calls on the Commission to extend GIs to non-agri products;
Amendment 324 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Shares the Commission’s viewConsiders that the temporary movement of professionals has become essentialis a factor to increasing business internationally; stresses that a labour mobility chapter should be included in all EU trade and investment agreements; recalls however that Mode 4 commitments must only apply to the movement of highly skilled professionals for a specific purpose, for a limited period of time and under precise conditions stipulated by the domestic legislation of the country where the service is performed and by a contract respecting such domestic legislation while ensuring that nothing will prevent the EU and its Member States from maintaining and improving labour standards and collective agreements";
Amendment 329 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Welcomes the Commission’'s intention to use trade policy to tackle new forms of digital protectionism and to set rules for e-commerce and cross-border data flows in compliance with EU data protection and privacy law and safeguarding fundamental rights; believes that much more needs to be done to create a climate favourable to e-commerce and entrepreneurship within the EU; stresses that ensuring regulatory cooperation, reducing online fraud, mutual recognition and harmonisation of standards in the digital trade sector is vital;
Amendment 338 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Is aware that the inclusion of provisions relating to financial services in trade agreements has raised concerns regarding their potential negative effects where money laundering, tax evasion and avoidance are concerned; supports the Commission in its fight against corruption; insists that clauses on corruption, money laundering and tax fraud be included in all trade and investmentthe Commission and Member States address anti money laundering, anti-corruption and anti-tax evasion and tax avoidance rules, including country-by- country reporting obligations and automatic exchange of information in appropriate international agreements;
Amendment 345 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Emphasises that a forward-looking trade policy must pay greater attention to the specific needs of SMEs and ensure that they can fully benefit from trade and investment agreements; recalls that only a small share of European SMEs are able to identify and exploit the opportunities that globalisation and trade liberalisation offer; notes that only 13 % of European SMEs have been internationally active outside the EU but recognises that SMEs already account for one third of EU exports; supports initiatives to facilitate the internationalisation of European SMEs , therefore insists on the benefits of a Chapter on SMEs in all future FTAs, also, but believes that new ways need to be explored on how to better assist SMEs in their sale of goods and services abroad; stresses that SMEs need more tailor-made support, starting in Member States;
Amendment 347 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38a. Asks the Commission to better support the internationalisation of SMEs by developing specific and clear guidebooks for SMEs about the opportunities and benefits offered by each trade agreement concluded by the EU;
Amendment 351 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 a (new)
Paragraph 39 a (new)
39a. Reminds with regard to regulatory cooperation that the corresponding mechanisms must be based on enhanced information exchange and improved adoption and implementation of international instruments and lead to increased convergence on international technical standards whilst under no circumstances undermining or delaying the democratically legitimised decision- making procedures of any trading partner;
Amendment 370 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 a (new)
Paragraph 43 a (new)
43a. Emphasizes that the EU investment policy has to tackle broader issues than merely investment protection but addressing also investment facilitation and governance, thus, ensuring foreign direct investment serves the recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals; considers investor obligations based on inter alia the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Corporate Social responsibility and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights an indispensable part if a such an investment policy; urges Member States to work towards progress within the UN on the elaboration of a legally binding instrument on business and human rights;
Amendment 373 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 b (new)
Paragraph 43 b (new)
43b. Considers the connection between trade and investment agreements and double taxation treaties to be seriously underexplored and calls on the Commission to study closely any effects such tools may have on each other and on wider policy coherence in the fight against tax evasion;
Amendment 375 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Calls for the elimination of the current imbalances as regards the degree of openness of public procurement markets between the EU and other trading partners; calls on the Commission to go even further in seeking an ambitious and reciprocal opening up of international public procurement markets, while guaranteeing the exclusion of services of general economic interests and making sure states remain free to adopt qualitative rules for their procurement procedures including social and environmental criteria; stresses that European economic operators, but especially European SMEs, need better access to public contracts in third countries;
Amendment 382 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Welcomes the Commission’'s amended proposal for a regulation on the access of third-country goods and services to the Union’'s internal market in public procurement, which is an important tool for ensuring a level playing field in the market access of third countries and strongly regrets that Member States governments have been holding up the original proposal; calls on the Commission to achieve reciprocity in access to public procurement markets with all trading partners;
Amendment 394 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. Underlines that trade agreements and the decline in tariff rates that follows expose customs to greater security and protection concerns; emphasises that adequate communication and strong coordination is essential; Customs agencies should treat trade transactions involving non-cooperative tax jurisdictions with the highest level of scrutiny;
Amendment 413 #
2015/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51 a (new)
Paragraph 51 a (new)
51a. Points out that the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund could also be an important instrument; believes however that the current use of the EGF to tame the adverse impacts in some sectors resulting from increased international competition is not satisfactory; stresses that this instrument should be reformed and adequately funded whereby it proactively anticipates risks and adaptation of sectorial, regional and national production structures in cases in which the sustainable impact assessment indicates that these might be endangered as a consequence of trade agreements;
Amendment 13 #
2015/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A b (new)
Recital -A b (new)
-Ab. whereas the European Parliament acts as a co-legislator with respect to measures defining the framework for implementing the Union’s CCP; whereas the consent of the European Parliament is required for the ratification of every trade agreement negotiated by the Union; the implementation of the European Parliament’s recommendations is therefore necessary to ensure the success of any initiative undertaken by the European Commission in the field of the CCP;
Amendment 19 #
2015/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas EU trade policies couldthe EU has the ability to contribute positively to the harmonisation process in the direction of implementation and development of human rights (HR), social and environmental sustainabigreater respect for human rights (HR) and sustainable development globally through its trade politcy; whereas it must be ensured that trade and investment agreements not reduce their ability to meet their HR obligations, which must prevail over investors and profits interests; whereas there is public concern about the detrimental impact on the concrete enjoyment of HR and labour standards of non-tariff barrier reduction; whereas the new generation of trade agreements risks acting as a back-door deregulation instrumentthis requires proactive and resolute action on the part of the European Commission; whereas trade and investment agreements may also be detrimental to human rights and sustainable development, and should therefore be designed in such a way as to support rather than hinder social and environmental progress;
Amendment 21 #
2015/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas reformed trade defence measures can also provide an incentive for the EU’s trading partners to engage in sustainable development; whereas, unlike international agreements, this strategy has the potential to yield results through unilateral EU actions; whereas the European Parliament adopted an amendment to article 7.2 of Regulation (EU) 1225/2009 on protection against dumped imports in order to exempt EU trade defence measures from the ‘Lesser Duty Rule’, in full compliance with WTO rules, where ‘the exporting country does not have a sufficient level of social and environmental standards’; whereas this reform has been blocked in the Council of the European Union since November 2014;
Amendment 42 #
2015/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas since 2010 the global context for trade and sustainable development has changed, as illustrated by the repercussions of the tragic events surrounding the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh in 2013, which led to greater public awareness on issues related to global supply chain responsibility as well as innovative solutions to tackle issues related to TSD, such as the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh;
Amendment 46 #
2015/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
Dc. whereas the European Commission’s 2015 ‘Trade for All’ strategy makes TSD a priority for the EU; whereas in order for this strategy to give proper impetus to the TSD agenda, the European Commission must now turn its much welcomed ambition into resolute and concrete actions;
Amendment 65 #
2015/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Welcomes in this context the initiative launched by the G20 leaders on Global Value Chains (GVC), with support from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the World Bank Group (WBG); takes note of the G20’s priority to make GVCs ‘more inclusive’; endorses the OECD, WTO, and WBG’s findings that participation in GVCs does not automatically lead to sustainable development, and that ‘strong social, environmental, and governance frameworks and policies are important to maximising the positive impact of GVC activities and minimising risks in all countries’, as contained in the report prepared for the 2014 meeting of G20 Trade Ministers; strongly supports the OECD, WTO and WBG’s call for countries participating in GVCs to ‘observe international core labour standards, including establishment and enforcement of occupational health, safety, and environmental standards and related capacity-building for compliance’; calls on the European Commission and EU countries participating in the G20 to support this initiative, and to promote balanced and comprehensive policy recommendations including a strong sustainable development dimension on GVCs at the July 2016 meeting of G20 Trade Ministers in Shanghai;
Amendment 12 #
2015/0112(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4 a (new)
Recital 4 a (new)
(4a) The Commission should assess the Union market for bananas and the situation of Union banana producers and present its findings in a report to the European Parliament and to the Council, no later than one year before the expiry of the stabilisation mechanism for bananas. The report should include a preliminary assessment of the functioning of the " Programme d'Options Spécifiques à l'Éloignement et l'Insularité " (POSEI) in preserving banana production in the Union and the existence of any risks to the overall stability of the Union market or the European producers, after the expiry of the stabilisation mechanism for bananas. If the report identifies such risks, it should consider appropriate measures to address them, including the possibility of entering into new international negotiations in order to extend the applicability of the stabilisation mechanism for bananas beyond 2020 or accompanying compensatory measures to ensure the preservation of banana production in the Union.
Amendment 21 #
2015/0112(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4 a (new)
4a. In Article 15, paragraph 2 is replaced by the following: "2. A separate annual trigger import volume is set for imports of products referred to in paragraph 1, as indicated in the second and third, third and fourth columns of the table in the Annex. Once the trigger volume for either Colombia, Ecuador or Peru is met during the corresponding calendar year, the Commission shall, in accordance with the urgency procedure referred to in Article 14(4), adopt an implementing act by which it may eithershall temporarily suspend the preferential customs duty applied to products of the corresponding origin during that same year for a period of time not exceeding three months, and not going beyond the end of the calendar year or, unless it determines that such suspension is not appropriate. " Or. en (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32013R0019&qid=1472809637922&from=EN)
Amendment 24 #
2015/0112(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4 b (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4 b (new)
Regulation (EU) No 19/2013
Article 15 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Amendment 27 #
2015/0112(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4 c (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4 c (new)
Regulation (EU) No 19/2013
Article 15 – paragraph 3
Article 15 – paragraph 3
4c. In Article 15, paragraph 3 is replaced by the following: "3. When deciding whether measures should be applied pursuant to paragraph 2, the Commission shall take into consideration the impact of the imports concerned on the situation of the Union market for bananas. That examination shall include factors such as: effect of the imports concerned on the Union price level, development of imports from other sources, overall stability of the Union market. (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32013R0019&from=EN)The Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council a written report setting out a detailed analysis of the results which prompted it to apply or not to apply measures. This report must be forwarded at the latest 14 days after the Commission has taken the decision to end the emergency procedure.” Or. fr
Amendment 29 #
2015/0112(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4 d (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4 d (new)
Regulation (EU) No 19/2013
Article 15 – paragraph 3a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 3a (new)
4d. In Article 15 the following paragraph is inserted: "3a. The Commission shall develop accurate statistical tools which take account of trends in the volume and price of imports, including over short periods, and of the situation of producers in each of the outermost regions, so that a more detailed assessment of imports and the situation on the Union market can be drawn up."
Amendment 31 #
2015/0112(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4 b (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4 b (new)
Regulation (EU) No 19/2013
Article 15 – paragraph 7 a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 7 a (new)
Amendment 32 #
2015/0112(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – point 1
Article 2 – point 1
Regulation (EU) No 20/2013
Article 15 – paragraph 1
Article 15 – paragraph 1
Amendment 36 #
2015/0112(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 –point 1 a (new)
Article 2 –point 1 a (new)
Regulation No 20/2013
Article 15 – paragraph 2
Article 15 – paragraph 2
(1a) In Article 15, paragraph 2 is replaced by the following: "2. A separate annual trigger import volume is set for imports of products referred to in paragraph 1, as indicated in the table in the Annex. The importation of the products referred to in paragraph 1 at the preferential customs duty rate shall, in addition to the proof of origin established under Annex II (Concerning the definition of the concept of 'originating products' and methods of administrative co-operation) to the Agreement, be subject to the presentation of an export certificate issued by the competent authority of the Republic of the Central American country from which the products are exported. Once the trigger volume for a Central American country is met during the corresponding calendar year, the Commission shall, in accordance with the urgency procedure referred to in Article 14(4), adopt an implementing act by which it may eithershall temporarily suspend the preferential customs duty applied to products of the corresponding origin during that same year for a period of time not exceeding three months, and not going beyond the end of the calendar year or, unless it determines that such suspension is not appropriate. " Or. en (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32013R0020&qid=1472810118047&from=EN)
Amendment 38 #
2015/0112(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 –point 1 b (new)
Article 2 –point 1 b (new)
Regulation (EU) No 20/2013
Article 15 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Amendment 41 #
2015/0112(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – point 1 b (new)
Article 2 – point 1 b (new)
Regulation (EU) No 20/2013
Article 15 – paragraph 3
Article 15 – paragraph 3
1b. In Article 15, paragraph 3 is replaced by the following: " 3. When deciding whether measures should be applied pursuant to paragraph 2, the Commission shall take into consideration the impact of the imports concerned on the situation of the Union market for bananas. That examination shall include factors such as: effect of the imports concerned on the Union price level, development of imports from other sources, overall stability of the Union market." (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32013R0019&from=EN) The Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council a written report setting out a detailed analysis of the results which prompted it to apply or not to apply measures. This report must be forwarded at the latest 14 days after the Commission has taken the decision to end the emergency procedure.' Or. fr
Amendment 43 #
2015/0112(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – point1 c (new)
Article 2 – point1 c (new)
Regulation (EU) No 20/2013
Article 15 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 3 a (new)
1c. In Article 15 the following paragraph is inserted: "3a. The Commission shall develop accurate statistical tools which take account of trends in the volume and price of imports, including over short periods, and of the situation of producers in each of the outermost regions, so that a more detailed assessment of imports and the situation on the Union market can be drawn up." "
Amendment 45 #
2015/0112(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 –point 1 e (new)
Article 2 –point 1 e (new)
Regulation (EU) No 20/2013
Article 15 – paragraph 7 a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 7 a (new)
(1e) In Article 15, the following paragraph added: “7a. The Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and to the Council a report on the application of the stabilisation mechanism for bananas, no later than 1 year before its expiry. The report shall include an overview of the trend in banana imports and its impact on Union market and Union producers and of the implementing decisions adopted by the Commission and the examinations conducted in this context. The report shall also assess the functioning of the "Programme d'Options Spécifiques à l'Eloignement et l'Insularité" (POSEI) in preserving the banana production in the Union and the existence of any risks for the overall stability of the Union market or Union producers, after the expiry of the stabilisation mechanism for bananas. If the report identifies such risks, it should consider appropriate measures to address them, including the possibility of entering into new international negotiations in order to extend the applicability of the stabilisation mechanism for bananas beyond 2020 or accompanying compensatory measures to ensure the preservation of banana production in the Union.
Amendment 131 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14 a (new)
Recital 14 a (new)
(14a) The EFSI should support the balanced distribution of projects across the Union, avoiding excessive concentration on a single sector or geographical area.
Amendment 158 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17 a (new)
Recital 17 a (new)
(17a) The Steering Board should set transparent criteria for drawing up the portfolio of projects and subsequently selecting projects for financing, with the aim of ensuring the balanced distribution of investments across the Union.
Amendment 238 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
The purpose of the EFSI shall be to support investments inacross the Union and to ensure increased access to financing for companies having up to 3000 employees, with a particular focus on small and medium enterprises, through the supply of risk bearing capacity to the EIB ('EFSI Agreement'). through the supply of risk bearing capacity to the EIB by: - providing long term, productive and strategic investments in the Union, and by - ensuring increased access to financing for small and medium enterprises and small mid-caps, particularly innovative SMEs and mid-caps.
Amendment 298 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
1. The EFSI Agreement shall provide that the EFSI shall be governed by a Steering Board, which shall determine the strategic orientation, the strategic asset allocation and operating policies and procedures, including the investment policy of projects that EFSI can support and the risk profile of the EFSI, in conformity with the objectives under Article 5(2). The Steering Board shall set transparent criteria for drawing up the portfolio of projects and subsequently selecting projects for financing. The Steering Board shall elect one of its members to be Chairperson.
Amendment 387 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c
(c) investments in energy, expansion of renewable energy and, energy efficiency and resource efficiency, with a particular focus on reducing energy demand through demand-side management and buildings refurbishments;
Amendment 40 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas an ambitious and balanced agreement with the US may support the reindustrialisation of Europe and help achieve the 2020 target for an increase of the EU’'s GDP generated by industry from 15 % to 20 %; whereas it has the potential to create opportunities especially for SMEs, micro enterprises, according to the definition of Recommendation COM 2003/361/CE, clusters and enterprises networks which suffer more from non- tariff barriers (NTBs) than larger companies; whereas an agreement between the two biggest economic blocs in the world has the potential to create standards, norms and rules which will be adopted at a global level, which would serve to the advantage of third countries as well;
Amendment 95 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas in the agricultural sector a reduction of tariff barriers has necessarily to be accompanied by the elimination or significant reduction of excessively burdensome SPS and TBT measures applied by the US in order for EU agricultural producers to benefit from actual access to the US market;
Amendment 112 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas many economic impact studies on TTIP should be taken with caution as they are built on computable general equilibrium economic models with very optimistic predictions about the capacity of the EU and the US to reduce regulatory barriers to trade; whereas the TTIP alone will not resolve economic problems in the EU and no false hopes and expectations should be raised in that respectthe real impact of TTIP on both EU and US economies is difficult to assess and hard to predict while negotiations are still ongoing; whereas there are contradictory economic impact studies on TTIP and they should be taken with caution as regards the capacity of the EU and the US to reduce regulatory barriers, unnecessary or unjustified, to trade and to support economic growth and job creation; whereas the TTIP alone will not resolve economic problems in the EU and no false hopes and expectations should be raised in that respect; whereas hopes and expectations on TTIP should be commensurate to the level of ambition that will be reached sector by sector in the negotiation;
Amendment 160 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the secret character oflimited level of transparency of the negotiations as they have been conducted in the past has been a serious mistake and it has led to deficiencies in terms of democratic control of the negotiation process;
Amendment 174 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas the current phase of fast change in the global geopolitical scenario requires a resolute attitude by the EU, which has to explore the various political and economic options in order to reinforce its global economic role;
Amendment 177 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G c (new)
Recital G c (new)
Gc. whereas agriculture is at the heart of wider strategic issues such as food safety, sustainable development, societal choices and collective preferences and that the agricultural sectors in the EU and US differ considerably in many areas, such as consumer health aspects and food safety standards, including GMOs and hormone-treated meat;
Amendment 243 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point i
Paragraph 1 – point a – point i
(i) to ensure that TTIP negotiations lead to a deep, comprehensive, ambitious, balanced and high-standard trade and investment agreement that would promote sustainable growth with shared benefits across EU Member States, support the creation of high-quality jobs for European workers, directly benefit European consumers by ensuring a high level of existing and future labour, social and environmental standards, fight tax evasion, tax avoidance and tax havens, increase international competitiveness, and open up new opportunities for EU companies, in particular SMEsmicro and SMEs, and contribute to attracting more foreign investments in the EU; the content of the agreement is more important than the speed of the negotiations, which should in any case take into account the developments in the global international arena;
Amendment 260 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point ii
Paragraph 1 – point a – point ii
(ii) to emphasise that while the TTIP negotiations consist of negotiations on three main areas – ambitiously improving reciprocal market access (for goods, services, investment and public procurement at all levels of government), reducing NTBs and enhancing the compatibility of regulatory regimes, and developing common rules to address shared global trade challenges and opportunities – all these areas are equally important to be included in a comprehensive package; TTIP should be ambitious and binding on all levels of government on both sides of the Atlantic, the agreement should lead to lasting, fair, genuine market openness on a reciprocal basis and trade facilitation on the ground, and should pay particular attention to structural means of achieving greater transatlantic cooperation while upholding regulatory standards and preventing social and environmental dumping, including through a structured system of pre and post impact assessment and evaluation procedures, including a precise gender assessment;
Amendment 286 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point iv
Paragraph 1 – point a – point iv
(iv) to ensure, especially given the recent positive developments in the World Trade Organisation (WTO), that an agreement with the US serves as a stepping-stone for broader trade negotiations and is not seen as an alternative to the WTO process; bilateral trade agreements are always the second-best option and must not prevent efforts in order to reach significant improvements on the multilateral level;
Amendment 307 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point i
Paragraph 1 – point b – point i
(i) to ensure that the market access offers in the different areas are equally ambitious and reflect both parties’' expectations, as market access for industrial goods, raw materials, energy, agricultural products, services and public procurement is equally important in all cases and a balance is needed between the different proposals for these areas;
Amendment 397 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point vi
Paragraph 1 – point b – point vi
(vi) to ensure an adequate carve-out of sexplicit exclusion of public services from the scope of application of TTIP as referred to in article 14 TFEU, through the introduction of an extensitive services such as public services and public utiliticarve-out in the core text of the agreement of all public services, current and future, covering all non-economic Services of General Interest as well as Services of General Economic Interest (including water, healthbut not limited to water, health, social services, social security systems and education) allowing, to ensure that national and local authorities enough room for manoeuvre to legislate in retain the full ability to introduce, adopt, maintain or repeal any measures with regards to the commissioning, organisation, funding and provision of public services as provided in article 106 TFEU and Protocol 26 TFEU; this exclusion should apply whether the services in question are organised as a monopoly, operating under exclusive rights or otherwise, and whether public interest; aly and privately funded and/or organised; notes the joint declaration reflecting negotiators’' clear commitment to exclude these sectors from the negotiations would be very helpful in this regard; ;
Amendment 453 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point viii a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point b – point viii a (new)
(viiia) to aim at the mutual recognition of professional qualifications in order to enable EU and US professionals to practice on either side of the Atlantic and to facilitate mobility of investors, professionals, high-skilled workers and technicians between the EU and the US in sectors covered by TTIP;
Amendment 472 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point x
Paragraph 1 – point b – point x
(x) to keep in mind that, as specified in the mandate, the agreement shouldall not riskcontain any provisions that prejudicinge the Union’'s cultural and linguistic diversity, including in; to therefore ensure that the audiovisual and cultural services sector, and thats well as existing and future provisions and policies in support of the cultural sector, in particular in the digital world, are kept out of the scope of the negotiations in accordance with the principle of technological neutrality, are kept out of the scope of the negotiations; to exclude subsidies or government support to audiovisual, educational and cultural services and its industries, including "digital products", from any commitments taken in chapters related to telecommunication, investment or e- commerce;
Amendment 489 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point xi
Paragraph 1 – point b – point xi
(xi) to ensurake an ambitious approach to the tchat account is taken of the discrepancies in thepter on public procurement, with a view to remedying, in line with the principle of reciprocity, the major disparity currently existing in the degree of openness of the two public procurement markets on both sides of the Atlantic andand to significantly opening up the US market, still ruled under the Buy American Act of 1933 on the basis of the international undertakings entered into under the Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) and of the removal of the restrictions currently applying at federal, state and administrative level alike in the United States; emphasises, in particular, the need to guarantee that undertakings entered into by the US federal authorities will be honoured at all political and administrative levels; to ensure that account is taken of the huge interest on the part of European companies in obtaining, notably SMEs, in obtaining non- discriminatory access to public contracts in the US both at federal and state level, for example for construction services, traffic infrastructure and goods and services while respecting sustainability criteria for procurement on both sides, inter alia; to ensure the compliance of the chapter with the new EU public procurement and concession package entering into force in 2016directives, notably as regards the definition of public-cooperation, exclusions, SMEs access and the use of the MEAT criteria;
Amendment 507 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point xii
Paragraph 1 – point b – point xii
(xii) to ensure that public authorities have the opportunity to adopt socially and ecologically responsible procurement policies, and that procurement provisions do not hinder the ability of public authorities to address societal and environmental needs; to ensure that public procurement policies are kept in line with ILO Convention 94 regarding labour clauses in public contracts; to promote EU-US cooperation at the international level in order to promote sustainability standards for public procurement, inter alia in the implementation of the recently revised Government Procurement Agreement;
Amendment 549 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point i
Paragraph 1 – point c – point i
(i) to ensure that the regulatory cooperation chapter promotes a broad, far reaching and structured dialogue with the US and an effective, pro- competitive economic environment through the facilitation of trade and investment while developing and securing high levels of protection of health and safety, consumer, labour and environmental legislation and of the cultural diversity that exists within the EU; to aim at the definition of high-quality standards and laws for consumers, established on the basis of the highest standards in each sector, bearing in mind that the results achieved will become de facto international standards; negotiators on both sides need, thus, to identify and to be very clear about which regulatory measures and standards are fundamental and cannot be compromised, which ones can be the subject of a common approach, which are the areas where mutual recognition based on a common high standard and a strong system of market surveillance is desirable and which are those where simply an improved exchange of information is possible, based on the experience of one and a half years of ongoing talks; stresses that SMEs are disproportionately affected by NTBs;
Amendment 572 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point ii
Paragraph 1 – point c – point ii
(ii) to base negotiations on SPS and TBT measures on the key principles of the multilateral SPS and TBT agreements; to aim in the first place at increasingthe elimination or significant reduction of excessively burdensome SPS measures including related import procedures; in particular to ensure that pre-approvals, obligatory protocols or pre-clearance inspections are not applied as a permanent import measure; to achieve increased transparency and openness, strengthening of dialogue between regulators and strengthening of cooperation in international standards-setting bodies; to recognise, in negotiations on SPS and TBT measures, the right of both parties to manage risk in accordance with the level either deems appropriate in order to protect human, animal or plant life or health; to respect and uphold the sensitivities and fundamental values of either side, such as the EU’'s precautionary principle;
Amendment 593 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point iii
Paragraph 1 – point c – point iii
(iii) with regard to the horizontal regulatory cooperation chapter, to give priority to fostering bilateral cooperation between regulatory bodies through enhanced information exchange and to promote the adoption, strengthening and timely implementation of international instruments, on the basis of successful international experiences such as, for instance, ISO standards or under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’'s (UNECE) World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29); to establish that the prior impact assessment for the regulatory act, as defined in the horizontal provisions on regulatory cooperation, should also measure and prioritise the impact on consumers and, the environment next toand gender relations over its impact on trade and investment; to handle the possibility of promoting regulatory compatibility with great care and only without compromising legitimate regulatory and policy objectives;
Amendment 610 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point v
Paragraph 1 – point c – point v
(v) to fully respect the established regulatory systems on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as the European Parliament’'s role within the EU’'s decision-making process and its democratic scrutiny over EU regulatory processes when creating the framework for future cooperation while at the same time being vigilant about a balanced involvement of stakeholders within the consultations included in the development of a regulatory proposal; in order to avoid that neither Party exercise any veto power before any regulatory proposal has been officially tabled by the other Party; to specify the role, the composition and the legal quality of the Regulatory Cooperation Council, taking into consideration that any direct and compulsory application of its recommendations would imply a breach of the law-making procedures laid down in the Treaties; to also oversee that it fully preserve the capacity of national, regional and local authorities to legislate their own policies, in particular social and environmental policies;
Amendment 681 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point vii
Paragraph 1 – point d – point vii
(vii) to ensure that in course of the negotiations the two sides examine ways to facilitate natural gas and oil exports, so that TTIP would abolish any existing export restrictions on energy between the two trading partners, thereby supporting a diversification of energy sources aiding the development a more secure energy mix;
Amendment 723 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xi
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xi
(xi) to ensure that TTIP includes a specific chapter on SME’s and aims at creating new opportunities in the US for European SMEs, micro enterprises, clusters and enterprises networks, for instance by eliminating double certification requirements, by establishing a web-based information system about the different regulations, by introducing ‘fast- track’ procedures at the border or by eliminating specific tariff peaks that continue to exist; it should establish mechanisms for both sides to work together to facilitate SMEs’ participation in transatlantic trade, for instance through a common SME ’one-stop shop’; it should provide a specific part dedicated to the peculiar needs of micro enterprises, clusters and enterprises networks;
Amendment 745 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xiii
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xiii
(xiii) to ensure that investment protection provisions are limited to post- establishment provisions and focus on non- discrimination and fair and equitable treatment; standards of protection and definitions of investor and investment should be drawn up in a precise manner; stresses that substantive provisions shall, inter alia, protect the right to regulate in the public interest, clarify the meaning of indirect expropriation and prevent unfounded or frivolous claims; free transfer of capital should be in line with the EU treaty provisions and should include a prudential carve-out in the case of financial crises;
Amendment 763 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xiv
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xiv
(xiv) to ensure that foreign investors are treated in a non-discriminatory fashion and have a fair opportunity to seek and achieve redress of grievances, which can be achieved without the inclusion of an ISDS mechanism; such a mechanism is not necessary in TTIP given the EU’'s and the US’' developed legal systems; a state-to- state dispute settlement system and the use of national courts are the most appropriate tools to address investment disputes; should ISDS provisions be included in the TTIP, negotiations must avoid any rushed, methodologically unsound investor-to-state mechanism in TTIP;
Amendment 797 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xv
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xv
(xv) to ensure that TTIP includes an ambitious Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) chapter that includes strong protection of precisely and clearly defined areas of IPR, including enhanced protection and recognition of European Geographical Indications (GIs), and reflects a fair and efficient level of protection such as laid out in the EU’'s and the US’'s free trade agreement provisions in this area,; to ensure a fair balance between IPRs and the public interest, in particular the need to preserve access to affordable medicines while continuing to confirmsupport the existing flexibilities in the Agreement on Trade- Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), notably in the area of public health;
Amendment 860 #
2014/2228(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e – point iv a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point e – point iv a (new)
(iva) to fully involve National Parliaments and keep them regularly informed on the negotiations, especially since, given the scope of the ambition for the agreement, it is likely TTIP will be considered a 'mixed- type' agreement and thus require a ratification process in EU Member States including, in some cases, at the regional level;
Amendment 530 #
2014/2153(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Stresses that the commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions must not undermine the EU economy’s global competitiveness of the EU's economy or that of its individual Member States; considers, therefore, that a complex approach to climate change and competitiveness is needed;