Activities of Samira RAFAELA related to 2021/2178(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Future of EU-Africa trade relations (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the future of EU-Africa trade relations
Amendments (30)
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EU and Africa have an important and longstanding political, economic and cultural relationship; whereas the 6th Summit of the EU and the AU in 2022 led to an agreement on ‘A Joint Vision for 2030’, to drive our common priorities, shared values and international law, by preserving together our interests and common public goods, the security and prosperity of our citizens, the protection of human rights for all, gender equality and women’s empowerment in all spheres of life; whereas both Unions recognised the importance of food security and nutrition;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas strengthening the intra- continental trade in Africa is essential for its sustainable economic development; whereas the entry into force of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) gives new momentum to pan-African trade and investment opportunities; whereas the EU’s trade policy has an important role in strengthening EU-Africa, as well as intra- African trade;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas AfCFTA aims to be beyond a trade liberalising instrument an enabler of inclusive growth and sustainable development; whereas the AfCFTA can contribute to the advancement of women and youth-lead SMEs; whereas the effective implementation of the AfCFTA is essential for enhancing intra-African trade, notably through enhanced trade facilitation, removal of tariff and non- tariff barriers, and better customs procedures;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas Africa is a continent of hope and opportunity and perceived as such by a growing number of its young population; whereas empowering the economic position of women and youth in Africa contributes to both economic growth, and advancing their position in society;
Amendment 84 #
L. whereas the 6th EU-AU-Summit committed to engage constructively towards an agreement on a comprehensive WTO response to the pandemic, which includes trade-related as well as intellectual-property-related aspects; whereas the EU, the United States, India and South Africa, the ‘quad’, reached a compromise in the WTO to facilitate a waiver of certain Intellectual Property provisions, but a broader discussion in the WTO is yet to commence;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
O. whereas EU-Africa trade in agricultural products needs to be revised to advance sustainable agriculture on both continents;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O a (new)
Recital O a (new)
O a. whereas the war in Ukraine demonstrates the interconnectedness of food security and the global market, and the dependency of some African countries on food imports from a small number of exporting countries or regions; whereas an overdependence can leave countries vulnerable to external shocks;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Affirms that EU-Africa trade and investment relations form part of our joint endeavour to achieve the UN SDGs by 2030 and the objectives of the Paris Agreement; stresses that the modernisation of EU-AU trade and investment relations must adhere to the principle of policy coherence for development and contribute to the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic by means of, and to the green and digital transformation of the economies in both the EU and the AU, as well as among our global trading partners;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses the importance of creating a resilient, competitive and solid infrastructural and industrial basis in Africa, as laid down in the AU Agenda 2063, aiming at the development of resilient value chains and high added value processing of raw materials in Africa as a major avenue towards quality job creation;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines that the EU needs an entirely new foundation for itsmust engage in a renewed, mutually beneficial economic partnership with Africa, based on equal grounds and based on mutual respectity, mutual respect and understanding of the challenges African partners face in the context of trade and investment relations; underlines that the EU-Africa trade relationship should take into consideration commitments towards promoting human rights, good governance, the rule of law and ugenderstanding; equality; calls on the Commission to advance these elements within the context of EU-Africa trade relations;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Stresses that the European response to global vaccination efforts to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic lead to a disruption of EU-Africa relations; underlines that the outcomes of the 6th EU-AU summit must be a new starting point of advancing EU-Africa relations; calls on the Commission to structurally engage with African partners bilaterally, and through regional and multilateral engagement to advance EU-Africa relations; calls on the Commission to engage with the European Parliament on a discussion regarding the TRIPS waiver compromise negotiated by the ‘quad’ of the EU, the US, India and South Africa; calls on the Commission to remain flexible and pragmatic in the discussions in the WTO to reach a compromise on a targeted and temporary TRIPS waiver with other WTO members to move towards a conclusion and meaningful results on trade and health related aspects by MC12;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines the need for the further development of infrastructure that contributes to better interconnectedness of the African continent, most notably for rural areas; stresses that Global Gateway should contribute to the development of infrastructure to increase intra-African trade; Calls on the Commission to facilitate the development of regional value chains and better regional infrastructures in Africa;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Underlines that a rules-based multilateral trading system contributes to advancing economic growth in the EU, and on the African continent; Notes that the future of the international trading system depends on the revitalising of the WTO and finalising the Doha Round, on which African countries have placed their hopes;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Recalls the Parliament’s commitment to the European Green Deal and welcomes trade initiatives that contribute towards achieving its objectives, including but not limited to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, the legislative proposal on mandatory due diligence, and the proposal on deforestation-free products; insists that the Commission must carefully monitor the impact of these initiatives on EU- Africa trade and present accompanying measures to mitigate any short-term disruption; is convinced that in the long- term, these legislative initiatives will result in more resilient and sustainable global value chains, benefitting citizens and businesses in the EU and Africa;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses that the EU should deepen its economic and trade relations with Africa through investments and the creation of jobs; underlines the discrepancy of access to finance within African regions and countries due to various factors; underlines that the emphasis of investments should be placed on new infrastructures, such as digital and green infrastructures, and renewable energy production; Calls on the Commission to foster investment in the African continent through innovative financial instruments to increase capital flows and reduce risks; encourages the Commission to propose sustainable investment initiatives- as announced in its communication “Trade Policy Review - An Open, Sustainable and Assertive Trade Policy” - with African countries;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses that least developed countries (LDCs) have an interest in and are strong supporters of rules-based multilateral trading systems; is aware of the fact that special and differentiated treatment is a founding principle of the WTO; calls on the Commission to ensure that developing countries can fully exercise their rights under the WTO special and differential treatment provisions, most notably to ensure their food security; is of the opinion that an overdependence on a single country or geographic region for any given product can leave countries vulnerable to external shocks, which could have a hugely damaging impact on the food security of developing countries; believes therefore that the Commission should support our African partners in diversifying their trade flows, to increase their resilience;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that the trade partnership between the EU and Africa must prioritise quality nutrition self-sufficiency on both continents; stresses that the EU-Africa trade relationship must ensure adherence to the principles of sustainability and should never undermine food security, food safety and food quality nor drive deforestation, degradation of the environment and biodiversity; calls on the Commission to ensure investment facilities, such as Global Gateway and Global Europe, contribute to the development of a sustainable agricultural sector in Africa in line with the SDGs, and to support the implementation of the AfCFTA for intra-African agricultural trade; calls on the Commission to facilitate education and training to advance and promote sustainable agricultural practices in Africa and to advance existing initiatives in Africa;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Reiterates that the different EPAs should contribute to developing intra- African integration and to the development of a fair and sustainable trade model; stresses that EPAs should contribute to and promote sustainable development in line with the SDGs and Agenda 2030, foster intra-African trade flows, contribute to trade facilitation and the removal of unnecessary barriers to trade, market access for businesses, most notably SMEs, to the European and African market, promote public and private investments in Africa, and foster trade relations between the EU and Africa, taking into account the outcomes of the EU-AU summit; calls on the Commission in the revision of EPAs to address, mitigate and avoid any potential effect that could impair the objectives of the development of the intra-African market, in close cooperation with our African partners; calls on the Commission to ensure EPAs are a basis for the strengthening of economic relations between the parties in a mutually beneficial way, taking into account their respective levels of development; calls on the Commission to pay special attention to SMEs, and to support African SMEs who export to the EU with technical assistance;
Amendment 250 #
18. Is committed to strengthening fair and sustainable trade and investment relations between Europe and Africa as part of a wider advanced cooperation framework, including increased investments in research and development related to green goods and technologies; in this context, calls on the Commission to work with our African partners to advance fair and sustainable trade, notably through TSD chapters in EPAs, and to work with our partners in the upcoming TSD review;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Welcomes the reform of the GSP and its role in increasing trading opportunities for developing countries, advancing sustainable development and ensuring adherence to human rights, good governance and gender equality; underlines that the GSP has the potential for African countries to foster sustainable and resilient economic growth and interconnectedness in the global economy; stresses that countries benefitting from the GSP must adhere to international conventions, such as the Paris Agreement and ILO conventions; calls on the Commission to ensure GSP is complementary to other trade policy initiatives on the African continent;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Welcomes the agreement of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers on common rules of origin for the bloc for 87.7 % of goods or 3 800 tariff lines covered by AfCFTA; calls on the European Commission to harmonise the rules of origin in all the different EU agreements with regions and countries in Africa with the common AfCFTA rules; calls on the EU to engage with the AfCFTA Secretariat to advance capacity building and technical support for the implementation of the AfCFTA;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Appreciates the initiative by the Council and the Commission to organise the first Africa-Europe Week, which was held in February 2022 in Brussels; stresses that better European engagement with young Africans and the African diaspora in Europe can structurally improve the EU-Africa relationship on the long-term; calls on the Commission to organise the Africa-Europe week on an annual basis, and to include young people, especially women and girls, in discussions organised during the Africa-Europe Week;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Notes that transport networks are critical enablers of trade and prosperous economies; stresses the need to better connect African rural and urban areas to ensure greater interconnectedness within African countries, and on the African continent; Notes that a functioning transport network and investments in infrastructural projects can contribute to the development of African economies; calls on the Commission through its trade and investment instruments for Africa to facilitate public and private investment for African infrastructural projects;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Shares the long-term vision of creating a comprehensive EU-Africa continent-to-continent trade and cooperation agreement, building on the AfCFTA; underlines that a continent-to- continent trade and cooperation agreement must be preceded by the meaningful development of a robust and resilient intra-African market; Stresses in this regard the role of the EU’s trade policy engagement with Africa in the development of the intra-African market; calls on the Commission to regularly update the European Parliament on the long-term objective of a continent-to- continent trade and cooperation agreement, notably through the various policy instruments related to Africa;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls for the responsible and swift implementation of the commitments on trade and investment agreed at the 2022 EU-Africa Summit, and calls on the Commission to structurally report to the European Parliament on the implementation of the commitments on trade and investment in the relevant committees;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Notes that knowledge-sharing and skills development within Africa can contribute to the development of a sustainable trade relationship; underlines the possibilities digital infrastructure has in stimulating the African economy, as well as driving innovation on the continent; Calls for reinforced cooperation on EU-AU digital agendas based on the principles of democratic governance, effective regulatory mechanisms across the digital domain and global-to-local governance mechanisms for data and digital infrastructures that place people- centred development at the core;
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25 a. Underlines that human rights and gender equality must be at the centre of the reinforced cooperation between the EU and the AU, with a special focus on the impact of emerging and innovative technologies on human rights and the inclusion of women in the economy; Stresses the potential digital trade can have for advancing and improving trade facilitation in Africa, and calls on the Commission to advance digital capabilities in light of the implementation of EPAs, and the implementation of the AfCFTA; calls on the Commission to include the EU-AU digital agenda in the engagement with its global strategic partners;
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25 b. Underlines that effective engagement with civil society groups, businesses, most notably SMEs, and disadvantaged groups, such as women, are a vital element in advancing the EU’s equal partnership with Africa; stresses in this regard that the EU should further facilitate and include civil society dialogues in its trade relations with Africa to better understand the position of African interest groups, and their specific needs in trade relations with the EU; calls on the Commission to structurally advance its engagement with African civil society to advance inclusive engagement and economic growth across the continent;
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 c (new)
Paragraph 25 c (new)
25 c. Underlines the importance of including gender equality and gender mainstreaming in EU-Africa trade relations as an essential component to foster inclusive and sustainable growth; Stresses that trade and investment relations have the potential to promote gender equality, contribute to economic and social empowerment of women and to more equal, as well as resilient economies and societies; welcomes the Commission’s work on data collection and analysis to better understand the impact of trade policy on women; calls on the Commission to engage with African partners to promote gender equality and women empowerment in EU-Africa trade relations; calls on the Commission to gender mainstream EU-Africa trade and investment relations; Calls on the Commission to include standalone gender chapters in EPAs;