Awaiting Parliament 1st reading / single reading / budget 1st stage
2013/2739(RSP) EU trade relations with the Euromed countries
Lead committee dossier: INTA/7/13360
Legal Basis RoP 110-p2
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | INTA |
Legal Basis RoP 110-p2
Activites
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2014/01/16
Vote in plenary scheduled
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2014/01/15
Debate in plenary scheduled
- 2013/11/11 Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE522.950
| Amendments | Dossier |
| 74 |
2013/2739(RSP)
2013/11/11
INTA
74 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 5 a (new) - having regard to the 2006 European Union Sustainability Impact Assessment Study of the Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas the EU should use its exclusive competence over trade and investment policy to foster greater links and economic integration in the Mediterranean area, with the sole objective of assisting with the meeting of the just aspirations of the people in the Southern Mediterranean countries in terms of a meaningful and lasting increase in living standards, democratic freedoms and the creation of decent and unionised jobs;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas the EU should use its exclusive competence over trade and investment policy to foster greater links and social and economic integration in the Mediterranean area;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas the EU should use its exclusive competence over trade and investment policy to foster greater links
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the evolving political landscape in the Southern Mediterranean is very fragile and necessitates a clear and supportive response
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the evolving political landscape in the Southern Mediterranean necessitates a clear and supportive response by the European Union in order to consolidate the democratic gains achieved to date and support those whose realisation is still underway; whereas trade
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas the evolving political landscape in the Southern Mediterranean necessitates a clear and supportive response by the European Union in order to consolidate the democratic gains achieved to date and support those whose realisation is still underway; whereas
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the use of Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements (DCFTAs) where the economic and political requirements are met offer a means of furthering the economic links between the European Union and the Euromed SMCs, particularly as regards regulatory convergence;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas trade liberalisation in the
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas on 19 November 2012, the Polisario raised five pleas in law in support of its action against (i) Council Decision 2012/497/EU of 8 March 2012 on the conclusion of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco concerning reciprocal liberalisation measures on agricultural products, processed agricultural products, fish and fishery products, the replacement of Protocols 1, 2 and 3 and their Annexes and amendments to the Euro- Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of Morocco, of the other part (OJ 2012 L 241, p. 2) and (ii) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 812/2012 of 12 September 2012 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 747/2001 as regards tariff quotas of the Union for certain agricultural and processed agricultural products originating in Morocco (OJ 2012 L 247, p. 7);
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 5 b (new) - having regard to the Declaration of the Paris Summit for the Mediterranean, held in Paris on 13 July 2008,
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas many SMCs suffer from serious economic weaknesses and obstacles to growth such as poor governance
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas many SMCs suffer from serious
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas many SMCs suffer from serious economic weaknesses and obstacles to growth such as poor governance and chronic unemployment where large sectors of the population, especially the youngest working generations, are excluded from the job market and whereas according to the ILO Euromed countries have the highest ratio of women compared to men in low quality jobs;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas Association Agreements (AAs) and Free Trade Agreements are not a goal in themselves but instruments for promoting profound and sustainable reform, systemic transformation and closer alignment with the Union and its founding values and standards; whereas their due and timely implementation is therefore an overriding criterion in assessing the situation in the relevant countries;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas trade and investment security in the Euro-Mediterranean goes through a system which coordinates SME-targeted strategies and covers multiple fields: safeguards, financing, information and networking of SMEs;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F b (new) Fb. whereas SMEs in the Euro- Mediterranean area employ 25% of the regional labour force; whereas 70% of informal employment in the Euro- Mediterranean area is accounted for by non-agricultural SMEs operating on the 'black market', given that they have not been registered by official national authorities;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F c (new) Fc. whereas the free trade area, if it is to have real positive effects, should boost the integration of the SMCs into international trade and ensure their economic diversification, with fair sharing of the resultant benefits, in order to achieve the main objective of the Euro-Mediterranean economic and trade partnership, namely the reduction of the development gap between the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Believes that the already strong trade links between the European Union and the SMCs through the Association Agreements need to be furthered strengthened exploiting the possibilities and opportunities offered by these Agreements; in particular is of the opinion that economic diversification is key
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Believes that the already strong trade links between the European Union and the SMCs through the Association Agreements need to be furthered strengthened exploiting the possibilities and opportunities offered by these Agreements; in particular is of the opinion that economic diversification is key and given that the services sector is becoming increasingly significant for the SMCs, supports offering the SMCs more integration into the EU's internal market for services; considers, likewise, that SMEs are a key tool for supporting this diversification;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Points out the vulnerability and fragility of the economies of the Southern Mediterranean countries and insists that those asymmetries need to be taken into account when engaging in trade relations with those countries in order for the benefits of economic reforms, political, social and environmental commitments to be enjoyed by the whole population of the partner country; is therefore convinced that DCFTAs and a fully-fledged Southern Mediterranean Free Trade Area are not the right tool to advance regional integration and the social and economic development of the region;
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 6 b (new) - having regard to the final statement issued at the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Union for the Mediterranean held in Marseille on 3 and 4 November 2008,
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Reiterates its position that it consider the public external debt of the countries in North Africa and the Middle East to be odious debt considering that the debt was built up by dictatorial regimes, mostly through the enrichment of the political and economic elite and the purchasing of arms often used to oppress their own populations; therefore calls for the cancellation of this debt, and notably that related to arms expenditure;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 c (new) 1c. Strongly opposes the conditionalities with regard to demands for economic, structural adjustment programmes stipulated in the MoU for IMF loans and the EU's Macro Financial Assistance (MFA) Scheme, as they contribute to the worsening of living standards of workers and the most vulnerable layers of society;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Calls for regulatory convergence where appropriate in areas that have an impact on trade and investment but also more generally on economic governance and on the business climate, such as competition, intellectual property rights, customs and trade facilitation;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Notes that Euro-Mediterranean textile producers face major difficulties in the context of growing global competition; draws attention to the need to strengthen the North-South partnership, in order to keep Euro-Mediterranean textiles and clothing production and trade competitive, and to promote SMCs' activities with higher added value, based on creativity and innovation, and not only on business outsourcing;
Amendment 35 #
Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Is of the opinion that the highest degree of transparency is needed in relation to the negotiations or the possible opening of DCFTA negotiations with countries of the Southern Mediterranean, demands therefore that the possible draft negotiating mandate or in the case of Morocco, the mandate for the negotiations, is made public and that full participation of trade union organisations and civil society organisations on both sides is guaranteed, stresses furthermore that in case of a possible conclusion of negotiations with one of the respective countries, the outcome of the impact assessment is publicly debated in the European Parliament and the wider public domain before a possible agreement is initialled, provisionally applied or ratified;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Welcomes the future establishment of the Euro-Mediterranean trade and investment facilitation mechanism (TIFM), which should provide economic operators, in particular SMEs, with the necessary information on doing business in the region, including inter alia on regulations and trade and investment flows;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Stresses the need to foster investment security in the Mediterranean region, through a system which coordinates SME-targeted strategies and covers multiple fields: safeguards, financing, information and networking of SMEs;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Believes that in addition to the bilateral approach, the EU should also focus on region to region integration, notably through joint projects and by focusing on investment and infrastructure projects; welcomes in this regard the decision in 2012 to extend the EBRD's mandate to the region; calls on the EBRD to focus its support on projects to tackle poverty and create high-quality jobs, and for the EBRD to regularly monitor the effectiveness of these projects;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 5 c (new) - having regard to the Joint Communications of the European Commission and of the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 20 March 2013 on 'European Neighbourhood Policy: Working towards a Stronger Partnership (JOIN(2013)0004), of 25 May 2011 on 'A new response to a changing Neighbourhood' (COM(2011)0303) and of 8 March 2011 on 'A partnership for democracy and shared prosperity with the Southern Mediterranean' (COM(2011)0200),having regard to the Commission Communication of 20 May 2008 on 'The Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean (UfM)'(COM(2008)0319),
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Calls for the launch of negotiations for further Agreements on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of industrial products (ACAA) with as many SMCs as possible given that these agreements offer a means to eliminate trade barriers and make products more mutually acceptable thereby allowing for reciprocal opening of industrial markets; believes that whe
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Takes note of the strategic projects led by the Union for the Mediterranean for strengthening the region and to better contribute to its social and economic growth;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Welcomes the success of its initiative of convening task forces for Tunisia, Jordan and Egypt, and stresses that these meetings between private stakeholders, public authorities and international organisations should ensure greater opportunities for trade and investment in order to promote economic growth and creation of jobs;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Highlights the importance of greater regional economic integration between the SMCs themselves, in particular via creating and strengthening regional value chains, which should be encouraged; regrets that the Agadir Agreement has not delivered on its objectives, particularly with regard to SMEs, and that trade between the signatories remains limited; recommends in this respect, a greater emphasis on visa facilitation which would allow SME business representatives to travel for business purposes; highlights the importance of developing bilateral chambers of commerce which are largely absent within the region, but which could contribute to cooperation in joint trade activities and mutual exchanges between economic partners, including seminars and business fairs; believes that the Euro- Mediterranean investment facilitation mechanism could greatly strengthen the Euromed trade partnership by enhancing transparency and facilitating trade in products covered by Euro-
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Urges progress to be made with regard to cultural services which have significant potential benefits particularly in the tourism sector; notes the broader importance of cultural exchanges such as fellowships for SMC students of both genders and from all socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds, particularly in the fields of economics, business, IT, communications and trade; reiterates the call for establishment of Euromed Erasmus (including Erasmus for Entrepeneurs) and Da Vinci programmes; believes that such exchanges can create lasting connections with future business partners in the SMCs;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Underlines that Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements (DCFTA) where appropriate are a good opportunity to enhance bilateral trade and address issues which are of mutual concern to both sides, such as promoting sustainable economic growth and tackling crippling youth unemployment; calls on these negotiations to take into account the development needs of the SMCs in particular in the areas of government procurement and trade in services; underlines the importance of consultation with civil society including trade unions;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Underlines that Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements (DCFTA), where appropriate, are a good
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Recalls the definition of significant projects in strategic sectors, such as the building up of new infrastructures, cooperation between SMEs, communications and the exploitation of renewable energy sources, in order to contribute to the development and the facilitation of Euro-Mediterranean trade and investments;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 11 a (new) - having regard to the three EU task forces: EU-Tunisia, EU-Egypt and EU- Jordan,
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Notes the progress made by Morocco in opening its economic relations with the European Union and in this context welcomes the launch of the DCFTA with Morocco and the progress made to date in the negotiating rounds;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Is deeply concerned about the European Union's relations with the deeply undemocratic Kingdom of Morocco, urges the European Union to suspend the advanced status it has granted the country and not to conclude the fisheries agreement or the negotiations for a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement while Morocco continues with its policy of systematic human rights violations in the occupied territories of Western Sahara;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 b (new) 10b. Reiterates that Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara has never been recognised by international law, as noted by the opinion of the International Court of Justice in The Hague in October 1975; states that Morocco is illegally occupying the territory of Western Sahara and does not, therefore, have any sovereignty over its natural resources; calls on the EU to demand that the Kingdom of Morocco respect international law regarding the exploitation of the natural resources of Western Sahara; therefore stresses the urgent need to complete the decolonisation process of the Non- Autonomous Territory of Western Sahara as established by international law in order to put end to the Moroccan occupation;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Welcomes the mobility partnership signed with Morocco in June 2013, the first of its kind between the Union and a Mediterranean partner, which will facilitate the issuing of visas for certain groups of people such as business professionals and researchers; hopes that the ongoing negotiations on mobility partnerships with Tunisia and with Jordan will be concluded in the near future; stresses however that ordinary citizens, including trade unionists and political activists encounter enormous difficulties when applying for visas to enter the European Union, underlines that this situation is unsustainable;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Welcomes the mobility partnership signed with Morocco in June 2013, the first of its kind between the Union and a Mediterranean partner, which will facilitate the issuing of visas for certain groups of people such as business professionals and researchers; hopes that the ongoing negotiations on mobility partnerships with Tunisia and with Jordan will be concluded in the near future; Reiterates the importance of visa facilitation particularly for SMEs and entrepreneurs, and urges greater progress to be made in this regard throughout the region;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Calls on the Commission and Council to consider to create a specific budget heading, or set up a fund, to finance trade fairs reserved exclusively for micro- and small-sized enterprises and craft industries in the Euro- Mediterranean area so as to encourage the mobility of business professionals, the understanding and the development of local activities and to attract the investment necessary for economic growth and vanquish the black market;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Is opposed to the agreement between the EU and Morocco concerning reciprocal liberalisation measures on agricultural products and fishery products as well as any steps towards concluding free trade agreements with the countries of the Mediterranean; is of the opinion that the conclusion of free trade agreements will adversely affect small farmers, working people and young people, as well as the environment, in both the Southern Mediterranean and the EU;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 b (new) 12b. Reiterates that the Western Sahara cannot be included in any agreement that the EU concludes with the Kingdom of Morocco, is of the opinion that the door should be opened to separate agreements with the Western Saharan people, concluded through their legitimate representatives, if they wish to pursue this course;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13.
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Is concerned over the recent deterioration of Tunisian democratic process and utmost concerned about the break-down of the democratic process in Egypt; recalls that stable democratic transition is a precondition for economic development and social reforms and, ultimately, for attracting international investment and generating sustainable growth;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas the revolutionary mass movements in North Africa and the Middle East, referred to as the Arab Spring, ha
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Is concerned over the
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Welcomes the signature at the EU- Tunisian Association Council in November 2012 of a ‘Privileged Partnership’, including the financial support of EUR 400 million, which paves the way for further economic integration with the EU, especially in services, investments and the agriculture sector; calls on the Tunisian authorities to
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Welcomes the signature at the EU- Tunisian Association Council in November 2012 of a ‘Privileged Partnership’, including the financial support of EUR 400 million, which paves the way for further economic integration with the EU, especially in services, investments and the agriculture sector; calls on the Tunisian authorities to engage
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Underlines the importance of concrete progresses on sectoral agreements between Tunisia and the EU; expresses, in this context, its hope that negotiations on trade in agriculture be re-launched; requests the Commission to carry out an impact assessment before the relaunch of negotiations regarding the effects of further trade liberalisation in the agriculture and fisheries sector with Tunisia on the economy of EU Mediterranean regions; requests the Commission, moreover, to carry out an impact assessment of cumulative effects of trade liberalization in agriculture and fisheries in the Mediterranean basin;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Underlines the importance of concrete progresses on sectoral agreements between Tunisia and the EU; expresses, in this context, its hope that negotiations on trade in agriculture be re-launched; requests the Commission to carry out an impact assessment prior to the launch of negotiations, regarding the effects of further trade liberalisation in the agriculture and fisheries sector with Tunisia on the economy of EU Mediterranean regions;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Condemns the military coup d'état in Egypt, demands an immediate end to all EU military aid to Egypt and stresses that the release of all political prisoners the right to a fair trial and a return to civilian rules based on the objectives of the 2011 revolutionary movements with regard to democratic and social rights and freedoms as well as an improvement of living standards is an absolute precondition before entering into ant negotiations for a possible DCFTA with Egypt;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 b (new) 16b. Expresses its concerns about political developments in Egypt and condemns the military coup d'état of 3 July 2013; is of the opinion that the leaders and generals of the Egyptian army cannot offer a way forward to advance the rightful demands of the Egyptian people, as the army's leadership holds powerful economic positions within Egypt and represents different economic and political interests from those of the workers, the poor and young people who demand social justice and higher living standards; reiterates that meeting those demands of the Egyptian people must be the sole objective of the EU's trade policy towards Egypt;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18.
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18.
Amendment 69 #
Paragraph 18 18. Regrets the disappointing export performance of Jordan in recent years; Welcomes the fact that the EU decided to grant loans of up to €180 million to Jordan in support of Jordan's economic adjustment and reform programme; calls on Ministers to explore ways of achieving further progress in this area at the Union for the Mediterranean Trade Ministerial taking place in
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas the Arab Spring has brought about
Amendment 70 #
Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Welcomes the decision of the European Commission to withhold grant loans to Egypt; calls on the Commission not to grant such assistance until there is democratic transition and genuine constitutional reform in the country;
Amendment 71 #
Paragraph 19 19. Welcomes the publication of guidelines in July 2013 on the eligibility of Israeli entities for grants, prizes and financial instruments clarifying the Union's position on this matter; urges the Commission to strictly implement these guidelines immediately and to come forward with guidelines on the correct labelling of settlement products as a matter of urgency; calls on Ministers and the Commission to build on and strengthen the 2010 action plan aimed at facilitating trade of Palestinian products with other Euro- Mediterranean partners on a bilateral and regional basis; regrets the appointment by Israel of the Health Minister as the regulator for the ACAA; reiterates that the appropriate regulator should not claim jurisdiction over the territories occupied by Israel since 1967 and calls on the Israeli government to appoint an appropriate regulator;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19.
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19.
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Highlights the importance of the uniform implementation of the principle of territoriality in conformity with international law by all Parties to facilitating the expansion of cooperation and commercial exchange, as well as securing the fundamental rights of all peoples of the region in a climate of peace;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas the Arab Spring has brought about dramatic changes to the peoples of the countries concerned and there is considerable expectation that the European Union will respond in a manner commensurate with the commitments it undertook towards its Southern neighbours in the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy, and in line with its commitments under the Lisbon Treaty for EU policies to promote peace, democracy, development and social justice;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas the Arab Spring has brought about dramatic changes and challenges to the peoples of the countries concerned and there is considerable expectation that the European Union will respond in a manner commensurate with the commitments it undertook towards its Southern neighbours
source: PE-522.950
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2013-12-17Show (1) Changes | Timetravel
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2013-12-14Show (5) Changes
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