Activities of Christofer FJELLNER related to 2017/2070(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Annual report on the implementation of the Common Commercial Policy (debate) SV
Amendments (22)
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Points out that the international context has changed profoundly since the Trade for All strategy was published and that new trade challenges now need to be addressed; is concerned to see the rise of protectionist practices being pursuearound the World and reiterates its support for an open, balanced and rules- based trade system;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Takes note of the growing mightimportance of Asia and of the USA’s gradual withdrawal on the trade front, generating uncertainty for trade internationally; calls on the Commission to adapt its trade policy to address developments at international level and to be more responsive;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights the growing importance of services, especiallyincluding the servification of trade in goods (Mode 5) and digital services, and of e-commerce in international trade, and underscores the need to strengthen the international rules governing these sectors so as to secure real benefits for European consumers, improve European companies’ access to international markets and safeguard the observance of fundamental rights throughout the world;
Amendment 56 #
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 including finding a solution of common commitments in the WTO;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes note ofWelcomes the clarity given by 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 to clarify at the earliest possible date its 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; takes the view that current and future mandates should be adapted to clearly distinguish between agreements on trade and the liberalisation of foreign direct investment (FDI), only containing issues under EU exclusive competence, and agreements on investment protection, including on FDI and non-direct investment, points out that Parliament must be involved and must be kept fully informed, in a timely manner, at all stages in the negotiation and implementation of trade agreements;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Deplores the failure to reach agreement at the WTO ministerial meeting in Buenos Aires; 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; reiterates its concern over US blockages of new appointments to the WTO appellate body; stresses the importance of a well-functioning dispute settlement system at the WTO;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Points outWelcomes the provisional entry into force of that the free trade agreements with Canada and Ecuador have entered into force provisionally and that those, the EPA with the SADC countries, the interim EPAs with Ghana and the Ivory Coast, and the DCFTA provisions in the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and the conclusion of negotiations with Vietnam and Japan have been concluded since the Trade for All strategy was publishedcation;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Emphasises that the agreements concluded and the Union’s ongoing and forthcoming bilateral negotiations represent opportunities for market access and the lifting of trade barriers; istressues a reminder that priority must be given to the substance of the negotiations rather than theirthe importance of striking the right balance between substance and pace, and that the aims of reciprocity and mutual benefit must be guiding threads, that EU rules and standards cannot be watered down, and that public services including services of general interest, as well as audiovisual services,provided in the exercise of governmental authority must be excluded;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Stresses its concerns over the slow pace of the Union's trade negotiations at multilateral, plurilateral and bilateral level; highlights the need of reciprocal flexibility in this regard, especially during "windows of opportunity" when political engagement of the Union's negotiating partners is higher; asks the Commission to continuously engage with stakeholders to assess its priorities in on-going negotiations; takes the view that mandates for trade agreements should not be overloaded with provisions making negotiations unnecessarily hard to conclude;
Amendment 95 #
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 in the public interest and in a non- discriminatory and proportionate manner, and on transparency;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Urges that an updated and easily applicaNotes with concern that the reform of rules of origin announced in the Trade for All strategy has not been implemented; reiterates its calls for simplified and flexible rules- of- origin system be developed; considers it regrettable that no progress has been made on negotiating the Regional Convention on pan-Euro- Mediterranean rules of origin; reiterates its call to the Commission to draw up a report on the state of play with regard to rules of origin;
Amendment 108 #
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; emphasises that trade agreements, and notably the agreement with Japan, can open up new business horizons for the agrifood sector; notes that the Union is the largest exporter of agrifood products in the World; 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 for 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 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3
Subheading 3
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Welcomes the multipleTakes note of references to the principle of reciprocity in the report on implementation of the Union trade strategy; reiterates that reciprocity must be a pillar of Union trade policy; emphasises the importance for the Union of having an international instrument on public procurement, and deplores the fact that the relevant proposaltakes note of the fact that the proposal on international instrument on public procurement has been held up in the Council; takes the view that the Commission proposal on the monitoring of foreign investment could make for greater reciprocity should ensure continued openness to foreign direct investment while protecting the area of access to marketsecurity and public order of the Union and the Member States;
Amendment 119 #
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 dysfunct, proportionally and in full compliance with WTO law and the Union's or abusether legal obligations;
Amendment 145 #
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 iof the relatively poor use of trade preferences in the Union's FTAs, in particular of the fact that European exporters use them to a lesser degree than partner countries' exporters; asks the Commission to determine the causes of the imbalance as quickly as possible and to address them; highlights the complexity of rules of origin and administrative costs of complying with them in this regard; 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;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7
Subheading 7
The importance of public procurement market access and of the protection of geographical indications
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Points out that the Union’s public procurement markets are the most open in the world; is concerned at certain partners’ non-compliance with provisions on public- procurement market access, to the detriment of EU companies; asks the Commission to work to secure greater access to third countries’ public procurement markets and to consider, as part of a range of measures, the introduction of rules along the lines of a ‘Buy European Act’, directed at third countries which give domestic companies priority access to their publicwhile not closing access to EU procurement markets or fragmenting the single market in procurement markets;
Amendment 168 #
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, Member States' diplomatic missions, 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;
Amendment 170 #
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 the evaluation of the sustainable development chapters included in the Commission report on implementation of FTAs; welcomes the Commission's non-paper on TSD chapters; 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;
Amendment 192 #
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 while not undermining the Union's negotiating position; asks the Council and the Commission, when they are drafting and adopting negotiating mandates, to incorporate Parliament’s recommendations;