22 Amendments of Yannick JADOT related to 2011/2113(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 a (new)
Citation 17 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 6 April 2011 on the future European international investment policy3,
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the Arab Spring is the greatest 1 Text adopted of that date P7_TA(2011)0154. 2 Text adopted of that date P7_TA(2011)0576. 3 Text adopted of that date P7_TA(2011)0141. political transformation in the European Neighbourhood since the fall of the Berlin Wall and has offereds the EU the opportunity to match its commercial and foreign policy interests withpursue its core values of human rights, democracy and a free society, among others through a sensitive implementation of commercial tools; whereas a prosperous and stable neighbourhood is key to the security and the economic progress of Europe;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas, thus far, the economies of SMCs have been run by undemocratic leaders to the benefit of the few; whereas the fact that many dictators have now been deposed opens up new opportunities to open up the economies of the region and create a true market economyfor economic development in the region;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Believes that the Arab Spring is an unparalleled historical event instigated by the peoples' aspirations for freedom; expresses its profound sadness at the loss of life during the struggle to overthrow corrupt dictatorships; regrets and apologises if the EU's long-lasting maintenance of trade agreements and negotiations with corrupt dictators, which in the case of Libya were abandoned only at the outbreak of hostilities, may have contributed to prolonging the oppression of peoples;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Is aware that, following these sacrifices, there is a huge expectation in SMC societies of far greater and fairer EU support for democratic reforms and genuine economic development to the benefit of all;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Is aware of the fact that in the last ten years the EU has fostered a more deep and comprehensive approach to Free Trade Agreements with the rulers of most SMCs, notwithstanding the apparent lack of democratic legitimacy of negotiation partners; considers that an entirely new approach to trade relations is needed which takes into account the immediate concern of stabilising democratic processes in the build-up of new social and political institutions, which then may act as legitimate and informed partners in negotiations for trade agreements;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Points out that the EU is the biggest consumer market in the world, to which accessnatural partner for the should only be granted if partner countries are serthern Mediterranean economies and that trade relatiouns about engaging in the bilateral opening of markets, if the benefits ofin this region have to be judged on a broader set of criteria, including that the benefits of trade agreements and economic reforms are enjoyed by the whole population of the partner countryies and if thethat appropriate political, social and environmental commitments are given and fulfilled;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the differentiatedRemains entirely unconvinced about the approach suggested by the Commission (‘more for more’) andwhich presumes that the western intrinsic relation between civil and consumer liberties is of primary attractiveness to the region; believes that achievements on democratic reforms and individual freedoms shouldwill be mirrored by a similar process in the economic and trade landscape with accompanying freedoms to set up and conduct business in order to dismantle the oligarchies whichand lead to specific forms of economic organisation and, hopefully, more economic democracy than haves traditionally dominated SMCs;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that the EU already has strong preferential trade agreements with many SMCs under the Association Agreements; nevertheless underlines that nthe dimensione of these processes have been fully completed and is convincecooperation among SMCs is lagging behind which would increase the value of these trade agreements and that therefore there is still great potential to deepen economic relations on a regional level, particularly also in the regulatory field, with the long-term goal of integration into the EU's internal markethich would need to be explored before moving into extending trade agreements to new sectoral fields;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. WelcomeRegrets, therefore, the Council decision to authorise the opening of bilateral DCFTA negotiations with Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia as soon a; believes theat necessary preparatory processes are completed; believes that the subsequent scoping exercises should draw from the experiences of the preparatory phases conducted with the Eastern partners whilst recognising the great political importance of avoiding unnecessary delays for those partners who are ready to commence negotiationgotiations should be conducted with this group of countries in the framework of the Agadir Agreement on a sub-regional level, in order to foster a coordinated economic reform process among these four countries;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Recalls that the Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) on a Mediterranean- wide FTA, carried out by Manchester University on behalf of the Commission, comes to the conclusion that in an FTA social hardships and environmental stress are likely to increase in the short term, especially in the Maghreb region; considers that, in order to sustain the success of the Arab Spring, any trade- related measure resulting in additional social or environmental stress must be avoided; calls on the Commission to propose principles to the partners for achieving an optimal convergence of social and environmental criteria which should guide the negotiations, including options for carve-outs or highly asymmetrical treatment of socially and environmentally sensitive sectors, such as public services, agricultural products, retail and investor duties;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Is concerned that the European External Action Service (EEAS) has not yet made public the details of the ‘more for more’ criteria that will determine, together with the commercial scoping exercise, whether a country is eligible for a DCFTA; asks the EEAS, therefore, to establish these criteria so that the process is transparent and so that partner countries know in advance where adjustments need to be made; insists that respect for democratic institutions and fundamental rights, including freedom of expression and freedom of association, must be central to thise process and considers that iof deepening economic relations with the EU and considers that offers for increased access to the EU market should be responsive to significant improvements or deteriorations in partner countries during the preparatory phase and the negotiations themselves; insists that these criteria should include an appropriate level of economic opening and an index of how all levels of society benefit from trade and foreign direct investment (FDI);
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Underlines that, in particular, service liberalisation and regulatory alignment of SMCs with EU rules will have deep consequences on the social organisation and social relations in the partner countries, which can easily be disruptive for the build-up of a more stable socio- political fabric in the partner countries; regards it as indispensable that all social forces, especially NGOs and trade union organisations, are involved and consulted from the outset of any trade negotiations;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the focus on unjustified behind-the- border barriers to trade and alignment with the EU's acquis, but notes that there is still scope for further tariff reductions with certain countries; stresses that, for DCFTAsany trade agreement to be of true value to SMCs, the EU must be prepared to make genuine concessions in sensitive areas such as agriculture and Mode IV services; notes, in this context, that the EU actually has a significant total trade surplus in agriculture with these countries, while the food security index of most of the SMCs is negative and deteriorating; recalls that social unrest in some of the partner SMCs has started with raising prices for imported cereals, which makes it imperative to look at the agricultural sector in terms of its sustainable development for feeding local populations; regards export orientation through the liberalisation of agricultural goods as secondary to the goal of restoring food security;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Underlines that FDI is particularly important for the economic development of SMCs, since levels of investment are either insufficient or overly targeted at raw material extraction industries; asks the Commission to ensure that DCFTAs and investment efforts in the region are coordinated to promote economic diversificationis aware that FDI must be better orientated towards supporting local economic processes, national development goals and regional economic diversification; regrets, in this respect, that the Council mandates for trade negotiations with Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia and Morocco in the respective investment chapters demand the highest possible level of investor protection and unconditional national treatment, thus neglecting a balanced vision of investor rights and duties and disregarding the demands of the Parliament in its resolution on the future European international investment policy of April 2011;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes, however, that previous attempts to bilaterally negotiate sectoral arrangements under the Association Agreements have not proved successful; asks the Commission to incentivise SMCs to negotiate on investment and other so-called ‘Singapore issues’ such as services within the context of DCFTAs; considers that the Commission should applyexplore whether within the sub-regional Agadir Agreement group of SMCs there is openness to tackle additional trade issues under conditions of asymmetrical implementation, where appropriate, and be flexibleility regarding the sensitive sectors of partner countries;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Ask the Commission to use DCFTAs to alignStresses the economic potential of a higher degree of alignment of standards in the regulatory field, namely regarding technical standards and regulations, sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures (SPS), transparency rules for public procurement, trade/customs facilitation and the elimination of non- tariff barriers (NTBs); points out that this cooperation is not satisfactorily addressed in Association Agreements and that the level of EU involvand trade/customs facilitation; points out that these topics should be high on the agenda for trade negotiations with the countries of the Agadir Agreement, should be intensifiedince progress in these areas would yield immediate economic gains;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Recognises that DCFTAs should be the main objective but that, in the meantime,minds that the Commission is pursuing sectoral negotiations under the existing bilateral Association Agreements, including agreements on conformity assessment and acceptance of industrial products (ACAAs), agriculture and fisheries agreements, services and investment agreements, and dispute settlement arrangements; calls on the Commission to also consider updating the existing sectoral agreements with countries where offers can be improved and where a DCFTA is not immediately possible; asks the Commission to give better consideration to when and how these processes will be finally merged with the future DCFTAsexplore with the Agadir Agreement group of SMCs whether these ongoing bilateral efforts should be transposed into the regional frame, and to ensure that the loss of membership of the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) in 2014 will not negatively affect SMC access to the EU market in any product line;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Demands that the Commission also prepaexplores a strategy for those ‘more for more’ partners with which either no prior agreement exists or which are not the immediate targets of DCFTAs, especially those, such as Libya and Lebanon, which are not yet members of the WTOies to integrate Libya and Lebanon in regional trade cooperation schemes; underlines that, while technical assistance to help these countries' progress towards WTO membership should continue in earnest, this alone is not sufficient and should be complemented, as appropriate, by WTO-compatible agreements which will bring benefits in the shorter term;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Acknowledges the role of the EIB, through the Facility for Euro- Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP), in helping SMEs in the Southern Mediterranean; welcomes the decision to raise the ceiling for its operations in the region by €EUR 1 billion, which will bring the EIB's operations in the region to €EUR 6 billion over the coming three years; reaffirms that the EIB should specifically target its investment projects towards SMEs and the development of infrastructure projects; insists that the EIB needs to increase its administrative capacities in order to control its intermediary partner banks distributing ‘Global Loans’ under the criteria of the EU's external action goals, in order to render its operations fully accountable to the public;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Regrets that the Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area was not established by 2010calls the set-backs of the Barcelona Process and hopes that all partners will use the momentum created by the Arab Spring to push forward wia balanced progress of the the necessary reforms forree areas of the Barcelona approach, namely political, economic and cultural cooperation, including the creation of a functioning and fully fledged free trade area;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28