Activities of Phil BENNION related to 2018/0358M(NLE)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of the Investment Protection Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, of the other part
Amendments (8)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines that economic development and multilateralism are important tools to improve people’s lives; points out that one of the objectives of the IPA is to strengthen the economic, trade and investment relationship between the EU and Viet Nam in accordance with the objective of sustainable development, and to promote trade and investment in a manner that is mindful ofunder this Agreement in full compliance with international human rights, high levels of environmental and labour protection and relevant internationally recognised standards and agreementszed standards and agreements; regrets, in this regard, that the text of the sustainable development chapter does not create any binding obligation but only permits to mobilize a panel of experts with the non- binding power to issue recommendations and promote a dialogue;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the enhanced political dialogue between the EU and Viet Nam and the upgraded potentialpossibility to address human rights concerns in the framework of the institutional mechanisms established under Article 35 of the PCA and Article 13 of the FTA; believes that those articles provide the necessary tools to address human rights concerns related to the IPAtakes note that even if a party may unilaterally take appropriate measures when it considers that the other Party has committed a material breach of the PCA, these measures are in full discretion of the Parties and the EU has never suspended a trade agreement before;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that under Article 35 of the PCA, the Parties agree to cooperate in the promotion and protection of human rights, including with regard to the implementation of international human rights instruments to which they are parties; notes with concern that serious human rights violations have intensified since the entry into force of the PCA;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Fully supports the human rights dialogue between the EU and Viet Nam, which is a very effective way to discuss issues related to human rights; regrets that during these dialogues Vietnam upholds the view that it needs to preserve stability as a priority over the respect for human rights; calls for the strengthening of the annual EU-Viet Nam human rights dialogue with the involvement of local and international civil society and taking into account information received from relevant international organisationzations; calls for the dialogue to be geared around concrete deliverables;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Regrets that Vietnam's penal code de facto criminalises criticising the government, therefore makes it nearly impossible to ensure free, open and independent monitoring of the implementation and the impact of the FTA and PCA, as well as to fully enjoy the labour rights enshrined in the ILO core conventions that Vietnam has ratified or has pledged to ratify;
Amendment 28 #
5b. Regrets the lack of a human rights impact assessment and calls on the Commission to carry one out, prior to the entry into force of the agreement
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Deeply regrets that the IPA contains no obligation for businesses to respect human rights and that the clause only encourages and promotes voluntary commitments; therefore calls for a binding clause for the States to fully comply and respect human rights.
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)
Paragraph 5 d (new)