36 Amendments of Judith SARGENTINI related to 2012/2224(INI)
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the link between trade liberalisation and poverty reduction is not automatic; but whereas opening up trade can be one of the most effective drivers of economic growth and development, if and when the right conditions are in place;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the EU's trade policy towards developing countries seeks to better integrate them into the international trading system, but lacks clearly defined development objectives; and whereas despite significant liberalization efforts, some developing countries, notably LDCs, have not been able to diversify production and exports;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the impact of globalisation on poverty reduction is uneven; whereas a large proportion of the population in developing countries still live in extreme poverty, and particularly in the LDCs: in 1990, only 18% of the extremely poor were living in LDCs, while by 2007, that share had doubled to 36%;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the negotiations on Economic Partnership Agreements have raised major difficulties for developing countries (in terms of fiscal revenue losses, regional integration, etc.); whereas the high number of countries effectively leaving the negotiations indicates the lack of a development agenda within the Interim EPAs: some of the countries which effectively leave believe that the such EPAs would lead them towards a less favourable situation than the trade provisions of the Cotonou Agreement; whereas EPA negotiations are far behind schedule, overall progress is still weak and more than a time limit is needed to remedy this situation;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas poor countries have difficulties in compensating for the decline in trade taxes as a result from the current global context of trade liberalisation; and whereas there is a danger that customs tariffs on processed goods which exceed those on raw materials may help to consign developing countries to the role merely of exporters of raw materials;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas the expansion of agrofuels has relied overwhelmingly on the expansion of large-scale industrial monoculture, thereby extending agricultural practises that are harmful for the environment, biodiversity, soil fertility and water availability; and whereas the expansion of agrofuels may have dramatic consequences in terms of violation of land rights, loss of access to vital natural resources, deforestation and environmental degradation;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas Aid for Trade (AfT) is critically needed in modesigned to assist developing countries to assist in building among others trade capacity, promoting processing and diversification of production, reducing administrative barriers to trade, putting in place an efficient infrastructure for the transport of goods, and strengthening local businesses to prepare them for competition and allow them to benefit from new market opportunities; whereas Aid for Trade should help promoting processing and diversification of production; assist regional integration; technology transfers, and help facilitate the establishment or development of domestic productive capacity and reducing income inequality;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas regional integration is an effective means of achieving prosperity, peace and security; and whereas, in a context of climate change, intraregional trade shall be supported, especially in a context where the development benefits of better functioning internal and regional trade may be as significant as those of increased external trade;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L a (new)
Recital L a (new)
La. whereas "conflict resources" are natural resources whose systematic exploitation and trade in a context of conflict contribute to, benefit from or result in the commission of serious violations of human rights, violations of international humanitarian law or violations amounting to crimes under international law;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. WelcomesTakes note of the focus on the business environment, regional integration and world markets, as well as on social protection, health, education and jobs in the Agenda for Change (COM(2011)0637);
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Underlines that investment policy raises two main challenges for developing countries: at the national level, investment policy needs to be included into development strategy, incorporating sustainable development objectives; at the international level, it is necessary to strengthen the development dimension of international investment agreements (IIAs) and balancing the rights and obligations of States and investors;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Regrets that, according to UNCTAD's World Investment Report 2012, some International Investment Agreements (IIA) concluded in 2011 keep to the traditional Treaty model that focuses on investment protection as the sole aim of the Treaty; however, welcomes the fact that some new IIAs include provisions to ensure that the Treaty does not interfere with, but instead contributes to countries' sustainable development strategies that focus on the environmental and social impacts of investment;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Notes with concern the growing number of investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS) cases filed under International Investment Agreements (IIA) whereby investors have challenged core public policies, claiming that these policies have negatively affected their business prospects; underlines, in this context, that the World Investment Report (2012) of the UNCTAD indicates that IIAs are becoming increasingly controversial and politically sensitive, primarily owing to the spread of IIA- based investor-State arbitrations which provoke growing discontent (e.g. Australia's trade-policy statement announcing that it would stop including ISDS clauses in its future IIAs), and which reflect, among others, deficiencies in the system (e.g. wide scope of provisions such as expropriation, concerns regarding the qualification of arbitrators, lack of transparency and high costs of the proceeding, and the relationship between ISDS and State- State proceedings); insists accordingly that any future European investments agreements must not contain international investor-state dispute settlement;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 d (new)
Paragraph 3 d (new)
3d. Recalls that mobilizing investment for sustainable development remains a major challenge for developing countries, particularly for LDCs; underlines, in this context, that UNCTAD has developed a comprehensive Investment Policy Framework for Sustainable Development (IPFSD) that puts a particular emphasis on the relationship between foreign investment and sustainable development;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Recalls that the link between international trade and poverty reduction is not automatic; notes, in this respect, that UNCTAD states that the average level of trade integration of the LDCs, measured by the ratio of exports and imports of goods and services to GDP, has actually been higher than that of the advanced economies since the early 1990s; hence, considers that the persistence of mass poverty in the LDCs is not due to lack of integration into the global economy, insufficient trade liberalisation or insufficient policy reforms, but is rather the consequence of underdevelopment and the failure of these countries to promote structural transformation, build productive capacity, and create productive employment at the national level;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Underlines equally that UNCTAD argues that the premature and rapid trade liberalisation that many low-income developing countries were encouraged to undertake in the 1980s and 1990s led to de-industrialisation and a form of integration that intensified their dependence on and vulnerability to external markets; in reverse, the countries that have benefited the most from trade liberalisation and have experienced the largest reductions in absolute poverty are those that have opened their economies moderately, gradually in line with the development of their productive capacities, and have made progress towards structural transformation;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Welcomes the Commission's recognition of the need to support the participation of small producers and businesses; points to the market potential of Fair Trade schemes and the efficiency of such schemes in facilitating social development
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. SRecalls that there is considerable heterogeneity in the welfare impacts of trade and trade reforms, with both winners and losers in the process; hence, stresses the importance of combining trade reforms with well-designed public policies, notably social protection; more broadly, stresses the importance of timely and well-prepared National Development Strategies and prior impact assessments; of existing trade policy on poverty;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses the importance of timely and well-prepared National Development Strategies and impact assessments, and calls on the European Commission to implement the guidance prepared by the UN rapporteur on the right to food which calls for the use of Human Rights Impact Assessments - 'Guiding Principles on Human Rights Impact Assessments of Trade and Investment Agreements' - when concluding trade and investment agreements, to ensure that these are consistent with obligations under international human rights instruments;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the EU to always ensure that its broad approach to trade negotiations, with the inclusion of issues like investment, government procurement, competition, trade in services and intellectual property rights, is in line with the respective needs and development strategies of partner countries; in particular, points out that the introduction of the reciprocity principle regarding public procurement can be extremely harmful for developing countries, as it will among others hamper the development of infant industries and processing; urges therefore the EU to define its policy in full respect of the "special and differential treatment" granted to developing countries; reasserts equally that governments and parliaments must retain the right to regulate investment, both so as to be able to discriminate in favour of investors that support the country's development and to ensure that there are obligations and duties on all investors, including foreign, so that labour, environmental, human rights and other standards are respected;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Calls on the EU to ensure that Aid for Trade promotes poverty-reducing and inclusive instruments, therefore its primary focus should be on the needs of small operators; stresses that Aid for Trade should be used for developing sustainable value chains with a pro-poor focus in order to enhance the goal of acquiring a sustainable supply chain;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Is convinced of the potential of the private sector to function as a driving force in development and stresses that in order to realise this potential, the process needs to serve local communities and generate, via the principle of inclusive fair supply chains, empowerment for all actors involved, from the producer/worker to the consumer;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Welcomes the fact that a broad range of industries for TNCs set supplier codes of conduct detailing the social and environmental performance standards for their global supply chains; recalls however that the proliferation and heterogeneity of CSR codes present challenges, in particular, notes that owing to the heterogeneity of the concept of (CSR), with different companies having developed different standards on accounting, auditing and reporting, levels of CSR are hard to compare; hence, calls once more on the EU to strive for a clear international legal framework over the responsibilities and obligations of business with regard to human rights;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls moreover on EU-based and other companies to abide by the ten core principles of the UN's Global Compact and Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for stronger EU efforts in relation to tax havensRecalls that tax fraud and tax evasion are limiting the capacity of EU Member States to raise revenues and to carry out their economic policy; calls for stronger EU efforts in relation to tax havens; in particular, calls for the adoption of an international convention with the purpose of eliminating harmful tax structures (on the model of a multilateral mechanism for automatic tax-information exchange), that would include sanctions both for non-cooperative jurisdictions and for financial institutions that operate within tax havens (i.e. by considering the possibility to withdraw banking licences from financial institutions that operate with tax havens on the model of the US Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act);
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Urges the EU, other aid donors, partner country authorities and local and international private actors in developing countries to explore possible areas of cooperation for sustainable development in order to maximise the development output of business activities; and to include civil society organisations at all levels of discussions;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes the flaws inat after the implementation and follow-up of the regulations laid down for the ‘Kimberley Process’; emphasises the urgent need for a solid, transparent and reliable tracking system for gems and valuable minerals, such as coltan, so as to more efficiently prevent products that contribute to systematic breaches of human rights, or fuel conflict or unrest in developing countries, from entering the EU marketof the Kimberley Process for the certification of conflict diamonds', trade in natural resources is still fuelling rebels and human rights abuses are still taking place in mining areas, therefore emphasises the urgent need for a system of due diligence for gems and valuable minerals, such as so- called conflict minerals, takes the view that such a measure could contribute to addressing the overriding challenge of the resource curse and increase the benefits for developing countries to trade their commodities; welcomes, in this context, that the Commissions plans to publish a Communication on conflict minerals;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Underlines that natural resources raise two main challenges for developed and developing countries: the environmental challenge to cope with impacts from using resources along their lifecycle and the socio-political challenge to cope with human rights and poverty internationally;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Strongly supports the legislative proposal for country-by-country reporting in the remit of the revision of the Accounting and Transparency Directive, in order to discourage corruption and prevent tax avoidance; calls on European extractive industries operating in developing countries to set an example of social responsibility and the promotion of decent work;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)
Paragraph 19 c (new)
19c. Points out that the governance problem in the resource sector has been addressed almost entirely by voluntary initiatives, the most prominent one being the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, that attempts to improve information transparency; observes however, that that although being necessary, EITI is not sufficient to address the wider problem of corruption and bribery in the extractive sector; likewise, notes that the UN Framework on Business and Human Rights (protect, respect, access to remedy) is not yet specific with regard to extractive industries and resources; in this respect, takes the view that there is a need to add specific provisions on extractive industries to the UN Framework on Business and Human Rights: a first step might be to appoint a special rapporteur of the UN Human Rights Council on that issue, with a mandate to assess and develop recommendations;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 d (new)
Paragraph 19 d (new)
19d. Takes the view that standards for transparency and certification need to be enlarged over time to fully address bribery and corruption in the extractive sector and beyond, while global overuse of natural resources ought to be addressed as well; more broadly, calls on the EU to support stronger governance mechanisms to address the environmental dimensions and human rights of resource exploitation; in particular, takes the view that an international convention for sustainable resource management is essential to lay down fundamental legal principles for sustainable resource management;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 e (new)
Paragraph 19 e (new)
19e. Stresses that sustainable mining requires approaches that address the whole lifecycle of resources; points out that the complexity of the global supply chains hinder transparency; accordingly, takes the view that existing transparency initiatives should be accompanied by certification efforts in the form of product labelling along mineral supply chains;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Ddemands that European private actors involved in trade with or refinement of products from extractive industries take steps to ensure the regular, thorough and strict follow-up of CSR principles along the supply chain;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Takes the view that bilateral trade and investment policies should refer to common principles such as those provided by the Natural Resource Charter; in line with due diligence supply chain efforts, considers that this could be accompanied by sectoral provisions in areas relating to smelters and refineries, metal and recycling industries;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Reiterates its concern about the Commission's objective to secure unrestricted supply of raw materials for EU companies; points out that such strategy is not consistent with the overarching goal of eradication of poverty and policy coherence as enshrined in Article 208 of the Lisbon Treaty, as it is likely to prevent countries from diversifying production, while reinforcing their dependence on unprocessed raw material exports; reasserts that the main priority of the EU should be to reduce its own consumption of raw materials;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 c (new)
Paragraph 20 c (new)
20c. Points out that the EU's attempts to ban or curb the use of export taxes on raw materials goes against the objective of enabling countries to generate sufficient public revenue to meet MDGs and more broadly, to secure endogenous development; hence, urges the EU to acknowledge that export restrictions can be part of some countries' development strategies or justified for environmental protection;