Activities of Jeppe KOFOD related to 2014/2228(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
Negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) (A8-0175/2015 - Bernd Lange) DA
Negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) (debate)
Amendments (17)
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph b
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph b
b. take immediate action to ensure that free and fair competition on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as market access, is addressed on the basis of the highest standards possible within the existinghilst working for even higher levels of protection, especially within areas such as health and safety, consumer, labour, social rights, regulation on financial services and environmental legislation;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the Commission to maintain the objective of including a specific energy chapter in the TTIP which could significantly increase the EU’s energy security; highlights in this regard the importance of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency in increasing energy security;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Requests that the Commission ensure a policy of free trade with respect to fuels, including LNG and crude oil, whilst keeping in mind that the European Council has committed itself to reducing domestic greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 %, increasing the share of renewable energy to at least 27 % and increasing energy efficiency by at least 27 % by 2030, with a view to raising this target to 30 %;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph e
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph e
e. take immediate action to ensure that aggressive tax planning, and distortion of competition by e.g. moving of headquarters across the Atlantic to obtain competition-distorting conditions, are addressedcalls on the Commission to come forward with an anti-BEPS Directive (base erosion and profit shifting) to end harmful competition by businesses, in particular multinationals, who organise their global tax position, often across the Atlantic, in a way that allows profit shifting towards lower tax jurisdictions;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Stresses that free trade in energy must not increase nor prolong European dependence on fossil fuels; reiterates that energy efficiency should be "the first fuel";
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph f
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph f
f. take immediate action to ensure thatinclude legal measures within the TTIP to counter aggressive tax planning via the systematic movement of capital across the Atlantic, in order to avoid tax payments in the country of production and/or sale of goods or services, is addressed within the TTIP;
Amendment 86 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph h
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph h
h. take immediate proactive measures against American protectionism, and address legislation that hinders European market access to the United States, such as Buy American, Buy America, the Jones Act and the American Job Act;
Amendment 91 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Points to the huge differentialces between the USA and the EU in energy prices but alsoand in per capita CO2 emissions; calls on the Commission, therefore, to provide energy-intensive sectors in the EU, including the chemicals industry, with appropriate measures maintaining current tariff rates over the longest possible period after the entry into force of the TTIPensure that the TTIP does not lead to carbon leakage; believes that both US and EU companies should be assisted in transitioning towards a green growth business model based on resource efficiency and energy efficiency and that the TTIP should support such a transition;
Amendment 100 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph i
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph i
i. propose the introduction of a national court systems-first principle, to be supplemented with mediation and intergovernmental dispute mechanisms in legal disputes in order to ensure easier access and lower litigation costs than those offered by current ISDS- mechanisms, benefitting especially SMEs (having fewer resources available than large corporations), thus creating more equal competition condition; the principle is to use national courts when legally possible; should existing legal provisions and mechanisms not be equipped to handle these investment disputes or not allow for investment arbitration based on international trade agreements, a reformed investment dispute mechanism should be established to also replace the existing Bilateral Investment Treaties of Member States with the US; the mechanism must be a fully transparent mechanism based on principles set out in UNCITRAL; investment arbitration and or settlements in any form must not grant foreign investors better substantive treatment than domestic investors; legal disputes must be supplemented with mediation; the dispute mechanism used must facilitate access for SMEs by lowering litigation costs; stress that any and all dispute mechanisms set in place within the TTIP-framework must uphold full transparency and be subject to democratic principles and scrutiny;
Amendment 111 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph i a (new)
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph i a (new)
ia. call for clarification of formulations such as "fair and equitable treatment" and "legitimate expectations" of investors regarding the scope of protection standards in investment disputes;
Amendment 117 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph i b (new)
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph i b (new)
ib. stresses the importance of rule of law, transparency, accountability and the use of democratic institutions in any type of investment arbitration; emphasizes that the use of investment arbitration must not interfere with governments' right to regulate;
Amendment 126 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph j
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph j
j. acknowledge theand emphasize the continued importance of state- owned enterprises for certain crucial public services such as public transportation, health care and education;
Amendment 136 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph k
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph k
k. stress the need to uphold the EU’s member states' tradition for organising itstheir public services, and call for an exclusion of public services from the agreement; a joint declaration reflecting negotiators' clear commitment to exclude these sectors from the negotiations would be very helpful in this regard;
Amendment 142 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph l
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph l
Amendment 148 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Requests that the Commission facilitate more active participation of EU firms in US public procurement as this can contribute to stimulating private-sector innovation and to the emergence of new, high-growth innovative companies and sectors; underlines that also SMEs should be afforded access to public procurement tenders;
Amendment 150 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph l a (new)
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph l a (new)
la. workers' rights and protection should be fully respected in the agreement and not be undermined by increased market access and competition;
Amendment 157 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph l b (new)
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph l b (new)
lb. propose initiatives to ensure better market access for SMEs on how to obtain market access and initiate investments across the Atlantic;