12 Amendments of Helmut SCHOLZ related to 2013/2740(RSP)
Amendment 2 #
Recital A
A. whereas the Doha Round was launched in 2001 with the objectives of creating new trading opportunities, strengthening multilateral trade rules, and addressing current imbalances in the trading system by placing the needs and interests of developing countries and especially of the least developed countries (LDCs) at the heart of the negotiations; these objectives stem from the conviction that a multilateral system based on more just and equitable rules, canmust contribute to fair and freeopen trade at the service of the economic development of all continents and the alleviation of poverty;
Amendment 5 #
Recital B
B. whereas the EU has consistently advocated for a strong multilateral rules- based approach to trade, whilst recognising that complementary approaches such as bilateral, regional and plurilateral agreements may also foster trade opening, especially by unlocking liberalisation in policy areas tackled less thoroughly in the WTO, and support the multilateral system, providedbut only if such agreements are WTO compliant;
Amendment 8 #
Recital F
F. whereas the Ninth Ministerial Conference will take place in BaliIndonesia on 3-6 December 2013;
Amendment 13 #
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls its firm conviction that development and poverty alleviation should be at the heart of the process and promotes a trade agenda based on freeopen and fair trade for the benefit of all; stresses the importance of taking full account of the special needs and interests of developing countries and LDCs in the negotiations; reiterates the imperative of ensuring that the principle of special and differential treatment (S&DT) constitutes an integral part of all layers of the negotiations, reflecting the varying economic development levels of WTO members as set out in paragraph 44 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration; considers that meaningful S&DT provisions should be made more precise, subject to periodic reviews and targeted;
Amendment 18 #
Paragraph 3
3. Believes that trade liberalisation is a necessary but not in itself sufficient tool to ensure sustainable economic growth and development, as it needs to be accompanied by appropriate flanking policies encompassing macro- and micro economic interventions, education and training, institutional reforms and social policies so as to maximise and distribute better the benefits of trade reforms and effectively counterbalance any negative effects; and to ensure that the wealthy do not profit from trade expansion to the detriment of the poor;
Amendment 19 #
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that WTO Members have recognised that as many countries do not have the human, institutional and infrastructural capacity to participate effectively in international trade, especially the LDCs who must be the chief beneficiary of this round, the multilateral system needs to be accompanied by improvements in trade capacity which is an essential complement to the Doha Development Agenda;
Amendment 24 #
Paragraph 5
5. Emphasises in this context the important role played by the Aid for Trade Initiative and regrets that for the first time since its launch in 2005 the amount of the commitments were reduced in 2011 due to the financial crisis originating in the United States, which resulted in less support to large projects in economic infrastructure with commitments in the transport and energy sector falling;
Amendment 37 #
Paragraph 8
8. Considers that an agreement on trade facilitation would bring significant benefits to all WTO members and relevant economic operators by enhancing transparency and legal certainty and reducing the administrative costs and the length of customs procedures, which would in turn enable them to fully seize the opportunities provided by the growing prevalence of regional and global supply chains; points out that sufficient capacity building and technical assistance has to be made available to developing countries in order to enable them to increase their production capacities so that they can benefit from a bigger share of the value added in global value chains, while ensuring this growth does not come at the cost of environmental or social harm;
Amendment 42 #
Paragraph 9
9. WelcomNotes the opening of negotiations on a plurilateral Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), which is in keeping with the Eighth Ministerial Conference's objective of exploring new ways for the WTO membership to further liberalise trade in services; stresses the EU's commitment in promoting work in this area and in keeping open the possibility ofworking towards "multilateralising" the TiSA by taking over therein definitions, rules and principles which form the core of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS); underlines the importance of ensuring that any agreement is ambitious, expanding the coverage and deepening the rules regarding liberalisation in trade in services, and that the outcome is firmly anchored to the WTO architecture;
Amendment 51 #
Paragraph 13
13. Encourages the WTO membership to proactively support the WTO's efforts in establishing effective and efficient working links with other international organisations whose work has a bearing on world trade talks, in particular the UN and its agencies and bodies such as the ILO, UNCTAD, FAO, the IMF and the World Bank, as well as the OECD;
Amendment 59 #
Paragraph 14
14. Believes that concluding the long standing Doha round with its development mandate intact is vital and that Bali willIndonesia should mark a turning point in terms of world trade and the alleviation of poverty; urges therefore all WTO members to explore all possible options with that end goal in sight in order to achieve a balanced result;
Amendment 69 #
Paragraph 16
16. Appeals to the EU Commission and to the governments of the United States and to Nations with emerging economies to live up to their responsibilities and to do their utmost to ensure a success of the Doha Development Round; Calls on the Commission and the Council to ensure the Parliament continues to be closely involved in the preparation of the Ninth Ministerial Conference taking place in BaliIndonesia from 3-6 December 2013;