Activities of Gabriele ZIMMER related to 2010/2205(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the external dimension of social policy, promoting labour and social standards and European corporate social responsibility PDF (257 KB) DOC (182 KB)
Amendments (17)
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the universality and indivisibility of human rights and the associated protection of workers’ rights mean that businesses must respect, comply with and protect them without exception or restriction, and that ways must also be found of bringing prosecutions for violations of human rights in the country of origin of a business, punishing the perpetrators and compensating the victims,
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas democracy and the rule of law require strong and free trade unions, workers’ associations and social movements, and whereas these can only exist in a democratic community where the separation of powers prevails,
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas for reasons of short-term investment security and on account of other external economic interests, the EU, its Member States and many businesses cooperate with various dictatorships where the absence of labour protection and social rights increases profits for international enterprises, including some from the EU,
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
Gb. whereas free trade agreements with partner countries whose degree of economic development is falling far behind that of some EU Member States exert strong pressure on the rights of employees, with the result that systematic and massive violations of these rights frequently occur,
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas there are strong voices statingnumerous specific and demonstrable examples to show that corporate social responsibility (CSR) codes do not sufficiently guarantee that actions and behaviour of multinational companies are in accordance with the non- binding CSR documents,
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas the adoption of a directive regulating CSR in a binding manner and enforcing its respect should become a reality at EU level, making provision for penalties (e.g. withdrawal of subsidies and research funding, prosecution and fines),
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas globalisation facilitates the free movement of enterprises, notably of multinational companies, between Member States and even to partner countries, but labour migration continues to be limited by considerations of economic utility detrimental to human dignity, people are forced into an illegal status and thousands of people die at the EU’s external borders, with police and military resources being deployed to keep migrants out at the EU’s external borders as well,
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas unconditional respect for the right of association and effective collective bargaining should be recalled and should become a precondition for any international economic cooperation,
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that the EU and its Member States should aims to become the leading entity in the world regarding social policy by promoting social objectives globally rather than acting to the detriment of these objectives by continuing to impose free trade agreements, guarantee its access to raw materials in third countries by all possible means, tolerate food speculation and pursue a course of social dismantling by means of cuts in public expenditure, combined with an aggressive global competition policy; emphasises the important role of the European Parliament originating from the Lisbon Treaty, which did not sufficiently strengthens its influence significantly;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Points to the practices in certain Member States that are incompatible with the core ILO conventions, especially regarding the creation of barriers against freedom of association and collective bargaining, either through the encouragement of bogus self-employment and temporary employment or by forcing individuals to renounce collective agreements;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Emphasises that the European social model should offers equal opportunities in education and the labour market as well as equal access to social services as major pillars of economic success, which is incompatible with the massive dismantling of social welfare standards in most Member States, promoted by internal European and global competition between locations of economic activity, the worldwide crisis of capitalism and a policy of spending cuts driven by the Council and Commission;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Supports the creation of tools for a sustainable dialogue with partner countries that is based on mutual respect and seeks the development of partner countries’ own resources– especially developing countries’ – own resources and enables them to develop economic sectors with care;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Underlines that the Union's expenditure in the framework of development cooperation, association or stability agreements and trade agreements brings about unique chances to assist the partner countries in putting in place viable education and social assistance structurestructures and social insurance systems for greater social security and, consequently, greater welfare if it is not subordinated to the strategic economic interests of the Member States abroad;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Is extremely critical of the fact that, in order to control unwanted labour migration, the EU and its Member States cooperate closely with dictatorships, for example in North Africa, where human rights, particularly the rights of employees, are systematically violated;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Stresses that compliance with strict environmental standards by businesses from the EU in third countries should be regarded as just as important as respect for the rights of employees, as damage to the environment almost always also jeopardises the health of employees, destroys farmland, fishing grounds and other economic resources, and thus deprives many people of the basis for their subsistence;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Asks the Commission and the Member States to integrate employment and soci, social and environmental policies as a priority in all negotiations regarding global economic governance structures and macro-economic dialogues;