24 Amendments of Helmut SCHOLZ related to 2018/0091M(NLE)
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas it was estimated in the 2016 Impact Assessment that the agreement would deliver limited positive impacts in terms of GDP, income, trade and employment for both the Union and Japan, adhering to the objective of ‘smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’; whereas the potential success of a trade agreement should rather be assessed on the basis of its contribution to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas Parliament has monitored these negotiations from the start, having called for transparency and for negotiators to meet the interests of both citizens, civil society organisations and businesses;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Is very concerned that the scope of liberalisation of financial services by the EPA will prove to be too broad, as it includes all finance-related positions, and all financial products and innovations; recalls that among these products were the particularly toxic assets which were at the centre of the 2008 global financial crisis; warns that in combination with the opaque regulatory cooperation system, which has been agreed by the negotiators and which is aimed at reducing the costs and regulatory burdens for private operators, it may become highly challenging to prevent the next financial crises; underlines the need both in the European Union and Japan for far-reaching and effective financial regulation in order to preserve financial market stability.
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes positively the ambitious andthe comprehensive nature of the EPA, which delivers on thea number of priorities set out in European Parliament resolution of 25 October 2012 on EU trade negotiations with Japan; deplores that negotiators repeated a number of mistakes made in CETA which were strongly criticised by civil society;
Amendment 68 #
3. Notes in particular the ambitious level of tariff liberalisation, combined with measures to safeguard the products most sensitive productsfor the European Union through duty-free quotas, reduced duties or staging periods, while with the exception of rice, many products sensitive for Japanese farmers and food producers will face competition from EU exports; points out that the EU tariff on automobiles will be phased out over seven years;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes positively that Japan has addressed unnecessarythat European commercial stakeholders have used the desperate situation of Japan following several environmental and man-made disasters and the conclusion of the EU - Korea agreement, to present two lists non-tariff measures (NTMs) these companies wanted to disappear in a variety of sectors such as vehicles, food additives, food labelling and cosmetics, and that obedience of Japan was declared a precondition for entering in direct negotiations of this trade agreement; takes note as well of Japan’s commitment to align its automotive standards even more with UNECE international standards used also by EU car manufacturers;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the fact that Japan will, notably, grant non-discriminatory access for EU suppliers to the procurement markets of 48 cities, remove the ‘operational safety clause’, which has in practise prevented EU rail suppliers to access the Japanese market, and maximise transparency in tendering for public contracts; insist that in the Union as well in Japan, public procurement must continue to serve the best interest of the citizens; underlines the importance of access to public services for citizens;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. WelcomNotes that the agreement provides significant export opportunities for EU agri-food products, such as wine, pig meat and cheese, and that it protects 205 European geographical indication; warns that a dramatic increase of EU food products entering the Japanese market would put the livelihoods of Japanese farmers and small-scale food producers at stake and emphasises the need for a safety-net of efficient and fast safeguard measures; welcomes that the agreement protects 205 European geographical indications, and calls for a continuation of talks after three years in order to evaluate the options for increasing the list of protected GIs;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Highlights the fact that the agreement promotes best practices for providing safe and high-quality food and products for consumers; calls on both partners to mainstreamenhance consumer protection in the implementation of the agreement and to place the interests of the consumer at heart of the EPA; stresses that the agreement shall under no circumstances jeopardize precise, understandable and EU compliant food labelling;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that both parties are committed to ensure high levels of environmental and labour protection; expects the EU and Japan to show theirdeplores the lack of ambition of both EU and Japan regarding commitments to theachieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals in all their actions, including the implementation of this agreement;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the commitment to the effective and binding implementation of the Paris Agreement to combat climate change and of other multilateral environmental agreements, as well as to the sustainable management of forests (including fighting illegal logging) and fisheries (combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing); calls for enhanced cooperation to safe endangered maritime species such as Bluefin tuna, and to stop whale hunting at last, and calls in particular on Japan to respect all resolutions of the IWC and to prohibit scientific whaling carried out as a disguise for commercial whaling; calls on both parties to cooperate closely under the sustainable development chapter to exchange best practices and to strengthen the enforcement of legislation in these matters;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Calls upon both parties to suspend the ratification of the EPA until further agreement is reached on a binding Trade and Sustainable Development Chapters.
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Highlights the fact that the agreement includes the commitment to pursue the ratification of fundamental ILO conventions; regrets that Japan has not yet ratified two ILO core conventions (on discrimination and on the abolition of forced labour) and expects, in light of commitments made in the EPA, concrete progress on the part of Japan towards the ratification of these conventions, and joins the call by EU and Japanese trade unions for this lack to be remedied promptly; considers the ratification and implementation of both conventions a precondition for establishing a trade agreement with the EU for any potential partner, and calls upon parties to suspend the ratification of the EPA until ratification of both conventions is complete;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the inclusion of a review clause in the chapter on sustainable development and calls on the Commission to trigger this clause as soon as possible in order to strengthen the enforceability and effectiveness of labour and environmental provisions, which should include the possibility of sanctions as a last resort;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. UnderlinCriticises the fact that the EPA maintains the right of Member State authorities to define, proviapplies a negative list approach, de mand regulate public services at local, regional or national level, despite its negative list approach, and that it does nos to renegotiate services liberalisation based on a positive list approach; stresses that the agreement must contain clear and unambiguous language that under no circumstances the agreement prevents governments or local or regional authorities from bringing any privatised service back in to the public sector;, in order to protect authorities from being sued by private investors; Calls upon both parties to protect public water management, including waste water management, and to exclude it from the application of market access commitments and non-discrimination clause under the EPA.
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Believes that market access commitments in cross-border services, including e-commerce, maritime transport, postal services and telecommunications, will give a boost to trade in services while safeguarding the pursuit of legitimate policy objectives and human rights due to a redefinition of the notion of public space;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses that the agreement preserves the sovereign right to regulate the financial and banking sectors for prudential and supervisory reasons; calls on both partners to use the financial regulatory forum to improve the global financial system; calls upon both parties to carryout systematic studies on the impact of the EPA on financial stability and financial regulation space. Furthermore, calls upon parties to exclude financial regulation from the scope of any future agreement on investment protection arbitration;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Welcomes key innovative elements such as dedicated chapters to enhance benefits for SMEs and promote corporate social responsibility based on the principles of the G20 and the OECD;. Urges both parties to work actively towards the conclusion of the United Nations Binding Treaty on Business and Human Rights.
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that regulatory cooperation is voluntary and that it by no means limits the right to regulate; recalls that corresponding provisions must be implemented in full respect of the prerogatives of the co-legislators; welcomes the fact that the regulatory cooperation chapter clearly states that the principles established in the TFEU, such as must be fully respected; calls for an amendment to the text and to explicitly mention the precautionary principle, must be fully respected;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for transparency and Parliamentary oversight on the functioning of the regulatory cooperation committee and for a balanced involvement of all stakeholders, notably including civil society organisations; demands full access for Members of the European Parliament and National Parliaments to all preparatory documents of the Regulatory Cooperation Committee; insists on a transparency register for the participants to meetings of the Regulatory Cooperation Committee;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Takes note that negotiations continue on a separate investment agreement and reiterates that it is unacceptable to return to the old, private ISDS mechanism;. Calls upon the parties to rely on their established domestic court systems for disputes arising in the context of investments; insists on the principle of equality before the law for citizens, and domestic and foreign investors.
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes that the agreement includes a rendezvous clause to assess the issue of cross-border transfer of data provisions within three years; calls on the Commission to fully respect the EU law on data protection and on the protection of privacy and stresses that any future outcome must be subject to the consent of Parliament;. Urges the parties to provide safeguards on data protection and privacy with as minimum the protection provided by the EU General Data Protection Regulation.
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls on the Commission to monitor closely the properwhether the implementation of the agreed removal of the NTMs, as well as the management of tariff-rate quotas for agricultural products, lead to adverse effects for the population of Japan or of the Union, and to report back to Parliament;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Suspends the final vote on the ratification of the EPA until a new text has been presented that well reflects all demands expressed by Parliament in this resolution;