Activities of Helmuth MARKOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Supports~~Calls on the Commission's efforts to provide the EU with a global strategy covering all external aspects of European competitiveness and helping to ensure that the Lisbon Strategy objectives are fully achieved, but notes with regret the absence of any specific initiatives in favour of SMEs; calls on the Commission and the Council to remedy this shortcoming without delay and to set ambitious and, at the same time, realistic objectives and to replace its competitiveness driven "Global Europe Strategy" by an external trade policy strategy which ensures fair international economic and trade relations and which includes specific initiatives in favour of SMEs and a commitment to make the necessary means and resources available;

2008/11/14
Committee: INTA

2008/2205(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to commit themselves with renewed vigour to preventing and combating counterfeiting by means of appropriate internal policies and international initiatives, at both multilateral ~~(e.g. the ACTA Agreement)~~ and bilateral (new economic cooperation agreements with third countries) level, taking due account of the impact of counterfeiting on SMEs;

2008/11/14
Committee: INTA

2008/2205(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Points out that ~~opening up markets, especially in emerging~~facilitating access to markets for SMEs can countri~~es, to European SMEs means~~bute to creating new jobs and defending existing jobs, safeguarding and exchanging know- how and specific features of European industry and giving EU countries a ~~guarantee of~~nd their partners a basis for solid and lasting economic growth;

2008/11/14
Committee: INTA

2008/2205(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Takes the view that the Commission should refrain from concluding free-trade agreements or other trade agreements that are not favourable to ~~the European economy as a whole and to SMEs in particular or that do not provide for trade concessions at similar level, except~~sustainable economic, social and ecological development within the EU as well as in partner countries; insists on the principles of special and differentiated treatment and less than reciprocal market opening in the cases of developing countries;

2008/11/14
Committee: INTA

2008/2205(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

~~25. Calls on the Commission to submit realistic and constructive proposals with a view to future renegotiation and strengthening of the WTO Government Procurement Agreement;~~deleted

2008/11/14
Committee: INTA

2008/2171(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)

30a. Stresses that the recent years of high economic growth in China have not benefited all segments of the Chinese population and that the social gap between the rich and the poor has never been as significant as now; believes that a fairer distribution of the wealth is necessary to enable socially sustainable development in China;

2008/12/08
Committee: INTA

2008/2171(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Urges China to ratify key International Labour Organisation Conventions, in particular Convention No 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which China has signed but not yet ratified;

2008/12/08
Committee: INTA

2008/2171(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Calls on European businesses operating in China to apply best practices in corporate social responsibility with regard to workers and the environment; urges these European companies to sign global framework agreements which would entail a common base of rules regarding wages, working time and protection for the workers encompassing working places and sub contractors related to the specific company;

2008/12/08
Committee: INTA

2008/2171(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)

36a. Urges European businesses operating in China to refrain from any action or protest which would risk diluting proposals for labour market legislation or social protection anticipated by the Chinese government for the benefit of Chinese workers and the environment;

2008/12/08
Committee: INTA

2008/2171(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38

38. Stresses that the new EU-China Partnership and Cooperation Agreement should aim to establish free and fair trade ~~and should also includ~~based on the enforce~~able~~ment of clauses on human rights, environmental, sustainable development and social issues;

2008/12/08
Committee: INTA

2008/2170(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Stresses that the implementation of the EPAs should be monitored by a parliamentary body, which has to be provided for in the EPA texts, and that this Parliamentary body should ~~in each case evolve from the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) and its bodies and remain closely connected to, or part of, the JPA~~be composed - on the EP side - of Members of the Committee on International Trade and of the Committee on Development to ensure overall consistency in trade and development policy and should cooperate with the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly ;

2008/11/14
Committee: DEVE

2008/2135(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)

Ea. whereas India’s GDP is approximately 6% of the size of the EU’s; whereas the EU’s trade with India makes up about 2% of its total trade, while India’s trade with the EU represents approximately 20% of its overall trade and studies have predicted that under an FTA with the EU, India’s imports would increase far more significantly than its exports; whereas this scenario could increase India’s current account deficit and consequently its dependence on external financing;

2009/02/03
Committee: INTA

2008/2135(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Believes that ~~the FTA~~economic relations should be comprehensive, compatible with and complementary to the WTO rules and obligations; the DDA remains both the European Union's and India's trade priority;

2009/02/03
Committee: INTA

2008/2135(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the outcome of the 9th EU- India Summit and the revised Joint Action Plan; recalls the pledge of the European Union and India to accelerate FTA talks; ~~is disappointed with the slow pace of negotiations; calls for both parties to conclude a comprehensive, ambitions and balanced FTA by the end of 2009~~encourages the negotiating parties not to set artificial deadlines on the negotiations but to ensure that sufficient time is taken for more thorough consultations with key stakeholders including parliamentarians and civil society in India as well as in the European Union, so that any final agreement is a balanced one that takes account of the interests and perspectives of all affected stakeholders;

2009/02/03
Committee: INTA

2008/2135(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Points to the future potential for an increase in EU-India trade and investment; ~~considers the EU- India FTA as win-win scenario~~underlines that the agreement must contain instruments to ensure that this increase in trade brings benefits to the widest number of people, as well as to the environment, and does not mitigate against India’s achievement of the millennium development goals;

2009/02/03
Committee: INTA

2008/2135(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Encourages the parties also to address the potential disadvantages of the FTA and the ways in which human development and gender equality may be adversely affected by the rapid opening of markets; recognises the right of governments to maintain necessary 'policy space' and regulatory capacities to shape economic and social policies that serve their most vulnerable people, including trade measures to protect weak economic actors;

2009/02/03
Committee: INTA

2008/2135(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Underlines the necessity of a transparent negotiations process; calls therefore on the Commission to publish negotiation documents and to consult with the Parliament and civil society during the negotiating process;

2009/02/03
Committee: INTA

2008/2135(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5c. Stresses that an agreement should include a continued monitoring and comprehensive review system, in order to observe the socio-economic impact of the agreement, including the costs and consequences of implementation and, if necessary, to amend provisions of the agreement and to adjust their application;

2009/02/03
Committee: INTA

2008/2135(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Notes India's decreased average applied tariffs; ~~stresses that these levels remain a genuine problem for European industry;~~

2009/02/03
Committee: INTA

2008/2135(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Points out that services liberalisation must in no way hinder the right to regulate services, especially to develop and maintain strong public services;

2009/02/03
Committee: INTA

2008/2135(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Notes that India is gradually liberalising its banking sector; encourages India to allow more competition; recalls at the same time the importance of strong and well designed rules and regulations for financial services and control of international financial transactions;

2009/02/03
Committee: INTA

2008/2135(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23a. Recalls that in order for investment to be beneficial it needs to be accompanied by well-designed rules and regulations; therefore calls on the Commission to advocate rules for transnational companies in the agreement to make sure investors respect core ILO standards, social and environmental covenants and international agreements to achieve a balance between economic growth and higher social and environmental standards;

2009/02/03
Committee: INTA

2008/2135(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)

23b. Recalls that while FTA investment chapters have often come accompanied with commitments to liberalise capital movements and renounce capital controls, such clauses should be approached with extreme caution, given the importance of capital controls – especially for developing countries - to mitigate against the impact of the financial crisis;

2009/02/03
Committee: INTA

2008/2062(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Calls on the Commission, under the comitology procedure set out in Regulation (EC) No 561/2006, to propose guidelines for the uniform definition and classification of infringements by October 2008;

2008/06/04
Committee: TRAN

2008/2062(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Calls on the Commission to table a further study on the behaviour in traffic of goods vehicles less than 3.5 tonnes with reference to road safety developments since the entry into force of Directive 2006/22/EC and Regulation EC No 561/2006;

2008/06/04
Committee: TRAN

2008/2026(BUD)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Stresses that new Aid for Trade money should be additional to existing development aid and new Aid for Trade pledges should not lead to the shifting of resources already earmarked for other development initiatives;

2008/08/04
Committee: INTA

2008/2026(BUD)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. Reiterates the request made to the Commission to assess progress made in implementing the measures taken in the Aid for Trade area and to submit to Parliament and Council a bi-annual report (starting in 2009) on implementation and results obtained and, as far as possible, on the main outcomes and effects of Aid for Trade assistance;

2008/08/04
Committee: INTA

2008/2026(BUD)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1c. Requests explicitly that the bi-annual report contain specific information on the history of the measures financed, where appropriate showing the results of monitoring and evaluation exercises, the involvement of the relevant partners, and the implementation of the pledges and budget commitments and payments, broken down by country, region and category of assistance; requests that the report also assess progress made in mainstreaming trade into aid programming and the results achieved with the assistance, using, as far as possible, specific and measurable indicators of its role in meeting the Aid for Trade objectives;

2008/08/04
Committee: INTA

2008/2026(BUD)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)

1d. Calls on the Commission to present, in advance of Parliament's second reading, a short document providing a total figure for all Aid for Trade finance coming from the EU budget, and a total figure from the total amount of Aid for Trade for all "trade-related assistance" provided;

2008/08/04
Committee: INTA

2008/0147(COD)

Proposal for a directive – amending act
Recital 5

(5) In order to move towards a sustainable transport policy, transport prices should better reflect the costs related to traffic- based air pollution, traffic-based noise pollution, ~~climate change~~damage to the landscape and biodiversity, oil dependence, climate change, accidents costs not covered by insurance payments and congestion caused by the actual use of vehicles, trains, planes or ships as a means of optimising the use of infrastructure, reducing local pollution, managing congestion and fighting against climate change at least cost for the economy. This calls for a stepwise approach in all transport modes, taking into account their particular characteristics.

2008/11/25
Committee: TRAN

2008/0147(COD)

Proposal for a directive – amending act
Recital 14

(14) Tolls based on distance travelled should be allowed to include an external cost element based on the cost of traffic- based air and noise pollution damage to the landscape and biodiversity, oil dependence, the impact of climate change and accident costs not covered by insurance payments. Furthermore, on roads that are usually congested and during peak periods congestion costs which are mostly borne at local level should also be allowed to be recovered through the external cost charge. The external cost element included in tolls should be allowed to be added to the cost of infrastructure, provided that certain conditions are respected in the calculation of costs so as to avoid undue charging.

2008/11/25
Committee: TRAN

2008/0147(COD)

Proposal for a directive – amending act
Recital 15

(15) To better reflect the cost of traffic- based air and noise pollution, damage to the landscape and biodiversity, oil dependence, the impact of climate change and accident costs not covered by insurance payments and congestion, the external cost charge should vary according to the type of roads, type of vehicles and time periods such as daily, weekly or seasonal peak and off peak periods and night period.

2008/11/25
Committee: TRAN

2008/0147(COD)