20 Amendments of José BLANCO LÓPEZ related to 2017/2065(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Recital 1 a (new)
Recital 1 a (new)
– having regard to the E-commerce Directive 2000/31/EC
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Recital 1 b (new)
Recital 1 b (new)
– having regard to the Communication of the Commission on tackling illegal content online (COM(2017)555)
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that the increased speed and convenience of digital tools empower companies and expand their reach; stresses that the EU must develop strategies to harness the benefits of digital technology for its citizens, businesses and consumers, combat the digital divide between territories and generations, ensure fair market access and protect the fundamental rights of citizens;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Notes that technology and the internet facilitate an inclusive economy, allowing even the smallest businesses in the most remote regions to trade globally directly and in this respect calls on the European Commission to pursue 21st century trade agreements that recognize the fundamental advancement of technology and the internet.
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Takes note of the ongoing negotiations of the legislative files on the Digital Market and calls on the European Commission to ensure the coherence between the new EU Digital Single Market and its external policies so as to achieve an integrated approach in trade negotiations. Highlights that Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) should not be the exclusive cooperation mechanism to facilitate digital trade.
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights that the deployment of infrastructure adequate in coverage, quality and security and access to an open and neutral net is crucial for digitising European industry and increasing e- governance;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Stresses the need of simplification and alignment of rules through a technologically progressive and transparent model of e-governance of administrative procedures. Calls on the Member States to advance rapidly their e- governance polices, legislation and practice.
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Digital connectivity enhances the volume of trade, but a prerequisite for the online merchants is an efficient delivery system, underlines in this respect that the EU supports harmonised labels, that can lead to better and more efficient cross- border tracking services. Welcomes the open IT standards developed within CEN and suggests that the European Commission promotes such effective tools with international trade partners to reduce the costs of cross-border delivery and benefit ultimately end-users and consumers.
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Underlines, that while EU trade agreements have to increasingly tackle "behind the border barriers" beyond tariffs they must preserve the primary function of regulations to pursue the public interest and be limited to facilitating trade and investment through the identification of unnecessary technical barriers to trade, duplicated or redundant administrative burdens, which disproportionately affect SMEs, while not compromising the technical procedures and standards on health, safety, consumer, labour, social and environmental protection and cultural diversity; recalls that corresponding mechanisms must be based on enhanced information exchange and improved adoption of international technical standards, and lead to increased convergence, whilst under no circumstances undermining or delaying the democratically legitimised decision- making procedures of any trading partner
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Highlights the major societal impact of digital trade on employment, working conditions, workers’ rights, education and skills; insists that trade agreements keep competition fairhe new generation of trade agreements must guarantee fair competition that will prevent further relocation and dowill not lower European standards, paying particular attention to protection for social and labour rights;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses that trade agreements should encourage the use of advanced technologies, the interoperability of systems and predictable contractual relations, as well as guaranteeing the highest standards of consumer protection and cybersecurity;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses that trade agreements should encourage the use of advanced technologies, the interoperability of systems and predictable contractual relations; calls to increase cooperation between regulators
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses the need of digitalisation of customs information and management via on-line registration and operation of information, in respect of international standards, e-certification and on-line payment of customs duties, to scale down on trade costs, facilitate clearance at the border and cooperation in fraud detection. Calls the European Commission to encourage and request from our trade partners the digitalisation of customs procedures together with compatibility of customs systems in parallel with the reduction of tariffs.
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses the importance of the compatibility of secure digital payment systems and clear and fair rules on taxation and duties;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Highlights that the digital economy should be regarded as part of a EU taxation agenda and calls on the European Commission to ensure that multinationals in the digital sphere are subject to a fair, efficient and growth- friendly corporate tax system and are taxable in the countries where economic activity takes place and income is generated
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 9 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Considers that data flows are indispensable to trade in services and the digital economy but should never compromise the EU’s acquis on data protection and the right to privacy. Recalls that data and the right to privacy are not a trade barrier but a fundamental right
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Reiterates that forced data localisation can be a protectionist tool and as such can translate into a trade barrier, which favours large incumbents, puts SMEs in disadvantaged position and distorts competition and is to the detriment of consumers, calls for the inclusion of a provision for free flow of non-personal data in trade agreements and encourages practises such as cloud storage, facilitating an easier accessibility to the involved parties without major barriers
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Stresses that globally telecommunications companies are not only providers of their own products and services but also enablers for other sectors, by providing the essential connectivity infrastructure for functioning and growing in the digital economy especially with a view innovative to business models and in this respect urges the EC to continue incorporating provisions in trade agreements with similar levels of access as is available in the EU. Considers that trade partners with pro-competitive telecoms networks will increase trading opportunities to the EU and will also contribute to the digital divide of less development countries with low levels of access to the internet
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Further calls on the Commission to promote rule-based competition in the telecommunication sector, guaranteeing the independence of regulators and ensuring a fair and non-discriminatory access to telecom networks by European undertakings that will increase choice for consumers. Strongly supports the principle of non-discriminatory access to internet and encourages the European Commission to actively promote this principle at a multilateral level and on FTAs.
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 d (new)
Paragraph 9 d (new)
9d. Highlights that globally digital trade in goods is confronted with the problem of counterfeiting and urges the EC to promote initiatives such as an open system IT-trust mark to boost the trust of consumers in the e-merchants and ensure a level playing field. Encourages the use of instruments such as the Memorandum of Understanding on the online sale of counterfeit goods.