Activities of Momchil NEKOV related to 2017/2193(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the negotiating mandate for EU trade negotiations with New Zealand
Amendments (20)
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Believes that an ambitious, balanced and comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) which free trade agreement (FTA) with New Zealand – even if it were to respects vulnerable sectors of European agriculture, such as dairy andproducts, sheep and goat meat, can be of mutual benefit, offering opportunities for European producers and advancing the EU’s position as a key player on the global marketbeef and veal – would bring relatively few opportunities in terms of prospects for European agriculture, given the imbalance between a market of 500 million consumers in Europe and one of 4.5 million consumers in New Zealand;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Believes that an ambitious, balanced and comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) which respects vulnerable sectors of European agriculture, such as dairy products, wines, apiculture products and sheep and goat meat, can be of mutual benefit, offering opportunities for European producers and advancing the EU’s position as a key player on the global market;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Warns against the danger of a serious imbalance in the agricultural provisions of the agreement, to the detriment of the EU, and against the temptation once again to use agriculture as a bargaining chip to secure increased access to the New Zealand market for industrial products and services;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Notes that agriculture is a very sensitive sector and that a final and balanced outcome in the agriculture chapter must give due consideration to the interests of all European producers, for instance by introducing transitional periods or appropriate quotas or not making any commitments in the most sensitive sectors; considers that only then can it boost competitiveness and be beneficial to both consumers and producers;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses the difference in size between the EU single market and the New Zealand market, which needs to be taken into account in any free trade agreement between the two;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Calls for the inclusion of effective bilateral safeguard measures to prevent a surge in imports that would cause, or threaten to cause, serious injury to European producers in sensitive sectors;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Stresses that the precautionary principle, on which EU food safety regulations are based, and the ‘farm-to- fork’ approach, which establish stricter EU rules, as well as the EU sanitary and phytosanitary standards and procedures, should be maintained in the framework of the negotiations;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Commission to secure a level playing field, treating as sensitive those products for which directincreased competition would exposehave an adverse impact on EU agricultural producers; to excessive or unsustainable pressure, for instance by introducing transitional periods or appropriate quotas, or by not making any commitments in the most sensitive sectorakes the view that the EU must refrain from making any sort of commitment concerning the most sensitive agricultural products, such as dairy products, sheep and goat meat, and beef and veal, and therefore exclude them from the negotiations; calls on the Commission to factor in respect for seasonal cycles of production in Europe, particularly for the lamb sector;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2а. Points out that European producers have many current and future obligations to meet from the standpoint of reducing the impact of climate change, protecting the environment and maintaining high animal welfare standards; stresses, in this connection, that it is reasonable to expect products entering the single market to meet the very highest of these standards;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights the importance of recognition of the geographical indications (GIs) system as a key component of European interests; points out that countries such as New Zealand are entitled to register products in the European register of quality products; supports the stance taken in the WTO by the EU on amending the Agreement on Trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS); stresses the need to include a sufficiently large and representative list of products with registered geographical indications in schemes under a potential agreement with New Zealand;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights the importance of recognition ofsing the geographical indications (GIs) system as a key component of European interests, and highlights the fact that the issue of GIs must be treated as an essential precondition for any agreement;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the Commission to secure appropriate legal protection on the New Zealand market for EU geographical indications and quality EU agricultural products, as well as measures to deal with improper use and misleading information and practices; also calls on the Commission to secure protection regarding the labelling, traceability and genuine origin of agricultural products as an essential element of a balanced agreement;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that New Zealand has a very competitive and strongly export-orientated agricultural sector which is unique in its exposure to international markets owing to a low level of agricultural support; notes the dominance of the dairy and sheep and goat sectors in particular; points out that where livestock farming is concerned, New Zealand has the lowest production costs in the world, as a result of its exceptional climate; points out that New Zealand exports 90% of the milk and sheep meat it produces, making it the world’s largest exporter in those sectors, accounting for 35% of international trade in milk, and 75% for lamb, by volume; points out that access to the vast EU market will therefore undoubtedly be a priority for New Zealand;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that several sensitive European agricultural sectors have experienced the negative impact of the ongoing Russian embargo and extreme price volatility andbeen hit hard by the ongoing Russian embargo and by market crises linked to extreme price volatility; takes the view that a further opening-up of the market in those sectors could cause serious problems for them and have disastrous consequences for European producers; stresses that the final outcome must give due consideration to the interests of all European producers;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that several sensitive European agricultural sectors have experienced the negative impact of the ongoing Russian embargo, imports from third countries with which there are free trade agreements and extreme price volatility, and stresses that the final outcome must give due consideration to the interests of all European producers;
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to conclude, as soon as possible its, a detailed impact assessment of thea potential impact of an EU-New Zealand FTA by sector and by country, including the outermost regions and the overseas countries and territories, in order to be able to evaluate completely the possible gains and losses of such a trade deal for European producers; calls on the Commission to include therein the consequences of the UK’s exit from the EU, in particular as regards existing quotas;
Amendment 93 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Points out that, following Brexit, all tariff quotas which might be granted to New Zealand will apply to a smaller EU market of 27 Member States and 443 million consumers; points out that there will be a knock-on effect on the economic impact of such quotas, particularly in the sectors in which the UK accounts for a large proportion of consumption and/or imports; points out that from now on the EU will have to take careful account of Brexit when deciding what concessions it can offer;
Amendment 108 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Takes the view that to ensure fairness and respect for the right of European consumers to make informed choices, it would be recommendable to identify during the negotiating process effective measures for the traceability of imports that damage consumer confidence;
Amendment 110 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Stresses the role of the traditional links between the United Kingdom and New Zealand in the context of the Brexit process; considers that the trade proposals must take into account the extra pressure there will be on European producers should quotas not be renegotiated before the United Kingdom leaves the EU;
Amendment 114 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8c. Points out that New Zealand is a signatory to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, which should also be taken into account in the negotiating process;