13 Amendments of Helmut SCHOLZ related to 2015/2317(INI)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that trade and finance is one of the five priority areas of policy coherence for development, a concept enshrined in article 208 TFEU; recalls that all EU external policies, including trade and investment, must be aligned with Article 21 of the TEU and must not undermine sustainable development goals, human rights and gender equality; recalls the principles mentioned in article 24, paragraph 2 of the Council Regulation No 260/2009;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls that trade liberalisation is not positive, per se, in terms of reducing poverty and could have negative effects on sustainable development if it is not accompanied by re-distribution through fair and progressive tax systems; urges the EU to work towards the reinforcement of international fiscal cooperation, supporting the establishment of a new intergovernmental body under the auspices of the UN on international cooperation on tax matters and provide the resources necessary to allow the body to operate effectively;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Recalls that fair and properly regulated trade if aligned with SDGs could have potentialities for development; calls the Commission to strengthen the binding enforceability of SDGs and include comprehensive sustainable development chapters in all trade agreements;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Notes that Brazil has introduced in the WTO working group on Trade, Debt and Finance a demand to deal with the effects of persistent currency exchange rate misalignments and the impact on the level of protection of ad valorem duties;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission to take measures to prevent the potential negative effects of mega trade deals, such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), on developing countries; urges, in this regard to revise EPA´s and EGA´s ensuring they are negotiated in a balanced manner and taking into account the views and concerns of CSOs and trade unions, from both the EU and the partner country;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Urges the Commission to step up efforts to advance in democratic multilateral fora on trade issues in where all countries are represented on equal footing and to position itself as the defender of the interest of developing countries on trade issues;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Welcomes the progress made since the establishment of the Bangladesh Sustainability Compact and calls the EC to expand binding frameworks to other sectors; urges, in this regard, the EC to enhance corporate social responsibility and due diligence initiatives that complement the existing EU timber regulation, on the proposed EU regulation on conflict minerals, for other sectors; thereby ensuring the EU and its traders and operators live up to the obligation to respect human rights and the highest social and environmental standards;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Calls for EU Aid for Trade and technical assistance to have an aim to empower poor producers, micro and small enterprises, women equality and women empowerment and cooperatives in order to boost their benefits from trading in local and regional markets;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to safeguard the right of countries to regulate and preserve policy space in order to develop infant industries; urges the Commission to ensure that trade agreements and policies do not undermine developing countries’ strategic economic sectors and do not challenge partner countries efforts to increase the domestic value added in order to upgrade along the global value chains;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Recalls that EU investment policy, especially when involving public money, must contribute to the realisation of the SDGs; recalls the need to enhance transparency and accountability of development finance institutions (DFIs), and public-private partnerships (PPPs) to effectively track and monitor the money flows, debt sustainability and the added value for sustainable development of their projects;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses the importance of participation through broad and transparent consultations of civil society organisations and trade unions, both from the European Union member states and from third countries, in the negotiation, implementation and monitoring of EU trade and investment agreements and policies;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. CPoints to the fact that only 8% of the impact assessments of Commission proposals that could affect developing countries address the potential impact on these countries; calls on the Commission to develop a complaint mechanism as a basis for sanctions to channel the voices of those whose human rights are jeopardised by EU trade policies stakeholders and which will form an essential element of the EU’s role in the implementation of the sustainable development goals;
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the EU and its Member States to follow UNCTAD´s Comprehensive Investment Policy Framework for Sustainable Development recommendations to stimulate more responsible, transparent and accountable investments and to actively engage with the UN Human Rights Council in its work towards an international treaty that would hold transnational corporations accountable for human rights abuses.