Activities of Ulrike LUNACEK related to 2011/0303(NLE)
Plenary speeches (1)
EU-Central America association agreement (debate)
Amendments (20)
Amendment 2 #
Proposal for a decision
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
- having regard to its recommendation of 15 March 2007¹ to the Council on the negotiating mandate for an Association Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the countries of Central America, of the other part, _______________ ¹ OJ_C301E, p. 153, 13.12.2007.
Amendment 9 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas for the development of relations with Latin America is of mutual benefit and briEU- Latin America partnership relations to be of mutual benefit and bring advantages to both parties it is essential that respect for democracy, the state of law and full human rights for all members of society be seen as significant elements of political dialogue; that the fight against poverty and inequality be seen as a key element of biregional cooperation relations; and for trade exchanges advantages to all EU Member Stateto include fair conditions of mutual benefit based on the principles of complementarity and solidarity, founded on awareness of the asymmetries in development existing between the two regions,
Amendment 17 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the aim of the Association Agreement between the EU and Central America should be to promote sustainable development, the consolidation of democracy and the state of law, full respect for human rights, social cohesion and regional integration,
Amendment 20 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas the Agreement includes a human rights clause which requires the signatory parties to properly monitor human rights and that its practical enforceability must be guaranteed,
Amendment 23 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas the Agreement includes a trade and sustainable development chapter which should help to maintain a high level of socio-environmental and labour protection,
Amendment 25 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
Cd. whereas the social and environmental impact report predicted that production would be focused on primary sectors such as fruit, vegetables and dried fruits, with more pressure on land and water resources and that social conflict would increase
Amendment 29 #
Proposal for a decision
Paragraph 1 - point c a (new)
Paragraph 1 - point c a (new)
(c a) Recalls that the process of Central American integration has been subjected to severe pressure as a result of political crises in and among its countries, as well as the lack of interest shown by some members in supporting the institutions of the Central American integration system;
Amendment 30 #
Proposal for a decision
Paragraph 1 - point d
Paragraph 1 - point d
(d) StresseRegrets that this iAgreement, as the first comprehensive partnership between regions, and the result ofgives precedence to the trade component over other aspects, thereby demonstrating the EU’s unbendinterest ing political will. This partnership marks a decisive step forward in the integration of Central America and goes far beyond mere questions of free traderioritising its commercial strategy; this has reduced the Agreement to a free trade agreement along closely similar lines to that signed between the Central American countries and the United States, CAFTA;
Amendment 33 #
Proposal for a decision
Paragraph 1 - point e
Paragraph 1 - point e
(e) Highlights the fact that the Association Agreement with Central America is the logical conclusion of the EU’Regrets that the EU has in this way relegated to second place its policy to support the peace process, stability and democracy in the region launched in the 1980s with a substantial political commitment expressed through the various peace accords and the Contadora Process;
Amendment 35 #
Proposal for a decision
Paragraph 1 - point f
Paragraph 1 - point f
(f) Welcomes the extraordinary new impetus that the political dialogue enshrined in the Association Agreement brings to the bioregional relationship in terms of dialogue between governments, parliament and civil society, a qualitative leap forward with regard to the old San José dialogue process begun in 1984; regrets that the institutional framework promoted by the Agreement does not include an institutional mechanism for dialogue with civil society in a broader sense, as it only provides for periodic meetings in order to exchange information;
Amendment 37 #
Proposal for a decision
Paragraph 1 - point g
Paragraph 1 - point g
(g) Stresses the parliamentary dimension of the Association Agreement, with the establishment of a Parliamentary Association Committee, made up of MEPs and Central American parliamentarians, which is to be kept informed of decisions taken by the Association Council and may make recommendations and gather information on how the agreement is being implemented; calls for an annual report to be submitted by the Association Council to the Association Parliamentary Committee, on the state of compliance with labour, socio-environmental and human rights standards within the framework of implementation of the Agreement and for its recommendations to be taken into consideration;
Amendment 39 #
Proposal for a decision
Paragraph 1 - point h
Paragraph 1 - point h
(h) Stresses that the Association Agreement reached with Central America contains a number of important elements which help to secure the goals of the EU's external action, as enshrined in Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union and, in particular, to develop and consolidate human rights and democracy, aignores one of the aims outlined in Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union: to ‘foster the sustainable economy andic, social and environmental development of developing countries, with the primary aim of eradicating poverty’;
Amendment 42 #
Proposal for a decision
Paragraph 1 - point i
Paragraph 1 - point i
(i) Points out that Article 1 of the agreement refers to respect for democratic principles, fundamental human rights and the principle of the rule of law as ‘essential elements’ of the agreement, so that failure to observe them by any of the parties would result in the adoption of measures which could eventually lead to the suspension of the agreement; regrets, however, that no specific mechanism has been included to guarantee its effectiveness, as the European Parliament had recommended;
Amendment 44 #
Proposal for a decision
Paragraph 1 - point j
Paragraph 1 - point j
(j) StresseRegrets that the Association Agreement with Central America should be seen asis not, as it stands, an ideal framework for joining forces, as equal partners, to combat social inequality, to foster inclusive development and to address the remaining social, economic and political challenges;
Amendment 47 #
Proposal for a decision
Paragraph 1 - point q
Paragraph 1 - point q
(q) Highlights the fact that the Association Agreement helps achieve the goals of the EU's external action, as enshrined in Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union; points out that respect for democratic principles, fundamental human rights and the rule of law are essential elements of the agreementwhich has been negotiated does not take into account Central America’s vulnerability in development terms, and thereby ignores one of the aims outlined in Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union: to ‘foster the sustainable economic, social and environmental development of developing countries, with the primary aim of eradicating poverty’;
Amendment 55 #
Proposal for a decision
Paragraph 1 - point r
Paragraph 1 - point r
(r) StresseRegrets that the current trade provisions, which are of a provisional nature and based on a unilateral system of generalised preferences, will gradually give way to a reciprocal, negotiated structure for the gradual liberalisation of trade in goods and services and of public procurement, as well as for action to encourage investment. This will lead to a predictable framework of legal security and certainty, able to inspire mutual trust, which which essentially benefits the European Union, given its essential to building trade and investmentsubstantial competitive advantage in these sectors;
Amendment 58 #
Proposal for a decision
Paragraph 1 - point r a (new)
Paragraph 1 - point r a (new)
(ra) Regrets that the requirement to comply with labour and socio- environmental standards established by the Agreement is below that set by the currently applicable GSP+ system, due to the fact that the trade and sustainable development chapter neither includes nor is linked to the dispute settlement mechanism;
Amendment 59 #
Proposal for a decision
Paragraph 1 - point t
Paragraph 1 - point t
(t) Points out that the Association Agreement with Central America should makes a meaningful contribution to regional, social and political integration efforts and to achieving the ultimate objective of the Biregional Strategic Partnership between the EU and Latin America
Amendment 61 #
Proposal for a decision
Paragraph 1 - point t a (new)
Paragraph 1 - point t a (new)
(ta) Expresses its concern at the foreseeable socio-environmental impact of the Agreement and the consequences of this for a region already worryingly prone to natural disasters, even before taking the climate change variable into consideration; urges the Association Parliamentary Committee to closely monitor the situation as it develops, request information from the Association Council and deliver an annual report;
Amendment 65 #
Proposal for a decision
Paragraph 1 - point t c (new)
Paragraph 1 - point t c (new)
(tb) Urges the Association Council to carry out an impact assessment five years after the implementation of the Agreement; considers that the Agreement should be reviewed on the basis of the findings and the impact observed;