16 Amendments of Maria ARENA related to 2018/2010(INI)
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the implementation of trade agreements, including their social and environmental impact, is a key pillar of the monitoring activity of the European Parliament;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that the strategic values of the Agreement extend beyond the sphere of trade as it provides a solid foundation for a deeper relationship, with a long-term engagecommitment to human rights, social rights, the rights of indigenous peoples and peasant farmers and the environment, and contributes to the establishment of a strategic partnership between the EU and Latin America;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is of the opinion that the Agreement is an opportunity to foster the peace agreement in Colombiaand the accompanying Roadmap are tools to support and foster the peace agreement in Colombia and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the factNotes that the Agreement opens new markets for, inter alia, goods, services, government procurement and investment, therebyintended to creatinge new employment opportunities and to contributinge to improved working conditions and living standards by liberalising and exp; notes that liberalisation of trade and investment must go hand ing trade and investment hand with businesses and investors complying with social and environmental standards;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Takes note that trade between the EU, Colombia and Peru has declined since the Agreement entered into force; is, however, of the opinion that the Agreement has partially offset negative trends in terms of international trade flows, declining commodity prices and the economic slowdown in Latin Americanotes that, according to Eurostat data, Colombian exports to the EU fell by 38% between 2012 and 2016, from EUR 8.6 billion to EUR 5.36 billion, while imports were rising until 2015, from EUR 5.5 billion to EUR 6.5 billion, before falling back to EUR 5.44 billion in 2016, and that since the entry into force of the Agreement, the country’s trade balance has gone from strongly positive to negative; notes also that Peru has experienced a similar, but less pronounced, development, with its exports to the EU falling from EUR 6.3 billion to EUR 5.1 billion since 2012 (down 20% in EUR but 35% in USD), while imports rose slightly from EUR 3.5 billion to EUR 3.6 billion, and thas had a stabilising effect; t its trade balance remained positive, although the surplus has almost halved since the Agreement entered into force;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Points out that while the Agreement has been able to contributed to the modernisation and diversification of exports from Colombia and Peru and that it has had a positive impact on Colombian and Peruvian SME, with a positive impact on Colombian and Peruvian SMEs, nevertheless raw materials – mainly mining resources and palm oil – remain the main exports from these two countries, making up 70% of exports by volume; notes that Colombian palm oil exports to the EU have increased dramatically, rising from USD 80 million to USD 156 million between 2012 and 2015, and that these raw material exports are having a devastating impact on the environment and on human rights, including land grabbing, soil depletion and water pollution, as well as crime, including the murder of peasant leaders and trade union leaders;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the factNotes that EU exports of agricultural products to both countries have increased significantly since the provisional application of the Agreement;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 – point c a (new)
Paragraph 13 – point c a (new)
(ca) effective implementation of commitments on social and environmental matters,
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. NotesIs extremely concerned that both countries have raised specific concerns about their ability to meet certain food safety standards required for the EU market, in particular as regards recent EU legislative proposals on cadmium levels in cacao, endocrine disruptors, novel foods, and palm oil, which risk having a social impact in some of the countries’ poorest areas, where such production tends to be concentrated; calls on the Commission to consider accompanying and support measures to help local producers meet European health requirements, in line with the precautionary principle;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Expresses its concerns at the fact that 40% of the cocaine imported into Europe is of Colombian origin, generating profits of USD 7.1 billion, which is more than Colombia’s official exports, and that the Agreement does not include any tangible measures to combat money laundering, with Article 155 only committing the parties to make their ‘best endeavours’ in this regard; calls on the parties to commit to supplementing the Agreement with a binding chapter, with sanctions, on the issues of money laundering and tax evasion, ensuring that information is systematically exchanged in order to combat all forms of crime effectively;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Acknowledges that an agreement concluded in 2017 between the Colombian Government and the public sector trade unions brought about improvements for more than one million workers, but condemns the fact that Colombia still remains the country with the largest number of murders of trade union leaders in the world and that the rate of killings of social and ethnic leaders and human rights defenders remains high after the signing of the peace agreement; expresses its concern that these crimes go largely unpunished;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Is of the opinion that dialogue between representatives of EU, Colombian and Peruvian civil society on the TSD provisions of the Agreement is a useful but insufficient means tof identifying outstanding problems and encouraginge governments to make further progress with a view to complying with important international social, labour and environmental standards; is of the opinion that a binding sustainable development chapter with sanctions would be more effective in tackling abuse of social and environmental rights;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Stresses, therefore, the need for transparent and inclusive consultation mechanisms to ensure thatcourage Colombia and Peru to abide by recognised labour and environmental protection standards;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. WelcomNotes the decision of Colombia to create a consultation group independent of the government; calls on Peru to establish a similarly independent domestic advisory group;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the Commission to continue to implement fully the 15-point plan to make TSD chapters more effectiveand to propose more effective mechanisms on respect for social and environmental rights, in particular by including a dispute settlement mechanism with the possibility of sanctions as a last resort;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Recalls that legislative changes that could lead to a lowering of the level of environmental protection with the aim of promoting foreign direct investment is not in compliance with the Agreement; calls for better monitoring of EU undertakings involved in projects which do not comply with social and environmental standards, and for the establishment of binding, transparent complaint mechanisms with the possibility of imposing sanctions;