55 Amendments of Stelios KOULOGLOU related to 2015/2317(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
– having regard to Article 21 of the Treaty of the European Union, which states that the Union's action on the international scene shall be guided by the principles which have inspired its own creation, development and enlargement, and which it seeks to advance in the wider world: democracy, the rule of law, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms, respect for human dignity, the principles of equality and solidarity, and respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law,
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
– having regard to the European Consensus on Development of December 2005,
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 b (new)
Citation 5 b (new)
– having regard to the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness outcome document of December 2011 on partnership for Effective Development Co-operation,
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that trade and finance is one of the five priority areas of policy coherence for development, a concept enshrined in article 208 TFEU; recalls that all EU external policies, including trade and investment, must be aligned with Article 21 of the TEU and must not undermine sustainable development goals, human rights and gender equality; recalls the principles mentioned in article 24, paragraph 2 of the Council Regulation No 260/2009;
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas 1.5 billion people are still living in poverty with deprivation in health, education and living standards; whereas most of them are women;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the EU has a direct and historical responsibility in its dealings with partner countries;
Amendment 10 #
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 systems; urges the EU to work towards the reinforcement of international fiscal cooperation, supporting the establishment of a new intergovernmental body under the auspices of the UN on international cooperation on tax matters and provide the resources necessary to allow the body to operate effectively;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Considers PCD as a key element of the EU´s responsibility for delivering and achieving the SDGs;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Recalls that fair and properly regulated trade if aligned with SDGs could have potentialities for development; calls the Commission to strengthen the binding enforceability of SDGs and include comprehensive sustainable development chapters in all trade agreements;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Notes that Brazil has introduced in the WTO working group on Trade, Debt and Finance a demand to deal with the effects of persistent currency exchange rate misalignments and the impact on the level of protection of ad valorem duties;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Points to the fact that only 8% of the impact assessments of Commission proposals that could affect developing countries address the potential impact on these countries;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Calls on the Commission to develop a binding complaint mechanism as a basis for sanctions to channel the voices of those whose human rights are jeopardised by EU trade policies, and which will form an essential element of the EU's role in the implementation of the sustainable development goals;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission to take measures to prevent the potential negative effects of mega trade deals, such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), on developing countries; urges, in this regard to revise EPA´s and EGA´s ensuring they are negotiated in a balanced manner and taking into account the views and concerns of CSOs and trade unions, from both the EU and the partner country;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Urges the Commission to step up efforts to advance in democratic multilateral fora on trade issues in where all countries are represented on equal footing and to position itself as the defender of the interest of developing countries on trade issues;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Welcomes the progress made since the establishment of the Bangladesh Sustainability Compact and calls the EC to expand binding frameworks to other sectors; urges, in this regard, the EC to enhance corporate social responsibility and due diligence initiatives that complement the existing EU timber regulation, on the proposed EU regulation on conflict minerals, for other sectors; thereby ensuring the EU and its traders and operators live up to the obligation to respect human rights and the highest social and environmental standards;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Calls for EU Aid for Trade and technical assistance to have an aim to empower poor producers, micro and small enterprises, women equality and women empowerment and cooperatives in order to boost their benefits from trading in local and regional markets;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to safeguard the right of countries to regulate and preserve policy space in order to develop infant industries; urges the Commission to ensure that trade agreements and policies do not undermine developing countries’ strategic economic sectors and do not challenge partner countries efforts to increase the domestic value added in order to upgrade along the global value chains;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Recalls that EU investment policy, especially when involving public money, must contribute to the realisation of the SDGs; recalls the need to enhance transparency and accountability of development finance institutions (DFIs), and public-private partnerships (PPPs) to effectively track and monitor the money flows, debt sustainability and the added value for sustainable development of their projects;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Acknowledges that the EU is facing its biggest refugee crisis since World War II; stresses that strengthening the link between migration and development policies is essential to address the root causes of this phenomenon; welcomes the adoption of the European Agenda on Migration, which develops a comprehensive response to the crisis (COM(2015)0240); stresses that any common migration policy needs to put its foremost focus on legal routes to Europe and on the reception of migrants;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses the importance of participation through broad and transparent consultations of civil society organisations and trade unions, both from the European Union member states and from third countries, in the negotiation, implementation and monitoring of EU trade and investment agreements and policies;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Recalls that the current migration crisis is partly a consequence of EU external action which has impoverished people and increased insecurity;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. In order to enhance coherence between migration and development policies, calls the European Union and its Member States not to report refugee cost as ODA as doing so has a huge opportunity cost at the expense of development programmes which effectively tackle root causes of migration;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. CPoints to the fact that only 8% of the impact assessments of Commission proposals that could affect developing countries address the potential impact on these countries; calls on the Commission to develop a complaint mechanism as a basis for sanctions to channel the voices of those whose human rights are jeopardised by EU trade policies stakeholders and which will form an essential element of the EU’s role in the implementation of the sustainable development goals;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Highlights the positive contribution of migrants to the development of their countries of origin and calls for more effective and innovative cooperation in migration policy between origin and destination countries; draws attention to the significant and growing financial flows represented by remittances; calls for further efforts to bring down transfer costs, as remittances are an important source of financing for development;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Underlines that the EU and its Member States remain the most important Aid for Trade donor in the world (EUR 11.7 billion in 2013 - SWD(2015)0128); suggests that EU Aid for Trade and technical assistance must aim to empower poor producers, micro and small enterprises, women's equality and empowerment and cooperatives in order to boost the benefits of trading in local and regional markets; welcomes the Commission’s aims to make trade agreements development-friendly, while recognising that Official Development Assistance (ODA) is a key source of financing for sustainable development, if mobilised efficiently;
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the EU and its Member States to follow UNCTAD´s Comprehensive Investment Policy Framework for Sustainable Development recommendations to stimulate more responsible, transparent and accountable investments and 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 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Recalls that trade liberalisation is not, per se, positive for poverty eradication because it can have negative effects on sustainable development;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Stresses that the potential benefits of trade, in order to contribute to poverty reduction, must be accompanied by a distribution of positive impacts and the redistribution of wealth through fair and progressive tax systems;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Paragraph 14 c (new)
14c. Recalls that fair and properly regulated trade respects the needs of the developing countries, and if aligned with SDGs can have potentialities for development;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 d (new)
Paragraph 14 d (new)
14d. Calls the Commission to strengthen the binding enforceability of SDGs and include comprehensive development chapters in all trade and investment agreements;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 e (new)
Paragraph 14 e (new)
14e. Welcomes the progress made since the establishment of the Bangladesh Sustainability Compact and calls the EC to expand binding frameworks to other sectors; urges, in this regard, the EC to extend corporate social responsibility and due diligence initiatives that complement the existing EU timber regulation, on the proposed EU regulation on conflict minerals, to other sectors, thereby ensuring that the EU and its traders and operators live up to the obligation to respect human rights and the highest social and environmental standards;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 f (new)
Paragraph 14 f (new)
14f. 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 DFIs in order effectively to track and monitor the flows, debt sustainability and the added value for their projects of sustainable development;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 g (new)
Paragraph 14 g (new)
14g. Recalls ODA´s unique role in achieving effective development results; calls for the development focus and nature of ODA, including a transparent and accountable reporting system, to be protected; recalls that untying aid is a necessary condition to opening up opportunities for developing country socio-economic actors, such as local firms or technical assistance experts, and calls for boosting the use of developing country procurement systems as the first option for aid programmes in support of activities managed by the public sector to enhance the local private sector;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 h (new)
Paragraph 14 h (new)
14h. Urges the EU and its Member States to re-commit without delay or negotiation to the 0.7 % of GNI target and set binding timeframes to achieve this historic commitment; calls for achieving the OEDC DAC recommendation of reaching an average grant element in total ODA of 86%;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Recalls, however, that aid alone is not sufficient; believes that innovative and diversified sources of financing must be considered and be always aligned with development effectiveness principles and that coherence should be strengthened between public, private, international and domestic financing; recognises the essential role of the local private sector, when properly regulated, in this regard;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Calls on the EU to set up a mandatory and enforceable regulatory framework to govern the way corporations comply with human rights and obligations with respect to social and environmental standards; regrets that current human rights clauses in free trade agreements and other economic partnership agreements are usually not respected; reiterates its call for the European Commission to be more committed to promoting binding and non-negotiable human rights and social and environmental clauses in the negotiation of international agreements;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. Considers it regrettable that a regulatory framework on the way corporations comply with human rights and obligations with respect to social and environmental standards is still lacking, which allow certain states and companies to circumvent them with impunity; calls for the EU and Member States to engage actively in the work of the UN's Human Rights Council and of UNEP on an international treaty to hold transnational corporations accountable for human rights abuses and violations of environmental standards;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Calls for the EU and its Member States to take effective actions actively to crack down on tax havens, tax evasion and illicit financial flows; supports the setting-up of an intergovernmental body for tax cooperation under the auspices of the UN with the effective participation of developing countries, rather than seeing OECD as the only relevant forum, and calls for the provision of the necessary resources to allow the body to operate effectively;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Calls on the European Union and its Member States to promote binding measures to ensure that multinational corporations pay taxes in the countries in which value is extracted or created and to promote compulsory country-by-country reporting by the private sector, thus enhancing the domestic resource mobilisation capacities of countries; calls for spill-over analysis to study possible profit-shifting practices;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Stresses the need for EU trade and development policy to respect the political and economic policy space of developing countries in order for them to establish the necessary policies to promote sustainable development and dignity for their people;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 d (new)
Paragraph 16 d (new)
16d. Calls for a human needs-based approach to debt sustainability through a binding set of standards to define responsible lending and borrowing, debt audits and a fair debt workout mechanism, which should assess the legitimacy and the sustainability of countries' debt burdens and the possible cancellation of unsustainable and unjust debt;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 e (new)
Paragraph 16 e (new)
16e. Asks the EU to engage constructively in the UN negotiations on a multilateral legal framework for sovereign debt restructuring with a view to alleviating debt burdens and avoiding unsustainable debt;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses that achieving global food sovereignty and nutrition security will require PCD at all levels, particularly if the more ambitious targets of Agenda 2030, namely to fully eradicate hunger and end all forms of malnutrition, are to be met;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on the EU to evaluate systematically the impact of EU agricultural, trade and energy policies – such as biofuel policy – on food security in the developing world; urges the Commission to continue to concentrate on cooperatives, micro, small- and medium- scale farming, and to promote sustainable and agro-ecological practices; stresses that substantive issues of policy coherence and impact need to be addressed in the ongoing monitoring of the EU’s Food Security Policy Framework (COM(2010)0127);
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Underlines that climate change poses a major threat to poor and least developed countries (LDCs); stresses that failure to limit global warming to below 2°C may undermine development gains such as poverty eradication, inequality reductions and sustainability;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Recognises that private finance in the context of climate finance cannot replace public finance; emphasises the need for transparent reporting and accountability and to ensure the implementation of relevant social and environmental safeguards regarding private climate finance, and calls for a framework in which any infringement has to be prosecuted, without accepting impunity;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)
Paragraph 19 c (new)
19c. Calls on the EU to assume a pro- active role in addressing the global climate crisis by establishing climate challenges as strategic priorities at all levels and across all sectors in domestic and external policies and actions;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7 a (new)
Subheading 7 a (new)
Gender
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 d (new)
Paragraph 19 d (new)
19d. Calls for women to be recognised as development actors and enablers, therefore, insists on the need to adopt gender budgeting principles and methodologies, in order to address the different needs and interests of women and men so gender equality and women's empowerment is boosted;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 e (new)
Paragraph 19 e (new)
19e. Calls on the EU to effectively mainstream gender equality and women's empowerment through all its policies, in order to guarantee women's rights, including their right to free and safe abortion;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 f (new)
Paragraph 19 f (new)
19f. Calls on the EU to promote the equality of LGTBi people and combat their discrimination worldwide through all EU external policies;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 g (new)
Paragraph 19 g (new)
19g. Notes that the majority of people living in poverty are women; recalls that international trade agreements should not undermine poor people's livelihoods and should instead support the gender equality agenda;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Recognises that there can be no sustainable development or poverty eradication without securitypeace; recognises, moreover, that the security-development nexus is an important element in ensuring the effectiveness of EU external action which can only be achieved through civilian means; stresses that political, humanitarian and development policy efforts shall only be supported by civilian means;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls on the EU to strengthen its capacities for crisis prevention and to reinforce the synergies between the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and development instruments, finding a balance between short-term responses to crises and longer-term development strategies; suggests that creating a new instrument dedicated to the development-security nexus might limit incoherencies and increase the efficiency of PCDRejects security policy decisions that are motivated by the geopolitical interest of the EU and its Member States;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22