30 Amendments of Tiziana BEGHIN related to 2021/0297(COD)
Amendment 108 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) The Union's common commercial policy shall be guided by the principles and pursue the objectives set out in the general provisions on the Union's external action, laid down in Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). For that purpose, the Union should ensure that its commercial policy is conducted in close coordination with other external policies, and that regular contact with partner countries foreseen in the framework of the various instruments of the external action duly follow up on the obligations and issues identified in the implementation of the Union's trade relations and trade-related instruments.
Amendment 111 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) The Union's common commercial policy is to be consistent with and to consolidate the objectives of the Union policy in the field of development cooperation, laid down in Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), in particular the eradication of poverty and the promotion of human rights, sustainable economic, social, and environmental development and good governance in the developing countries. It is to comply with World Trade Organisation (‘WTO’) requirements, in particular with the Decision on Differential and More Favourable Treatment, Reciprocity and Fuller Participation of Developing Countries (the ‘Enabling Clause’), adopted under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (‘GATT’) in 1979, under which WTO Members may accord differential and more favourable treatment to developing countries.
Amendment 114 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) The general objectives of the GSP are to support eradication of poverty in all its forms, in line with Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goal 17.12, to encourage exports diversification from GSP beneficiary countries and to promote the sustainable development agenda, while averting harm to EU industry’s interests. The 2018 GSP Mid- term Evaluation and the 2021 supporting Study for the Impact Assessment underpinning this Regulation concluded that the GSP framework under Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 has delivered on these main objectives, which were at the core of the 2012 overhaul of Council Regulation (EC) No 732/200815 . _________________ 15 Council Regulation (EC) No 732/2008 of 22 July 2008 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences from 1 January 2009 and amending Regulations (EC) No 552/97, (EC) No 1933/2006 and Commission Regulations (EC) No 1100/2006 and (EC) No 964/2007 (OJ L 211, 6.8.2008, p. 1).
Amendment 123 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) Those objectives remain relevant in the current global context and they are consistent with the analysis and perspective of the recent Commission Communication Trade Policy Review “An Open, Sustainable and Assertive Trade Policy”16 (‘TPR’). According to the TPR, the Union has a “strategic interest to support the enhanced integration into the world economy of vulnerable developing countries” and it “must fully use the strength provided by its openness and the attractiveness of its Single Market” to support multilateralism and to ensure adherence to universal values. For GSP specifically, the TPR notes its important role in “promoting respect for core environment, human and labour rights” and sets the objective for the GSP “to further increase trading opportunities for developing countries to reduce poverty and create jobs based on international values and principles”. Moreover, the scheme should assist beneficiaries in recovering from the COVID-19 impact and in re- building their economies in a sustainable and diversified manners, including with respect to international human rights, labour, environmental and good governance standards. Coherence should be ensured between the GSP and its objectives and the assistance provided to beneficiary countries, in line with Union’s Policy Coherence for Development (PCD), which constitutes a key pillar of Union’s efforts to enhance the positive impact and increase effectiveness of development cooperation17 . _________________ 16 COM(2021) 66 final, 18 February 2021 17 Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU concerning PCD reads: “The Union shall take account of the objectives of development cooperation in the policies that it implements which are likely to affect developing countries”.
Amendment 131 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) By providing preferential access to the Union market, the scheme should assist developing countries in their efforts to reduce poverty and achieve and promote good governance and sustainable development by helping them to generate additional revenue through international trade, which can then be re-invested for the benefit of their own development and, in addition, to diversify their economies. The scheme's tariff preferences should focus on less competitive products originating from those developing countries that have greater development, trade and financial needs.
Amendment 146 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) The special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance (GSP+) is based on the integral concept of sustainable development, as recognised by international conventions and instruments such as the 1986 UN Declaration on the Right to Development, the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the 1998 International Labour Organisation (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the 2000 UN Millennium Declaration, the 2002 Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development, the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work of 2019, the Outcome Document of the UN Summit on Sustainable Development of 2015 "Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development", the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Consequently, the additional tariff preferences provided for under the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance should be granted to those developing countries which, due to a lack of diversification, are economically vulnerable, have ratified core international conventions on human and labour rights, climate and environmental protection and good governance, and commit to ensuring the effective implementation and to collaborate on the monitoring thereof. The special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance should help those countries to assume the additional responsibilities resulting from the ratification and effective implementation of these conventions. The list of conventions relevant for GSP should be updated to better reflect the evolution of core international instruments and standards and take a proactive approach to sustainable development in keeping with the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 203018 . In this regard, the following conventions are added: the Paris Agreement on Climate Change (2015) – replacing the Kyoto Protocol; the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD); the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (OP-CRC-AC); ILO Convention No 81 on Labour Inspection; ILO Convention No 144 on Tripartite Consultation; and the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime; the Optional Protocol of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court; the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention of 1930, the Occupational Safety and Health convention No 155, and the Promotional Framework for Occupational safety and health convention No 187. _________________ 18 United Nations (2015). Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015, Transforming our World: the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development (A/RES/70/1), available at: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post 2015/transformingourworld
Amendment 180 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 25
Recital 25
(25) The reasons for temporary withdrawal of the arrangements under the scheme should include serious and systematic violations of the principles laid down in international conventions concerning core human rights (including certain principles of international humanitarian law enshrined in those conventions), labour rights, climate and environmental protection, and good governance,so as to promote the objectives of those conventions. Tariff preferences under the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance should be temporarily withdrawn if the beneficiary country does not respect its binding undertaking to maintain the ratification and effective implementation of those conventions or to comply with the reporting requirements imposed by the respective conventions, or to maintain the effective implementation of the plan of action provided in its request to benefit from the arrangement; or if the beneficiary country does not cooperate with the Union's monitoring procedures as set out in this Regulation. The temporary withdrawal should continue until the reasons justifying it no longer apply. In situations characterised by an exceptional gravity of the violations, the Commission should have the power to respond rapidly by adopting measures within a shorter timeline. Under the Union’s zero tolerance approach for child and forced labour the reasons for temporary withdrawal should include exports of goods made by internationally prohibited child and forced labour, as well as forced labour including slaveryinvoluntariness, slavery, under threats and prison labours, as identified in the relevant Conventions in Annex VI.
Amendment 184 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 25 a (new)
Recital 25 a (new)
(25 a) Temporary withdrawal of the arrangements should be considered as a last-resort measure. Whenever the record of compliance with the relevant obligations set out in this Regulation seriously deteriorates, the Commission and the EEAS should step up dialogue with the beneficiary countries and launch a process of enhanced engagement where countries commit to actions through the implementation of targeted roadmaps leading to discernible progress generally in the short term or, whenever issues are more complex and sensitive, over the medium term. After the launch and during the overall duration of the withdrawal procedure, beneficiary countries should be given the possibility to start engaging anytime. Whenever the enhanced engagement is extended into a second year, the Commission should add the country onto a public list, with a view to providing predictability and maximising leverage.
Amendment 199 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 9 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 9 a (new)
(9 a) ‘sensitive products’ means goods whose excessively-high utilisation rate by standard GSP beneficiary countries referred to in Article 1(2) could negatively impact the market for basic primary and processed goods and affect the ability and capacity of Union industries to manufacture or process them in the medium and long-run; processed agri- food products, such as rice and sugar, considered for the purposes of this definition are products obtained with basic raw materials whose origin or place of origin is in one of the Member States;
Amendment 213 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 12 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 12 a (new)
(12 a) 'directly competing products' means a product which, after or prior to an industrial transformation, can be compared to another product;
Amendment 305 #
Where an EBA beneficiary country no longer fulfils the economic, environment and social conditions referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, the Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts, in accordance with Article 36, to amend Annex I in order to remove the country from the EBA arrangement following a transitional period of three years as from the date on which the EBA beneficiary country no longer fulfils the economic, environment and social conditions referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article.
Amendment 309 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 19 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. The preferential arrangements referred to in Article 1(2) may be withdrawn temporarily, in respect of all or of certain products and/or sectors originating in a beneficiary country, for any of the following reasons:
Amendment 313 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Article 19 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(a a) failure to ratify the conventions listed in Annex IV following the obligation to present a reasonable timetable for those ratifications,
Amendment 316 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 19 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) serious shortcomings in customs controls on the export or transit of drugs (illicit substances or precursors), or related to the obligation to readmit the beneficiary country’s own nationals or serious failure to comply with international conventions on antiterrorism or anti-money laundering;
Amendment 343 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 5
Article 19 – paragraph 5
5. The Commission shall provide the beneficiary country concerned with every opportunity to cooperate during the monitoring and evaluation period of six months from the date of publication of the noticmonitoring and evaluation period will be of six months from the date of publication of the notice. During this period, the Commission shall provide the beneficiary country concerned with every opportunity to cooperate.
Amendment 350 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 8 – introductory part
Article 19 – paragraph 8 – introductory part
8. Within sixtwo months from the expiry of the period referred to in paragraph 4, point (b), the Commission shall decide:
Amendment 367 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 22 – paragraph 1
Article 22 – paragraph 1
1. Where a product originating in a beneficiary country of any of the preferential arrangements referred to in Article 1(2) is imported in volumes or at prices which cause, or threaten to cause, serious difficulties to Union producers of products obtained in the Union in like or directly competing products, normal Common Customs Tariff duties on that product may be wholly or partially reintroduced.
Amendment 369 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 22 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 22 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. 'Products obtained in the Union' means the primary basic products, processed products and other goods of Union producers. Processed agri-food products are products obtained with raw materials whose origin or place of origin is ascertained in one of the Member States of the European Union.
Amendment 371 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 22 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 22 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. For the purpose of this Chapter, 'directly competing products' means a product which, after or prior to an industrial transformation, can be compared to another product.
Amendment 379 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 25 – paragraph 1
Article 25 – paragraph 1
On duly justified grounds of urgency relating to deterioration of the economic or financial situation of Union producers of products obtained in the Union, and where delay might cause damage which would be difficult to repair, the Commission shall adopt immediately applicable implementing acts in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 39(4) to reintroduce normal Common Customs Tariff duties for a period of up to 12 months.
Amendment 383 #
II Safeguards in the Textile, Footwear, Leather Agriculture and Fisheries Sectors
Amendment 387 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. Without prejudice to Section I of this Chapter, on 1 January of each year, the Commission, on its own initiative and in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 39(2), shall adopt an implementing act in order to remove the tariff preferences referred to in Articles 7 and 12 with respect to the products from GSP sections S-11a8a, S-8b, S-11a, S-11b and S-11b2a or to products falling under Combined Nomenclature codes 1006 1701, 2207 10 00, 2207 20 00, 2909 19 10, 3814 00 90, 3820 00 00, 38249956, 38249957, 38249992, 38248400, 38248500, 38248600, 38248700, 38248800, 38249993, and 38249996 and 43021980 where imports of such products, originate in a beneficiary country and their total value:
Amendment 394 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) for products falling under Combined Nomenclature codes 2207 10 00, 2207 20 00, 2909 19 10, 3814 00 90, 3820 00 00, and 38249956, 38249957, 38249992, 38248400, 38248500, 38248600, 38248700, 38248800, 38249993, and 38249996 exceeds the share referred to in point 1 of Annex IV of the value of Union imports of the same products from all countries and territories listed in Annex I, columns A and BC, during a calendar year
Amendment 398 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(a a) for products falling under Combined Nomenclature codes 1006 and 1701 exceeds the share referred to in point 2 of Annex IV of the value of Union imports of the same products from all countries and territories listed in Annex I, column C, during a calendar year;
Amendment 402 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) for products under GSP sections S- 11a8a, S-8b, S-11a, S-11b and S-11b2a exceeds the share referred to in point 3 of Annex IV of the value of Union imports of products in GSP sections S-11a8a, S-8b, S-11a, S-11b and S-11b2a from all countries and territories listed in Annex I, columns A and B, during a calendar year.
Amendment 407 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 2
Article 29 – paragraph 2
2. Paragraph 1 shall not apply to EBA beneficiary countries, nor shall it apply to countries with a share for the relevant products referred to in paragraph 1 not exceeding 6 % of total Union imports of the same products.
Amendment 422 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex IV – subheading 1
Annex IV – subheading 1
Modalities for the application of Article 8 and Article 29
Amendment 428 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex IV – point 1
Annex IV – point 1
1. Article 8 and Article 29 shall apply when the percentage share referred to in paragraph 1 of thatose Articles exceeds 470 %.
Amendment 430 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex IV – point 2
Annex IV – point 2
2. Article 8 shall apply for each of the GSP sections S-2a, S-3 and S-5 of Annex III, when the percentage share referred to in paragraph 1 of that Article exceeds 17,5 %.0 %. Article 29 shall apply for products falling under Combined Nomenclature codes 1006 and 1701 when the percentage share referred to in paragraph 1 of that Article exceeds 10%
Amendment 437 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex IV – point 3
Annex IV – point 3
3. Article 8 shall apply for each of the GSP sections S-11a8a, S-8b, S-11a, S-11b and S-11b2a of Annex III, when the percentage share referred to in paragraph 1 of that Article exceeds 372 %.