Activities of Helmut SCHOLZ related to 2023/0038M(NLE)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT containing a motion for a non-legislative resolution on the draft Council decision, on behalf of the Union, on the conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand
Amendments (21)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
– having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 3 May 2018 on the current situation and future prospects for the sheep and goat sectors in the EU and its recommendations related to the EU-NZ FTA (2017/2117(INI)),
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)
Citation 16 a (new)
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 b (new)
Citation 16 b (new)
– having regard to the Paris Climate Agreement and the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published on 20 March 2023,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 d (new)
Citation 16 d (new)
– having regard to the eight Fundamental ILO Conventions: (1) Convention Concerning Forced or Compulsory Labour No 29 [1930]; (2) Equal Remuneration Convention No 100 [1951]; (3) Convention Concerning the Abolition of Forced Labour No 105 [1957]; (4) Freedom of Association and Protection of the Rights to Organise Convention No 87 [1948]; (5) Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention No 98 [1949]; (6) Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention No 111 [1958]; (8) Minimum Working Age Convention No 138 [1973]; (8) Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention No 182 [1999],
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 f (new)
Citation 16 f (new)
– having regard to the Kunming- Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework” (GBF) from December 2022,
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 b (new)
Citation 18 b (new)
– having regard to the Treaty of Waitangi signed on February 6, 1840 and the Waitangi Tribunal Report on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement from 20161, 1 https://waitangitribunal.govt.nz/news/tpp a-treaty-clause-not-a-breach-tribunal- says/
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas New Zealand’s major goods for exports to the EU are agricultural commodities such as dairy products, meat, fruit and vegetables, and wine; whereas most of these products are also produced in EU countries;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the economic impact assessment carried out by the Commission found that, as a result of the FTA, EU investment flows into New Zealand could grow by 80 % and bilateral trade could increase by 130 %; whereas the SIA warned that the growth in trade in general and agricultural production in particular could lead to more emissions and would pose extra challenges for New Zealand to keep out invasive foreign species that affect the sensitive biodiversity balance and endanger New Zealand's richness in unique species; stresses the latter could lead to more emissions related to the beef and sheep meat sector as well as pressure on the environment via changes in land use;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the Agreement includes an increase of 38,000 tonnes in import quotas for New Zealand sheep and 10.000 tonnes of beef; whereas New Zealand sheep and beef imported into Europe has to travel up to twelve weeks and over a distance of 18,000 km, kept at least at temperatures of 0° C so it can be presented to consumers as "fresh meat";
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas all the EU Member States have already ratified the eight core international labour Conventions; whereas New Zealand has still to ratify two of the core ILO labour Conventions, namely C087, C138;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers this agreement to be of major political significance for bilateral relations between the EU and New Zealand and the promotion of rules- and values- based trade;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the fact that, as the most ambitious and comprehensive EU trade deal ever concluded in relation to the Trade and Sustainable development chapter, the agreement delivers on the priorities set out in Parliament’s resolutions of 25 February 2016 and 26 October 2017; notes that the agreement includes a dispute settlement mechanism to ensure that the rights and obligations contained therein are respected;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Takes note that the agreement integrates, for the first time, the new EU approach to trade and sustainable development and incorporates an unprecedented level of environmental and labour commitments to effectively implement International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions ratified by the parties and the Paris Agreement; points out the possibility of trade sanctions as a last resort, in instances of serious violations of the Paris Agreement and the core ILO standards; believes that the FTA sets a benchmark in this area; is aware that these levels may not be matched by future FTAs with less like-minded partnerregrets that new provisions integrated in the TSD chapter, such as on decent work agenda, on gender equality, biological diversity, fossil fuel subsidy reform, deforestation, overfishing, responsible business conduct, are largely cooperation-based and are non- sanctionable; calls for a review of the TSD chapter within two years of its entry into force and a joint development of clear milestones and implementation roadmaps by both the EU and NZ involving the DAGs; believes the improvements made in the trade and sustainable development chapter are not sufficient enough to balance the social and environmental risks posed by the proposed agreed trade liberalizations;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the inclusion of a chapter on Māori trade and economic cooperation, together with specific provisions regarding Māori in several other places in the agreement, and stresses the importance of all citizens and companies in the EU and New Zealand being able to benefit from the trade and investment opportunities that the agreement brings; notes however that the chapter is unenforceable and avoids to incorporate indicative responsibilities to fix clear and transparent commitments to action or providing resources to fund them, no protections from harm, and no power sharing for Maori people; regrets that it was explicitly excluded from the dispute settlement system;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. welcomes the ongoing negotiations for an Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS) led by New Zealand aiming to remove tariffs on environmental goods, new and binding commitments for environmental services, as well as disciplines to eliminate harmful fossil fuel subsidies; regrets that the EU- NZ FTA does not introduce similar commitments that could have create a benchmark for the WTO EGA negotiations;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. notes that current tariff-rate quotas for New Zealand have an impact on sheep meat production in Europe, and this is expected to worsen by an increase in imports; furthermore, liberalisation of beef and sheep is not coherent with EU's Farm to fork strategy and its commitments to reduce meat consumption and implement a vegetable protein strategy;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses that in line with the objective of the Green Deal, the EU's long-term growth strategy aims to make Europe climate-neutral by 2050; while New Zealand also has committed to being carbon neutral by 2050; stresses that the energy mix used in the maritime sector relies currently almost entirely on fossil fuels; notes that to achieve climate neutrality, the EU must reduce transport emissions, including those from maritime transport, by 90% by 2050 (compared to 1990 levels); is concerned that the greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transport of products from New Zealand are incompatible with EU's climate commitments;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Believes that the market-access commitments on goods, given the removal of relatively high duties on industrial products such as cars and textiles, and the commitments on services, including delivery, telecommunications, financial and international maritime transport services, have the potential to significantly boost bilateral trade; considers that the agreement promotes transparency and the use of international standards to facilitate market access, while safeguarding the levels of protection that each party deems appropriate; appreciates New Zealand’s acceptance of EU type-approval certificates and the provisions of the annex on wine and spirits, which will respectively facilitate trade in the vehicles and wine and spirits sectors; regrets that market openings are not linked to compliance with stricter environmental standards, which risks to lock-in harmful production methods, particularly in agriculture and industry;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. WelcomesTakes note of the fact that the EU and New Zealand will reciprocally open up their procurement markets beyond what is already covered under the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement; regrets that governments will be losing a legitimate tool to stimulate domestic production, consumption and a national industrial strategy;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes that the agreement includes a dedicated chapter on digital trade, which will ensure predictability and legal certainty in digital trade transactions and facilitate cross-border data flows, while respecting the EU acquis on the protection of data and privacy; welcomnotes the inclusion of ambitious articles on the protection of source code and is concerned about its impact on the need for transparency of algorithms; asks for an impact assessment of this provision in relation to EU's new legislation such as the AI Act; welcomes the commitments on paperless trade;