32 Amendments of Jordi CAÑAS related to 2020/2023(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls the fundamental principle of protection of citizens’ rights; stresses, furthermore, that our aim should be to maintain the closest possible links between British and European citizens;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas an agreement with the UK must ensure a balance of rights and obligations, respect the full integrity and proper functioning of the EU’s internal market and customs union, and guarantee a level playing field for businesses as well as a high level of consumer protection;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union does not exempt the United Kingdom from its responsibilities to safeguard EU citizens’ rights as guaranteed by the EU- UK Withdrawal Agreement (‘the Agreement’); notes that the Agreement lays down provisions for safeguarding the status and rights stemming from Union law for EU and UK citizens and families affected; calls on the Commission to ensure that these provisions are included in the future partnership between the EU and the United Kingdom;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas the Union is the world’s leading commercial power and the biggest single market in the world, acting as a major driver of economic prosperity;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. calls on the Ombudsman to continue her work, which began at the time of the negotiations on the withdrawal agreement, to ensure that the negotiations concerning a future partnership between the EU and the United Kingdom are transparent;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers that the system proposed by the UK Home Office (‘the registration procedure’) for EU-27 nationals to apply for residence status is not as transparent and simple as it should be; considers that it creates unnecessary and unfair administrative burdens on citizens of the EU-27; considers that the system should be changed to an automatic registration procedure, which is the only way of reducing the administrative burden and of guaranteeing that EU citizens' status and rights are recognised;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes that the United Kingdom has decided that the principle of free movement of persons between the Union and the United Kingdom will no longer apply after the transition period; insists on the need for the future partnership to include ambitious provisions on the movement of persons, based on full reciprocity and non-discrimination among Member States; wishes to emphasise that rights with regard to the free movement of persons go hand in hand with the other three freedoms; reiterates the fact that access by the United Kingdom to the Single Market must be conditional on its compliance with the principle of free movement of persons;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that under no circumstance a third country can have the same rights or enjoy the same benefits as a Member State; stresses that the rights and privileges associated with the access to the internal market go hand in hand with strict obligations for full respect of and compliance with internal market rules; recalls, therefore, that a balanced, ambitious and wide-ranging free trade agreement can only be agreed if a level playing field is secured through stipulation, proper implementation and effective enforcement of robust commitments;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Considers that mobility agreements, including visa-free travel for short stays, should be based on non-discrimination between Member States of the Union and full reciprocity; considers, furthermore, that such agreements should include European acquis on mobility, specifically concerning workers and, in particular, the rules on the posting of workers and on the coordination of social security systems;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses that better regulation of the conditions of entry and residence for purposes such as research, study, training and youth exchanges should be taken into account; regrets, for this reason, the statements made by the British authorities that the United Kingdom wishes to pull out of mobility programmes such as Erasmus+; calls on the Commission to continue to allow the United Kingdom to participate in European programmes for the benefit of European and British citizens, fulfilling the necessary financial commitments in return.
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Underlines that dynamic regulatory alignment on the market surveillance of products and robust product standards should be an essential and irreplaceable part of any future agreement so as to ensure a level playing field for EU businesses and a high level of protection for EU consumers through effective market surveillance; underlines that a level playing field requires a horizontal mechanism, such as an overall governance framework covering all areas of cooperation, to ensure effective implementation, enforcement and dispute settlement through adequately resourced domestic authorities and effective administrative and judicial proceedings, and to provide the Union with adequate mechanisms to compensate for the UK’s possible non-compliance in every covered area;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recalls that in any event a new agreement will lead to customs checks and verification before goods enter the internal market and insists that safeguarding the compliance of goods with internal market rules is of the utmost importance; considers that operational procedures aimed at safeguarding the internal market for goods and the customs union must keep ‘red tape’ to a minimum, especially for SMEs; underlines that European SMEs must not be adversely affected by the agreement with the UK and calls for a stable, predictable and properly regulated environment in which to conduct their businesses and keep their competitiveness and market share, as well as growth, investment and job creation;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Welcomes and insists that the Commission continues its practice to provide timely information to the Parliament on the negotiations, in line with the information that is shared with the Member States;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. Strongly believes that transparency benefits the negotiation process and is also beneficial to citizens and businesses as it allows them to better prepare for the post-transition phase;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Stresses the importance of an overarching chapter on the needs and interests of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with regard to market access facilitation issues including, but not limited to, compatibility of technical standards, and streamlined customs procedures with the aim of preserving and generating concrete business opportunities and fostering their internationalisation; emphasizes the need to enhance the ability of SMEs to benefit from trade in the future EU-UK economic partnership, including through the sharing of information on laws, regulations, and customs; encourages the Parties to set up SME contact points;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses that ambitious arrangements should be included to facilitate electronic commerce and data flows, such as the alignment of rules with the General Data Protection Regulation, to address unjustified barriers to trade by electronic means, and to ensure an open, secure and trustworthy online environment for businesses and consumers;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses that ambitious arrangements should be included to facilitate electronic commerce and data flows, to address unjustified barriers to trade by electronic means, and to ensure an open, secure and trustworthy online environment for businesses and consumers, in conformity with EU rules on data protection;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Underlines that the covid-19 pandemic directly affects the negotiation process; recognizes the willingness by both parties to continue negotiations during the covid-19 pandemic through virtual means in order to limit the extent of the delay; acknowledges that negotiations through virtual means pose additional challenges; calls on the parties to hold face-to-face meetings once this is deemed safe;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses that the public procurement market should remain equally open on both sides, provided there is an effective level playing field covering every relevant aspect; regrets that the public procurement sector is not mentioned in the UK mandate for the negotiations and calls in this regard for the inclusion of additional rules and commitments that provide for the same level of access to procurement markets for both parties, which should be drawn up in full compliance with the EU acquis;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Strongly believes that the negative impact of the covid-19 pandemic on global trade and economic relations serves as an additional incentive to make substantial progress in the negotiations and work towards a comprehensive and ambitious partnership;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Underlines that the future agreement with the UK must preserve the current high levels of protection of intellectual property, with mechanisms for cooperation and exchange of information, and it must keep the same level of protection for the existing geographical indications as set out in the Withdrawal Agreement, as well as for the recognition of new ones, which are of great economic and cultural value to both parties to the Agreement;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. UPoints out that the large amount of non-tariff barriers, divergences in the level and quality of controls, and differences in customs procedures and sanctions policies at the EU’s points of entry into the Customs Union often result in distortion of trade flows and put at risk the integrity of the European single market; underlines the importance of preserving the integrity of the customs union and its procedures, which guarantee the safety of consumers and the economic interests of the EU and of EU undertakings; stresses the need for greater investment in customs controls facilities at common transit points;
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Insists that the Commission ensures that custom controls throughout the EU follow the same standards, by means of a direct unified customs control mechanism, in coordination with Member States and in full compliance with the principle of subsidiarity;
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Calls on the Parties to work towards simplification of their requirements and formalities for customs procedures in order to reduce the time and costs thereof for traders or operators, including small and medium-sized enterprises;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Emphasises the importance of making substantial progress on all topics in parallel, including on those that showed limited to no progress such as the level-playing field, governance, law enforcement as well as the timely conclusion of a fisheries agreement;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Insists that the European Parliament is regularly informed regarding the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Emphasises the need to proceed with the necessary measures for the introduction of customs procedures for goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain, as well as necessary sanitary and phytosanitary controls and other regulatory checks;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Takes note that the UK has chosen to establish its future economic and trade partnership with the EU on the basis of a ‘Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement’ as laid down in the UK’s Approach to Negotiations; emphasises that, while the European Parliament is supportive of the EU constructively negotiating a balanced, ambitious and comprehensive FTA with the UK, by its nature an FTA will never be equivalent to ‘frictionless’ trade; expresses concern at the intention of the UK government to move away from zero tariffs and zero quota and avoid any commitments on the level playing field; emphasizes, in this regard, that the agreement should ensure open and fair competition, and prevent distortions in trade and unfair competitive advantages; shares the Commission’s negotiating position whereby the scope and ambition of an FTA that the EU would agree to is conditional on the UK agreeing to provisions related to the level playing field, given the geographical proximity and integration of markets, as well as on the conclusion of an agreement on fisheries;
Amendment 178 #
(-i) a level playing field;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 – point ix
Paragraph 13 – point ix
(ix) an overarching chapter on the needs and interests of micro-enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with regard to market access facilitation issues including, but not limited to, compatibility of technical standards, and streamlined customs procedures with the aim of preserving and generating concrete business opportunities and fostering their internationalisation; noteregrets that the UK’s approach to the negotiations does not include specific provisions reflecting these objectives;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 – introductory part
Paragraph 16 – introductory part
16. Recalls its determination to prevent any kind of ‘dumping’ in the framework of the future EU-UK relationship; considerspoints out that a key outcome of the negotiations is to guarantee a level playing field through robust commitments and enforceable provisions on:
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 – point i
Paragraph 16 – point i
(i) competition and State aid, which should prevent undue distortion of trade and competition and include provisions on state-owned enterprises; regrets, with regard to State aid, that the UK approach does not reflect the same ambition and only covers subsidies;