3 Amendments of Klaus BUCHNER related to 2014/2252(INI)
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes with regret that the Commission's ex-ante impact assessments of envisaged far-reaching trade agreements often prove to be excessively optimistic and raise false hopes about their positive impact on EU citizens and businesses, in particular on SMEs; points out that the assessment of economic, social and environmental implications is carried out only after the launch of negotiations in the form of the so-called sustainability impact assessment; is convinced that these two assessment tools should be merged so as to assess the economic, social and environmental implications before launching trade negotiations, and calls on Parliament and the Commission to fully cooperate in this regard; points out that impact assessments must continue to incorporate qualitative assessment criteria such as environmental and social factors and should not overwhelmingly rely on quantitative elements, since qualitative factors, in form of positive and negative externalities, pose considerable local and regional costs and have substantial long-term effects;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Warns against new guidelines on impact assessment as proposed in the Better Regulation proposal of the Commission putting trade and investment related cost-benefit criteria at the same level as social and environmental criteria in the methodology of impact assessment;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Retains that specifications of national, regional and local standards going beyond minimum standards of Union legislation in fields indirectly related to trade, such as local content requirements or public support for consumer awareness and protection, should remain possible and not be defamed as "gold-plating" in the Better Regulation package of the Commission.