Activities of Andrew LEWER related to 2015/2233(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on Recommendations to the European Commission on the negotiations for the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA)
Amendments (5)
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. UWelcomes the continued negotiations for the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), which should focus not only on providing EU businesses and consumers with new market access opportunities, but also on creating new and enhanced regulatory disciplines, while remaining WTO compatible and open to multilateralisation; notes that employment growth in the EU from 2015 to 2025 will be driven by service sector jobs, with 90 per cent of new jobs in the EU in service sectors, especially in higher-skilled such as professional services, business services and computing; notes also that services make up around 70 per cent of the EU economy, underlining the crucial relevance of finding new market access opportunities for service exports in third countries; urges the Commission and the Member States to fully respect and pursue the objectives of economic, social and territorial cohesion as set out in Article 174 of the TFEU in the context of the ongoing negotiations on the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA);
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recalls that the EU’s cohesion policy is its main investment tool not only for achieving the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy, but also for addressing urgent socio-economic needs; is of the strong opinion that its underlying principles and standards must not be weaktherefore be strengthened inby the context of future trade agreements negotiated by the EUnegotiation of balanced deep and comprehensive FTAs;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is concernedReminds that the competences of local and regional authorities (LRAs), which are responsible for a large share of public investment under the EU’s cohesion policy and are also actively involved in the delivery of key public services across the territory, will be limited by TiSA, thus reducing their ability to foster local and regional development and to protect the gmust remain unaffected by EU trade agreements, as is already the case with agreements concluded with South Korea, Cenetral interest of their citizenAmerica and the Andean Countries;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Opposes any encroachment on the discretionary power of LRAs with regard to services, as laid down in Article 14 of the TFEU and Protocol N°26 of the TFEU, especially through provisions on domestic regulation, standstill and ratchet clauses, as well as provisions on public procurement; calls, therefore, on the Commission to fully exclude public services, both publicly and privately funded, from the TiSA negotiations and to further strengthen flexibilities on the enforcement of commitments at local level, as laid down in GATS Article 1.3in particular on Services of General Interest, calls on the Commission to include reservations concerning public services, allowing Member States and local authorities to continue to manage;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Urges the Commission to involve and consult LRAs – alongside economic and social partners and civil society organisations – in the context of the TiSA negotiations so as they will be the ones most affectedo ensure their participation in ongoing negotiations; in this vein, welcomes the establishment by the Commission of Civil Society Dialogue meetings and ongoing efforts to make the EU's position in the TiSA talks as transparent as possible.