Activities of Karoline GRASWANDER-HAINZ related to 2017/2070(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Annual report on the implementation of the Common Commercial Policy (debate) DE
Amendments (48)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 3 February 2016 containing the European Parliament’s recommendations to the Commission on the negotiations for the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) (2015/2233(INI));
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 12 September 2017 on the impact of international Trade and the EU’s trade policies on global value chains (2016/2301(INI));
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the implementation and enforcement phase is of crucial and fundamental importance in ensuring that Union trade policy is effective;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the involvement of civil society and social partners in the implementation of trade agreements can benefit the legitimacy and effectiveness of the Common Commercial Policy;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the questions raised in public debate about the legitimacy and effectiveness of the Common Commercial Policy and the way it is implemented need to be answered clearly and precisely by the European Institutions;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the Union’s trade policy must be consistent with its other external and internal policies and the Union’s overarching principle of policy coherence for development;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Takes note of the growing might of Asia and of the USA’s gradual withdrawal on the trade front, as well as increasing domestic criticisms to the EU trade agenda, which were made evident by developments such as the decision of the ECJ to authorise a European Citizens’ Initiative against the TTIP negotiations, a referendum in the Netherlands which rejected the Ukraine-EU association agreement, or the referral of CETA to the ECJ by Belgium generating uncertainty for trade internationally; calls on the Commission to adapt its trade policy to address these developments at international level and to be more responsive;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights the growing importance of services, especially digital services, and of e-commerce in international trade, and underscores the need to strengthen the domestic and international rules governing these sectors, in particular with respect to data flows and labour rights so as to secure real benefits for European workers and consumers, improve European companies’ access to international markets and safeguard the observance of fundamental rights in the EU and throughout the world; insists that rules for cross-border data transfers must fully comply with the EU’s existing and future data protection and privacy rules; calls on the Commission to incorporate into the EU’s trade agreements a horizontal, unambiguous and legally binding provision, which fully maintains the right of a party to protect personal data and privacy, provided that such a right is not unjustifiably used to circumvent rules for cross-border data transfers for reasons other than the protection of personal data; stresses that any disciplines in this regard should be exempted from the scope of application of any chapter dealing with investment protection;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises that the United Kingdom’s departure from the EU will have consequences for internal and external trade; calls on the Commission to take immediate steps to anticipate the impact of Brexit on the Union’s trade policy so as to ensure continuity in its implementation; calls on the Commission to publish impact assessments of the various options envisioned for the future EU-UK relationship prior to the conclusion of the article 50 negotiations;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes note of Opinion 2/15 of the CJEU, of 16 May 2017, establishing that, apart from the question of portfolio investment and the arrangements for investor-state dispute settlement, the Free Trade Agreement with Singapore lies within the exclusive competence of the Union; asks the Commission and Member States to clarify at the earliest possible date itstheir decision on the structure of free trade agreements in the future, taking account of the limits of EU exclusive competence set by the Court ruling; points out that Parliament must be involved from the onset of all trade negotiations, prior to the adoption of negotiating guidelines and must be kept fully informed, in a timely manner, at all stages in the negotiation and implementation of trade agreements; demands that the necessary arrangements are made through an inter-institutional agreement to enhance the legitimacy and accountability of the EU’s CCP;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Deplores the failure to reach agreement at the WTO ministerial meeting in Buenos Aires; recalls its previous demands to the Commission to actively engage in framing the WTO agenda, in particular with respect to Corporate Social Responsibility and Trade and Sustainable Development; reiterates its support for the multilateral system and calls on the Union actively to advance proposals for updated, multilateral rules; welcomes the entry into force of the Trade Facilitation Agreement; considers it regrettable that certain multilateral agreements are not being observed and calls on the Commission to work harder, within the WTO, on the effective implementation of multilateral rules and agreements;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Is concerned at the stand-off in plurilateral negotiations on the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) and the Environmental Goods Agreement; asks the Union to take the initiative to get the negotiations moving again on the basis of the European Parliament’s position on TiSA;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Asks the Commission and Member States to update their negotiating mandates every five years to reflect the changing context and challenges, and to include review clauses in trade agreements to ensure that they are implemented as effectively as possible and that they are adaptable, provided that full parliamentary scrutiny and transparency are guaranteed;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the publication by the Commission of its recommendation for a Council decision authorising the opening of negotiations for a Convention establishing a multilateral court for the settlement of investment disputes (MIC); highlights the importance to the European economy of internal and external investment and the need to ensure that EU investors abroad are protected; asks the Commission to pursue its work on the new system for ruling on investment disputes, which must be based, inter alia, on a guarantee of states’ right to regulate and on transparency while points out that this can be normally achieved through the domestic legal systems of our trading partners when they respect the rule of law; also acknowledges that, while the MIC will benefit developing countries which have concluded old-fashioned BITs with ISDS, those countries will have to continue to strengthen their judiciary systems; asks the Commission to pursue its work on the new system for ruling on investment disputes, which must be based, inter alia, on a guarantee of states’ right to regulate and on transparency, and provide for an appeal mechanism, strict rules on conflict of interest, a code of conduct, sanctions in case of non-compliance and to explicitly allow for the possibility of counterclaims; this new system must address investors’ obligations, avoid regulatory chill, prevent frivolous litigation and guarantee judicial equality (with particular attention to micro- enterprises, SMEs and domestic investors), judicial independency, transparency and accountability and the possibility for other actors, such as civil society organisations and trade unions, to use the system if their rights are infringed by investors;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Expects a reinforced engagement of the EU and its Member States in deliberations within the UN regarding a Binding Treaty on Business and Human Rights;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Points out that, in the implementation of Union trade policy, special attention needs to be paid to agricultural products and to the interests of European producers and consumers, in particular in light of the cumulative impact of all FTAs on the sector; emphasises that trade agreements, and notably the agreement with Japan, can open up new business horizons for the agrifood sector; highlights the importance of striking the right balance between protecting sensitive agricultural products and advancing the Union’s offensive interests in relation to agrifood exports, with provision for, inter alia, transition periods and suitable quotas, and in certain cases for the exclusion of the most sensitive products; points out that it is essential to safeguard a robust system of health and plant-health rules while combating any form of discriminatory treatment in this area;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Points out that trade policy must be implemented in such a way as to help ensure that companies can compete fairly on a level playing field; welcomes the adoption of the new method for calculating anti-dumping duties in cases of distortion of competition in third countries; takes note of the interinstitutional agreement reached on the modernisation of trade defence instruments; highlights the importance of ensuring that these new instruments are implemented properly by intervening immediately to rectify any dysfunctions or abusesencourages the Commission to make the most of these reforms and use the new possibility they offer, in particular with respect to imposing duties above the injury margin; highlights the importance of ensuring that these new instruments are implemented properly by intervening immediately to rectify any dysfunctions or abuses; welcomes the Commission pro-active stance in the deployment of trade defence instruments in 2016, and calls for similar resolve and reactivity when these instruments are used unduly against EU exports by some of our trading partners, in particular the United States of America;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Considers it regrettable that the Commission report on the implementation of the trade policy strategy makes scarcely any mention of the task of coordination which needs to be undertaken with customs services; makes the point that trade policy must work to combat unlawful trading in order to keep EU companies competitive and to underpin consumer safety; also points to the important role of competition policy in this respect, and the need for bilateral and multilateral negotiations to this end;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Urges the Commission, in cases of dysfunction or hindrance or where a partner fails to observe a commitment, to make immediate use of the tools at its disposal, particularly through recourse to the disputes settlement procedure as well as the existing ad-hoc processes foreseen for Trade and Sustainable Development provisions in the Union’s FTAs;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls on the Commission to invest more human and financial resources in improvinge the way that trade policy is implemented, and asks that a special trade policy implementation monitoring unit be set up within the Commission;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Urges the Commission and Member States to do more, particularly through the use of IT, to eliminate all administrative obstacles and red tape, to simplify technicalsimplify technical and administrative procedures and to support companies taking steps to benefit from trade agreements and instruments;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Asks the Commission to conduct a study of the cumulative impact of trade agreements, sector by sector and country by country, as a contribution to the evaluation of our trade policy and with a view to anticipating and amending its effects;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Highlights the fact that certain sectors may experience economic difficulties which are trade related; calls on the Commission and Member States to develop effective support policies such as social flanking measures in order to maximise the benefits and minimise the potential negative effects of trade liberalisation, and to re- evaluate the EU’s trade strategy in this light; asks the Commission, in this context, to reinforce the effectiveness of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund and make it more pro-active, anticipating those cases where negative effects have to be accounted for instead of purely reactive;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Encourages the Commission to pursue and intensify its cooperation with international organisations and forums, including the G20, the United Nations, the OECD, the ILO and, the World Bank and the International Organisation for Standardisation, on the development of international standards, their implementation and the monitoring of trade; in particular with respect to its social and environmental impact;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Welcomes the publication by the Commission of the first report on implementation of FTAs; asks the Commission to continue publishing the report annually and to cover the topic in greater depth, including interpretations of data, placing in context the figures published and providing additional qualitative information; but regrets its many shortfalls, in particular the lack of qualitative analysis and concrete recommendations; notes that while the Commission is increasingly acknowledging the negative impact of trade liberalisation on certain sectors, the report is entirely biased towards presenting “success stories” and therefore fails at providing a balanced and comprehensive assessment of the implementation of the EU’s FTAs; asks the Commission to continue publishing the report annually and to cover the topic in greater depth, including interpretations of data, placing in context the figures published and providing additional qualitative information, most importantly on the implementation of the rule parts of FTAs such as TSD and Government Procurements, so as to make this report effective in guiding the EU institutions in the definition and conduct of the Union’s trade strategy;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Points out that various elements of information, as well as figures, are missing from the report; notes that, when it comes to quantitative analyses the implementation report fails to provide an economic assessment of: the impact on growth and jobs of all FTAs; the contribution of FTAs to the evolution of trade flows, compared to other factors such as internal demand in the EU partners’ domestic markets; the impact of trade and investment agreements on investment flows and Mode 3 trade in services; asks the Commission to work more closely with the Member States and partner countries in order to obtain more data and information on the implementation of the agreements;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Is concerned by the fact that European companies are making relatively poor use of trade preferences by comparison with companies in partner countries which can therefore be deemed to benefit more from the EU’s FTAs than the EU itself; asks the Commission to determine the causes of the imbalance as quickly as possible and to address them; calls on the Commission and Member States to move swiftly on developing measures to give economic operators more information about the trade preferences provided for in the FTAs; believes that detailed information, including at micro level, is required in order to properly assess the implementation of the EU’s FTA, and that the experience of companies failing to use the possibility offered by FTAs matters just as much as the experience of those companies benefiting from them;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Invites the Commission to take a diversified approach to the various sectors studied and to set out the consequences of the implementation of trade agreements for those sectors which are considered sensitive, including an analysis of the cumulative impact of all FTAs;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Welcomes the announced introduction of implementation roadmaps for all trade agreements, and asks the Commission to involve all the interested parties in preparing them including civil society and social partners; calls on the Commission to set out intended objectives as well as specific criteria on which to base a clear evaluation, such as the state of progress on the removal of non-tariff barriers, the rate of use of quotas, or the situation with regard to regulatory cooperation; asks that the state of progress with the roadmaps be published to coincide with publication of well as progress in terms of Trade and Sustainable Development ; expects the implementation roadmaps to be transmitted to Parliament in parallel to the saisines for concluded agreements so that they may be taken into account during the consent procedure and asks that the state of progress with the roadmaps be incorporated into the annual report on implementation of FTAs;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. CWelcomes the introduction of specific chapters dedicated to SMEs in FTAs currently in negotiation; calls on the Commission to evaluate the entire toolkit for SMEs, with a view to developing a more integrated overall approach and a real SME internationalisation strategy, supporting them in becoming exporters; encourages the Commission to promote this approach in international forums;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Points out that the Common Commercial Policy must contributes to the promotion of the values for which the Union stands, set out in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, and to the pursuit of the aims enumerated in Article 21, including the consolidation of democracy and the rule of law, respect for human rights, as well as fundamental rights and freedoms, equality, respect for human dignity and the protection of the environment and of social rights; believes that achieving these objectives requires resolute and sustained actions from the Commission, and a radical change in the way human rights and sustainable development are dealt with in FTA negotiations;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Calls on the Commission systematically to monitor the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), particularly the GSP+, and to continue publishing reports every two years; calls on the Commission to work harder with beneficiary countries, the EEAS, the Union delegations, international organisations, companies, the social partners and civil society in order to improve its information gathering and provide more in-depth analysis of the monitoring exercise so that the implementation of all aspects of the system can be clearly evaluated; stresses that the credibility and thus effectiveness of the GSP rests on the ability of the Commission to implement the provisions of the legislation in full in cases of failure to implement international labour or environmental conventions, including conducting formal investigations when required and removing or suspending preferences;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Points out that the new-generation agreements include human rights clauses and sustainable development chapters, to be implemented comprehensively in their entirety in order to safeguard and promote the observance of human rights, the Union’s values and high social and environmental standards; notes thetherefore calls for a timely implementation of existing TSD provisions; regrets the insufficient evaluation of the sustainable development chapters included in the Commission report on implementation of FTAs; asks the Commission to develop a precise and specific method of monitoring and evaluating the implementation of these chapters, given that such an evaluation cannot be made on the basis of quantitative data only; recalls in this context the important role of Domestic Advisory Groups and calls on the Commission for a more inclusive involvement of civil society in monitoring processes; underlines in particular the importance of civil society contributions regarding the negative consequences of Free Trade Agreements, especially when they concern developing countries or regions; also reiterates its call to strengthen the enforcement of TSD chapters, in particular through a greater involvement of social partners and civil society organisations, as well as the use of sanctions as a last resort in case of non- compliance; expresses in particular concern about the ineffective implementation of the TSD provisions in the case of the EU-Korea FTA;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Welcomes the review of the Aid for Trade strategy and supports the aim of capacity building for developing countries so that they can take greater advantage of the opportunities offered by EU trade agreements; emphasises, too, that the strategy must help to promote fair and ethical trade, and retain sufficiently asymmetrical liberalisation schedules to support economic development in the EU partner countries;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Reaffirms its support for the inclusion in all future trade agreements of ambitious provisions on combating corruption and protecting whistle-blower; welcomes the inclusion of anti- corruption provisions in the ongoing negotiations on updating the EU-Mexico FTAand EU-Chile Association Agreements; stresses that FTAs must address the fight against money laundering, tax fraud and evasion while remaining within the scope of the Union’s exclusive competence;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Welcomes the fact that gender equality has been taken into account in the Commission’s report on the implementation of its trade strategy; underscores the aim of ensuring that women benefit from trade to the same extent as men; stresses that this requires a proactive approach by the Commission, and as a first step the application of a gender mainstreaming strategy to trade policy;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Emphasises that the Common Commercial Policy must be implemented in such a way as to ensure that the global value chain is managed responsibly; asks the Commission to continue including and promoting corporate social responsibility as part of its trade policy; reiterate its demand to the Commission to include CSR in all trade agreements and to work on new provisions for greater enforcement; reasserts its support for international initiatives such as the Bangladesh Sustainability Compact, and asks the Commission to concentrate as of now on the implementation of that initiative;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46 a (new)
Paragraph 46 a (new)
46a. Recalls, however, that voluntary CSR may also lead to unfair competition for suppliers that have chosen to comply with international labour and environmental standards and is not sufficient per se to ensure that companies fully comply with international standards and obligations by implementing due diligence policy; reiterates its call for seeking ways to develop global value chains transparency strategies and rules, including the possible consideration of immediate action towards developing binding and enforceable rules, associated remedies and independent monitoring mechanisms involving the EU Institutions, Member States and civil society;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Repeats its call to the Commission to framtable a proposal for banning the importation of goods produced using child labour or any other form of forced labour or modern slavery;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)
Paragraph 47 a (new)
47a. Reiterates its call on the EU to work towards adequate and efficient solutions for the introduction of a transparent and functioning mandatory ‘social and environmental traceability’ labelling system along the entire production chain, in compliance with the WTO TBT Agreement, while in parallel promoting similar action at international level;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. Takes note of the Commission’s work on transparency; believes that achieving full transparency must become the top priority for the Commission; calls on the Commission and Member States to publish moreall of the relevant documents relating to the negotiation and implementation of agreements;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49
Paragraph 49
49. Calls on the Commission and Member States to develop a proper strategy for communication about trade policy and about each agreement, so that as much information as possible is transmitted and information is adapted for specific stakeholders, enabling them to benefit from the agreements; stresses that such a strategy must address the issue of availability of information prior to and during trade negotiations, and reiterates its call to the Commission to conduct extensive consultations with civil society and social partners and publish Sustainability Impact Assessments in a timely manner, i.e. in time for them to be used in the course of parliamentary debates; calls on the Commission and Member States to come up with measures for raising economic operators’ awareness about agreements concluded and for sustaining dialogue on a regular basis with professional associations, companies, social partners and civil society;
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. Welcomes the publication by the Council of the negotiating mandates for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and for the agreements with Japan, Chile and Tunisia, as well as the Commission’s publication of its draft negotiating mandates for agreements with Australia and New Zealand and for the creation of the MIC; calls on the Council and the Member States to publish all negotiating mandates, and on the Commission to publish all draft mandates for the opening of future negotiations; asks the Council and the Commission, when they are drafting and adopting negotiating mandates, to incorporate Parliament’s recommendations; supports the opening of negotiations for an inter-institutional agreement to lay out a formal process to that effect;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
51. Reiterates its request that Member States, Parliament, national parliaments, economic operators and representatives of civil society and social partners should be more closely involved in trade policy monitoring including on but not limited to TSD provisions; calls on the Commission to publish an action plan and details of the ‘Enhanced Partnership’ model for the implementation of trade agreements;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Asks the Commission to improve the quality of the impact studies carried out for each trade agreement and to include in them sectoral and geographical analysis; stresses that better and more timely communication about the information contained in ex ante and ex post impact studies on trade agreements is essential;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53
Paragraph 53
53. Welcomes the announcement that a consultative group is being set up to monitor trade policy; stresses the importance of establishing the new body rapidly and in a transparent, public and inclusive way; asks the Commission to publish the consultative group’s meeting and working documents on a regular basis; also calls on the Commission to define processes to ensure that issues raised by the consultative group are properly responded to and contributions are taken into account during negotiations;