11 Amendments of Andreas SCHWAB related to 2013/2093(INI)
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas unfair trading practices (UTPs) continue to exist and negatively affect, in particular, farmers and small producing companie the entire supply chain, including farmers and SMEs;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the Commission's intention to create a permanent Group on Retail Competitiveness, but emphasises the importance of balanced representation, including of both big and small retailers, co-operatives and consumer, environmental and social interests; calls on the Commission to take a holistic approach to retail, avoiding duplication and extra bureaucracy, and to ensure coherence and close coordination with other existing fora, such as the yearly Retail Market Roundtable;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Supports the Retail Market Roundtable, organised by its Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, as the institutional forum to keep the retail high on the EU political agenda, to review progress in the implementation of relevant aspects of the Retail Action Plan, to report on the work of the permanent Group on Retail Competitiveness and to update on progress made in other existing platforms and informal dialogue mechanisms; asks the permanent Group on Retail Competitiveness to work closely with the European Parliament to prepare the yearly Retail Market Roundtable;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Urges Member States not to take discriminatory measures in the context of austerity policies that undermine consumer confidence and directly harm the interests of the retail sector, such as increasing VAT or raising charges for shops; is concerned in particular about certain national trade and tax laws, affecting certain sectors or business models and distorting competition, which de facto have a discriminatory effect against foreign EU retailers; calls on the Commission to act more firmly to ensure full implementation of internal market legislation and competition law, including through speeding up infringement procedures with a fast-track approach;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission and Member States to give the highest political prominence to the retail sector as a pillar of the Single Market, including the Digital Single Market, and to lift regulatory and practical obstacles making it difficult for retailers to fully benefit from the internal market; also calls on the Commission, with the aim of ensuring better governance, to operate a zero-tolerance policy towards those Member States which fail properly to apply internal market rules and to do so, where appropriate, by means of infringement proceedings;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Asks Member States to transpose internal market rules in a coherent and consistent way and to ensure effective mutual recognition of goods and services, remove overlaps and reduce administrative burdens and regulatory barriers that may limit growth and job creation; urges Member States to fully and correctly implement the internal market rules and legislation, notably the Goods Package, the Services Directive, the Late Payments Directive, the E- Commerce Directive, the Small Business Act and the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Encourages business federations and consumer associations to provide more information, training and legal advice to stakeholders on their rights and the problem-solving instruments at their disposal, such as SOLVIT, and to support the exchange of best practice among themselves;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Emphasises that e-commerce is important to ensure consumer choice and access to goods and services, in particular in remote areas; stresses that appropriate action must be taken to develop its full potential, including improving access to the Internet in the European Union's most remote areas; supports the measures called for in the Commission's communication on e-commerce from 2012 to enhance confidence, simplify registration of domains across borders, improve secure online payments and delivery services, facilitate cross-border debt recovery and improve information to consumers on their rights, particularly concerning withdrawals and opportunities to appeal;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Expresses its concern about the erosion of the rights of franchisees versus the franchising company and calls for transparent and fair contracts; in particular, draws the attention of the Commission and Member States to problems faced by franchisees who want to sell their business or change their business formula, whilst remaining active in the same sector; requests the Commission to examine the ban on price-fixing mechanisms in franchise systems and the effects of long- term competition clauses, purchase options and the prohibition of multi-franchising and to reconsider in this respect the current exemption from competition rules for contracting parties having a market share of less than 30%;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Considers that it is often difficult for weaker market parties to complain about UTPs and emphasises the important role of associations of enterprises which should be able to submit such complaints on their behalf, while ensuring confidentiality, to an ombudsman or adjudicator who should have the power to take ex officio action in the case of information about certain worrying trendsweaker market parties often regard it as difficult to complain about UTPs; calls on the Commission also to investigate the possibility of proposing the installation and defining the responsibilities of an ombudsman or adjudicator under the voluntary initiative;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on the Commission to propose EU legislation aimed at prohibiting below- cost selling in the foodretail sector and to provide a definition of ‘economic dependency’ which should make both Member States and the business community more vigilant in respect of UTPs;