71 Amendments of Sajjad KARIM related to 2014/2228(INI)
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas investment protection provisions and investor state dispute settlement are an essential tool in international economic relations to ensure that states adhere to their commitments under mutually agreed international treaties, and are very important for investment activity, and whereas a balanced relationship between the necessary and effective protection of investors, the right of States to regulate and an appropriate dispute settlement procedure is fundamental;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas nine EU Member States have concluded bilateral investment protection agreements with the USA granting US undertakings the right to bring complaints against those Member States, and whereas over 1,400 bilateral agreements betweensigned by EU Member States already contain numerous ISDS clauses;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas international agreements are a basis for legal certainty, transparency and predictability and whereas there have been many cases in which the EU and other States have brought legal action against the USA under the aegis of the WTO because the USA was believed to have failed to comply with its international obligations, notes that in some cases the US continues to refuse to respect WTO panel rulings, in clear contradiction of its commitments under WTO law;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
a. Considers that the Commission’s proposals for reform initiatives relating to investment protection accord with the European Parliament resolution on the future European international investment policy (2010/2203(INI)); observes, however, that the reservations felt by the publicbrought forward should be taken into account in these reforms;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
b. Observes that the reforms incorporated in CETA for mechanisms for the settlement of disputes between States and investors are welcome and represent the right approach and must be developed further for TTIP; in clarifying issues relating to the right to regulate, the functioning of arbitral panels as well as leaving open the possibility of an appeals mechanism and must be developed further for TTIP; urges the Commission to ensure full disclosure and regular communication concerning the development-process of said reforms;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas an ambitious agreement with the US maywill support the reindustrialisation of Europe and help achieve the 2020 target for an increase of the EU’'s GDP generated by industry from 15 % to 20 %; whereas it has the potential to create opportunities especially for SMEs, which suffer more from non-tariff barriers (NTBs) than larger companies; whereas an agreement between the two biggest economic blocs in the world has the potential to create standards, norms and rules which will be adopted at a global level, which would serve to the advantage of third countries as well;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point c
Paragraph 1 – point c
c. Observes that existing dispute settlement mechanisms work well but also display weaknesses and that therefore improvements are needed and they, providing investors with a means to ensure state compliance under international law, but significant improvements are needed in terms of precise legal drafting which must be modernised in order to improve their legitimacy and the institutionalisation of mechanisms for the settlement of disputes between States and investors, so that they can then also be taken as a model for other partnerships;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas an agreement between the two biggest economic blocs in the world has the potential to create standards, norms and rules which could be adopted at a global level, which would serve to the advantage of third countries as well, especially developing countries; whereas failure to negotiate an agreement will allow other third countries with different standards and values to assume this role instead;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point d
Paragraph 1 – point d
d. Calls on the Commission, in this context, to take account of and to supplement, firstly, the constructive contributions made by the public consultation on TTIP, and, secondly, the dispute settlement mechanisms incorporated in CETA, in order to establish clear structures, impartial procedures, a lawful and balanced pool of judges selected by States and a clear code of conduct for judges, to increase the transparency and, legitimacy and neutrality of such dispute settlement procedures, to limit the scope for legal action in order to prevent forum shopping, to maintain the democratic legitimacy of national and European legislatures for amendments to legislation with defined standards and levels and to assess the feasibility of establishing a permanent court and a multilateral appeal system in TTIP;
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point f
Paragraph 1 – point f
f. Calls on the Commission to ensure that in the future dispute settlement mechanism in TTIP it is guaranteed that decisions on individual cases will not replace the national law of the contracting parties which is in force; or reunder it ineffective, and that amemine any fundaments by future legislation – provided that they are not made retroactive – cannot be coal principle or protective standard guarantested under such a dispute settlement mechanismEuropean and International law;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas, given the growing interconnectedness of global markets – up to 40 % of European industrial products are manufactured from imported upstream products – it is crucial that policymakers shape the way these markets interact; whereas proper trade rules are fundamental to creating added value in Europe, since industrial production will increasingly takes place in global value chains;
Amendment 79 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point g
Paragraph 1 – point g
g. Calls on the Commission to ensure that clearly defined rules on regulatory cooperation and coherence are comprehensively incorporated in TTIP; these should aim at ensuring the highest levels of transparency on mutual consultation and exchanges of best practices on important regulatory initiatives, as well as the use of better regulatory approaches, including impact assessments, evaluations and reviews of existing measures;
Amendment 90 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point i
Paragraph 1 – point i
i. Notes that TTIP gives contracting parties the option of increasingRecalls the crucial importance of intellectual property to the EU economy and requests that TTIP allow for increased levels of protection of EU intellectual property, including in re rights to support research and innovation on both sides of the Atlantion to third States.c, ensuring that those who create high quality innovative products can continue to do so;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas we arethe EU is faced with an unregulated rapidly evolving picture of globalisation and a well-designed trade agreement could contribute to harnessingensuring positive spill over effects of liberalisation; whereas such an agreement should not only focus on reducing tariffs and NTBs but should also be a tool to protect workers, consumers and the environment; whereas a strong and ambitious trade agreement is an opportunity to create a framework by strengthening regulation to the highest standards at a global level in order to prevent social and environmental dumpinglight of the shared objective of ensuring free and open competition on a level playing field;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas even though common high standards are in the interest of the consumers, it should be noted that theyconvergence also makes sense from an economic perspective, as the higher costs stemming from higher standards armay be compensated by increased economies of scale in a market of 850 million consumers;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas many ex-ante economic impact studies on TTIP should be taken with cautionas illustrative as they are built on computable general equilibrium economic models with very optimistic predictions abhich are unable take sufficient account of the capacity of the EU and the US to reducedynamic nature of future economic opportunities and their positive spill over effects as a regsulatory barriers to tradet of an ambitious agreement; whereas the TTIP alone will not resolve economic problems in the EU and no false hopes and expectations should be raised in that respectlong standing structural economic problems and their underlying causes in the EU;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the wellbeing of ordinary citizens, workers and consumers has to be the benchmark for a trade agreement; whereas TTIP should be a model for a good trade agreement responding to these requirementsprimary objective of a high quality trade agreement is to enhance trade and investment by establishing improved conditions for the free flow of goods, services and capital across borders leading to the creation of jobs and growth;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the secret character of negotiations as they have been conducted in the past has led to deficiencies in terms of democratic control of the negotiation proceslegal framework governing the negotiation of EU trade agreements is laid down in Article 207 TFEU, which establishes that the Commission negotiates agreements in consultation with a special committee established by the Member States;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas President Juncker has clearly reiterated in his Political Guidelines that – while the EU and the US can go a significant step further in recognising each other’'s product standards and working towards transatlantic standards – the EU will not sacrifice its safety, health, social and data protection standards or our cultural diversity, recalling that the safety of the food we eat and the protection of Europeans’' personal data are non- negotiable and that the rule of law should also apply in this context;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas many critical voices in the public debate have shown the need for the TTIP negotiations to be conductrade agreements should be negotiated in athe morest transparent and inclusive manner, taking into account the concerns voiced by European citizens possible, while respecting the need for a necessary element of confidentiality to ensure that negotiators can reach a high quality final deal; whereas Parliament fully supports both the decision of the Council to declassify the negotiating directives and the Commission’'s transparency initiative;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas since July 2013 talks between the US and the EU have been going onEU began in July 2013, but up to now no common text has been agreed and it is now exactly the right time to undertake a reflection on the state of play; whereas political stocktaking is a useful exercise in influencing the direction of negotiations;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
Ka. whereas the EU in particular faces growing concerns over its energy security and its need to diversify its energy supplies and transit routes in the face of political and geopolitical developments;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point i
Paragraph 1 – point a – point i
(i) to ensure that TTIP negotiations lead to a deep, comprehensive, ambitious, balanced and high-standard trade and investment agreement, based on a single undertaking that wouldill promote trade and investment, sustainable growth, support the creation of high-quality jobs for European workercitizens, directly benefit European consumers, increase international competitiveness, and open up new opportunities for EU companies, in particular SMEs; the content of the agreement is more important than the speed of the negotiations;
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point ii
Paragraph 1 – point a – point ii
(ii) to emphasise that while the TTIP negotiations consist of negotiations on three main areas – ambitiously improving reciprocal market access (for goods, services, investment and public procurement at all levels of government), reducing NTBs and enhancing the compatibility of regulatory regimes, and developing common rules to address shared global trade challenges and opportunities – all these areas are equally important to be included in a comprehensive package; TTIP should be ambitious and binding on all levels of government on both sides of the Atlantic, the agreementand should lead to lasting genuine market openness on a reciprocal basis and trade facilitation on the ground, and should pay particular attention to structural means of achieving greater transatlantic cooperation while upholding regulatory standards and preventing social and environmental dumping;
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point iii
Paragraph 1 – point a – point iii
(iii) to keep in mind the strategic importance of the EU-US economic relationship in general and of TTIP in particular, inter alia as an opportunity to promote the principles and values anchored in a liberal, rules based framework that the EU and the US share and cherish and towhile designing common approaches to global trade, investment and trade-related issues such as high standards, norms and regulations, in order to develop a broader transatlantic vision and a common set of strategic goals;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a – point iv
Paragraph 1 – point a – point iv
(iv) to ensure, especially given the recent positive developments in the World Trade Organisation (WTO), that an open and accessible agreement with the US serves as a stepping-stone for broader trade negotiations and is not seen as an alternative to the WTO process; bilateral trade agreements are always the second-best option and must not prevent improvements on the multilateral level;
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – introductory part
Paragraph 1 – point b – introductory part
(b) regarding market access: for goods, services and procurement;
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point i
Paragraph 1 – point b – point i
(i) to ensure that the market access offers in the differentall areas are equally ambitious and reflect both parties’ expectations, as market access for industrial goods, agricultural products, services and public procurement isare equally important in all cases and a balance is needed between the different proposals for these areas;
Amendment 327 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point ii
Paragraph 1 – point b – point ii
(ii) to aim at the elimination of all duty tariffs, while respecting sensitive products on both sides;
Amendment 344 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point iii
Paragraph 1 – point b – point iii
(iii) to keep in mind that there are important offensive interests for the EU in the services sector, which will generate 85% of future jobs in the EU, demands an ambitious outcome for instance in the areas of engineering, finance, telecommunications, health, professional and transport services;
Amendment 369 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point iv
Paragraph 1 – point b – point iv
(iv) to increase market access for services according to the ‘positive list approach’ whereby services that are to be opened up to foreign companies are explicitly mentioned and new services are excluded while ensuring that possible standstill and ratchet clauses only apply to non- discrimination provisions and allow for enough flexibility to bring services back into public controlby tackling long standing market access barriers while granting EU firms no less favourable treatment in the US than US firms according to a negative list whereby services that are to be excluded from the agreement are explicitly mentioned, believes that such an approach allows not only for increased certainty and transparency for operators but will allow for a flexible "living agreement" with the possibility of including future services in the Agreement;
Amendment 372 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point iv a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point b – point iv a (new)
(iva) to ensure mutual recognition of professional qualifications between the Parties, notably via the creation of a legal framework with federal States which have regulatory powers in this domain, and to promote mobility across the Atlantic through visa facilitation for professionals;
Amendment 406 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point vi
Paragraph 1 – point b – point vi
(vi) to ensure an adequate carve-out of sensitive services such asthe inclusion of reservations for public services and public utilities (including water, health, social security systems and education), in line with existing and recently concluded EU trade agreements, allowing national and local authorities enough room for manoeuvre to legislate in the public interest; ain this regard welcomes the joint declaration reflecting negotiators’' clear commitment to exclude these sectors from the negotiations would be very helpful in this regard; ;
Amendment 433 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point vii
Paragraph 1 – point b – point vii
(vii) to combine market access negotiations on financial services with convergence in financial regulation on the highest level, in order to support the introduction and compatibility of necessary regulation to prevent financial crises and in order to support ongoing cooperation efforts in other international forums, such as the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision;
Amendment 450 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point viii
Paragraph 1 – point b – point viii
(viii) to ensure that the EU’'s acquis on data privacy is not compromised through the liberalisation of data flowsfully respected in any final Agreement, in particular in the area of e- commerce and financial services; to ensure that no commitments on data flows are taken up before European data protection legislation is in place; , while a stable and predictable legal environment ensuring and facilitating the continued ability of firms, especially in the service sector, to transfer data across the Atlantic, is assured; stresses that the EU should cooperate with the United States in order to encourage third countries to adopt similar high data protection standards in the area of trade around the world; further notes that such provisions must be consistent with the provisions set forth in Article 14 of the GATS and that restrictions on data flows and associated infrastructure may create risks that must be recognised;
Amendment 462 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point ix
Paragraph 1 – point b – point ix
(ix) to include am ambitious chapter on competition ensureing that European competition law is properly respected particularly in the digital world while establishing new standards, in particular regarding state owned enterprises, that could form the basis for improved global rules and common approaches with third countries;
Amendment 479 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point x
Paragraph 1 – point b – point x
(x) to keep in mind that the agreement should not risk prejudicing the Union’'s cultural and linguistic diversity, in line the relevant Articles as established in the Treaties, including in the audiovisual and cultural services sector, and that existing and future provisions and policies in support of the cultural sector, in particular in the digital world, are kept out of the scope of the negotiationsare augmented and complemented;
Amendment 494 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point xi
Paragraph 1 – point b – point xi
(xi) to ensure that account is taken of the discrepancies in the openness of public procurement markets on both sides of the Atlantic and the huge interest on the part of European companies in obtaining access to public contracts in the US both at federal and state level, for example for construction services, traffic infrastructure and goods and services while respecting suexistainability criteriag legal frameworks for procurement on both sides, inter alia the new EU procurement and concession package entering into force in 2016; to ensure that that neither party will adopt new measures restricting market access in procurement beyond measures already in place;
Amendment 511 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point xii
Paragraph 1 – point b – point xii
(xii) to promote EU-US cooperation at the international level in order to promote sustainability standards for public procurement, inter alia in the implementation of the recently revised Government Procurement Agrefurther international agreements in the field of public procurement;
Amendment 531 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b – point xiv
Paragraph 1 – point b – point xiv
(xiv) to ensure withat the negotiations on rules of origin aim at reconciling the EU and US approaches; given the conclusion of the negotiations for the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between EU and Canada and the potential upgrade of the EU-Mexico free trade agreement, that the possibility and scope of cumulation will need to be consideis considered, in view of a possible future transatlantic free trade areda;
Amendment 540 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – introductory part
Paragraph 1 – point c – introductory part
(c) regarding regulatory cooperation and coherence pillar and NTBs:
Amendment 555 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point i
Paragraph 1 – point c – point i
(i) to ensure that the regulatory cooperation chapterand coherence promotes an effective, transparent, pro- competitive economic environment through the facilitation of trade and investment while developing and securing high levels of protection of health and safety, consumer, labour and environmental legislation and of the cultural diversity that exists within the EU; negotiators on both sides; need to identify and to be very clear about which regulatory measures and standardsotes that some areas may prove challenging in terms of finding an agre fundamental and cannot be compromised,ement, however, insists that negotiators determine, where possible and which ones can be the subject of a common approach, which are the areas where mutual recognition based on a common high standard and a strong system of market surveillance is desirable and which are those where simply an improved exchange of information is possible, based on the experience of one and a half years of ongoing talks;
Amendment 577 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point ii
Paragraph 1 – point c – point ii
(ii) to baseensure that negotiations on SPS and TBT measures go beyond the key principles of the multilateralWTO Agreements on SPS and TBT agreements; to aim in the first place at increasing transparency coherence and openness, mutual recognition, exchanges of best practices, strengthening dialogue between regulators and strengthening cooperation in international standards-setting bodies while removing all unnecessary obstacles to trade and investment and ensuring that regulators create proportionate measures based on scientific evidence and international standards; to recognise, in negotiations on SPS and TBT measures, the right of both parties to manage risk in accordance with the level either deems appropriate in order to protect human, animal or plant life or health; to in full respect and uphold the sensitivities and fundamental values of either side, such as the EU’s precautionary principleof legal frameworks on both sides;
Amendment 598 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point iii
Paragraph 1 – point c – point iii
(iii) with regard to the horizontal regulatory cooperation chapter, to give priority to fostering bilateral cooperation between regulatory bodies through enhanced information exchange and to promote the adoption, strengthening and timely implementation of international instruments, on the basis of successful international expe whilst fully respecting the priences such as, for instance, ISO standards or under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s (UNECE) World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29); to establish that the prior impact assessment for the regulatory act, as defined in the horizontal provisions on regiple subsidiarity, on the basis of a specific and permanent regulatory and consultatoryion cooperation, should also measure the impact on consumers and the environment next to its impact on trade and investment; to handle the possibility of promoting regulatory compatibility with great care and only without compromising legitimate regulatory and policy objectives mechanism, ensuring the creation of a living agreement;
Amendment 603 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point iv
Paragraph 1 – point c – point iv
Amendment 614 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c – point v
Paragraph 1 – point c – point v
(v) to fully respect the established regulatory systems on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as the European Parliament’'s role within the EU’'s decision-making process and its democratic scrutiny over EU regulatory processes when creating the framework for future cooperation while at the same time being vigilant about a balanced involvement of stakeholders within the consultations included in the developensuring the utmost transparency and the involvement of all regulatory proposallevant stakeholders;
Amendment 621 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – introductory part
Paragraph 1 – point d – introductory part
(d) regarding the rules pillar:
Amendment 626 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point i
Paragraph 1 – point d – point i
(i) to combine negotiations on market access and regulatory cooperation with the establishment of ambitious rules and disciplines, inter alia on on issues such as, but not limited to, sustainable development, energy, SMEs, investment and intellectual property;
Amendment 639 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point ii
Paragraph 1 – point d – point ii
(ii) to ensure that the sustainable development chapter aims at the full and effective ratification, implementation and enforcement of the eight fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and their content, the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda and the core international environmental agreements; provisions should be aimed at improv's provisions should be aimed at safeguarding and promoting levels of protection of labour and environmental standards; asks, therefore, that negotiators include an ambitious trade and sustainable development chapter which should also include rules on corporim ate social responsibility based on the Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and a clearly structured civil society involvetting new global benchmarks for a trade agreement;
Amendment 642 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point iii
Paragraph 1 – point d – point iii
Amendment 651 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point iv
Paragraph 1 – point d – point iv
(iv) to ensure that labour and environmental standards are made enforceableincluded, by building on the goodprevious experience of the EU-Korea free trade agreementexisting EU FTAs and good and effective practices in the US’'s free trade agreements and national legislation;
Amendment 660 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point v
Paragraph 1 – point d – point v
Amendment 676 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point vi
Paragraph 1 – point d – point vi
(vi) to ensure that the economic, social and environmental impact of TTIP is examined through a thorough trade sustainability impact assessment with clear involvement of relevant stakeholders and civil society;
Amendment 691 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point vii
Paragraph 1 – point d – point vii
(vii) to ensure that in course of the negotiations the two sides examine ways to facilitate natural gas and oil exports, so that TTIP would abolish any existing export restrictions on energy between the two trading partners, thereby supporting a diversification of energy sources; and reducing EU Member States' reliance on single points of supply and transit;
Amendment 707 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point ix
Paragraph 1 – point d – point ix
(ix) to ensure that TTIP supports the use and promotion of green goods and services, thereby tapping into the considerable potential for environmental and economic gains offered by the transatlantic economy complementing on-going negotiations on the Green Goods Agreement;
Amendment 710 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point x
Paragraph 1 – point d – point x
Amendment 726 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xi
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xi
(xi) to ensure that TTIP includes a specific chapter on SME’'s and aims at creating new opportunities in the US for European SMEs, for instance by eliminating double certification requirements, by establishing a web-based information system about the different regulations and best practices, by introducing ‘'fast- track’' procedures at the border or by eliminating specific tariff peaks that continue to exist; it should establish mechanisms for both sides to work together to facilitate SMEs’' participation in transatlantic trade, for instance through a common SME ’'one-stop shop’' with SME stakeholders playing a key role in the establishment of such a system;
Amendment 740 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xii
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xii
(xii) to ensure that TTIP contains a comprehensive chapter on investment which should look not only to enhance Europe as a destination for investment, but should also increase confidence for EU investment in the US, including provisions on both market access and investment protection; the investment chapter should aim at ensuring non- discriminatory treatment for the establishment of European and US companies in each other’'s territory, while taking account of the sensitive nature of some specific sectorsthese provisions should further look to form a new "gold standard" for investment protection in existing and future international investment for a such a "gold standard" should guarantee the maximum level of transparency possible, look at establishing an appellate mechanism as well as making explicit the right to regulate;
Amendment 747 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xiii
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xiii
(xiii) to ensure that investment protection provisions are limited to post- establishment provisions and focus on non-discrimination andfocus on non-discrimination, direct and indirect expropriation as well as fair and equitable treatment; standards of protection and definitions of investor and investment should be drawn up in a precise legal manner; free transfer of capital should be in line with the EU treaty provisions and should include a prudential carve-out in the case of financial crises;
Amendment 773 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xiv
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xiv
(xiv) to ensure that foreign investors are treated in a non-discriminatory fashion and have a fair opportunity to seek and achieve redress of grievances, which can be achieved without the inclusion of an ISDS mechanism; such a mechanism is not necessary in TTIP given the EU’s and the US’ developed legal systems; a state-to- state dispute settlement system and the use of national courts are the most appropriate tools to address investment disputesmedy and redress independent of any possible political interference; supports therefore, the inclusion of investment protection mechanisms, including a reformed and improved ISDS and supports DG Trade's on-going efforts in this area;
Amendment 801 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xv
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xv
(xv) to ensure that TTIP includes an ambitious Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) chapter that includes strong protection of precisely and clearly defined areas of IPR, including enhanced protection and recognition of European Geographical Indications (GIs), and reflects a fair and efficient level of protection such as laid out in the EU’'s and the US’'s free trade agreement provisions in this area, while continuing to confirm the existing flexibilities in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), notably in the area of public health thus ensuring that those who create high quality innovate products can continue to do so;
Amendment 813 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xvi
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xvi
(xvi) to ensure that the IPR chapter does not include provisions on criminal sanctions as a tool for enforcement, as having been previouslyincludes appropriate enforcement mechanisms, allowing for remedies and redress in case of failure a to rejspected by Parlia mutually agreed commitments;
Amendment 817 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xvi a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xvi a (new)
(xvia) to facilitate the short term mobility of skilled labour between the EU and US and establish a fast track approach for expeditious processing of visa/work permit applications;
Amendment 820 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xvi b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point d – point xvi b (new)
(xvib) to create common frameworks between the US and EU for programmes to encourage both basic research and development, as the commercialisation of new technologies, and to consider horizontal as well as sector and technology-specific aspects for improved cooperation to enhance R&D and innovation;
Amendment 823 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e – introductory part
Paragraph 1 – point e – introductory part
(e) regarding transparency, civil society involvement and public, public and political outreach:
Amendment 827 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e – point i
Paragraph 1 – point e – point i
(i) to continue ongoing efforts to increase transparency in the negotiations by making , where appropriate, more negotiation proposals available to the general public;
Amendment 838 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e – point ii
Paragraph 1 – point e – point ii
(ii) to translate these transparency efforts into meaningful practical results, inter alia by reaching meaningful arrangements with the US side to improve transparency, including access to all negotiating documents, in order to allow Members of Parliament and the Member States to develop constructive discussions with stakeholders and the public;
Amendment 849 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e – point iii
Paragraph 1 – point e – point iii
(iii) to promote an even closer engagement with the Member States and National Parliaments with the aim of forging their active involvement in better communicating the scope and the possible benefits of the agreement for European citizens and in order to ensure a broad, fact-based public debate on TTIP in Europe with the aim of exploring the genuine concerns surrounding the agreement;
Amendment 858 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e – point iv
Paragraph 1 – point e – point iv
(iv) to reinforce its continuous and transparent engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, including, but not limited to, business, environmental, agricultural, consumer, labour and other representatives, throughout the negotiation process; encourages all stakeholders to participate actively and to put forward initiatives and information relevant to the negotiations;
Amendment 873 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
(fa) to ensure that TTIP is accompanied by a deepening of transatlantic parliamentary cooperation leading in future to a broader and enhanced political framework to improve global cooperation between the EU and the US. This framework should ensure sustained cooperation not only in the implementation of the deal, but in establishing further cooperation on bilateral, plurilateral and multilateral trade and investment issues of shared interest and importance;