Activities of Josu JUARISTI ABAUNZ related to 2015/2038(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Social and environmental standards, human rights and corporate responsibility (A8-0217/2016 - Eleonora Forenza) ES
Amendments (13)
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas in 2000 the UN launched the United Nations Global Compact, in which it appealed to transnational companies voluntarily to implement 10 principles dealing with a range of aspects linked to human rights, labour rights, non- discrimination, the environment and anti- corruption; whereas in 2011 the United Nations Human Rights Council established the guiding principles on business and human rights, which were adopted by the UN Human Rights Council and oblige states to protect human rights where third parties, particularly businesses, take action that affects their territory and/or jurisdiction, and to make businesses responsible for ensuring that human rights are respected and guarantee that victims have the right to effective remedy; whereas several major companies, many of which operate with European capital and have signed up to the above international instruments, have been the target of claims and complaints relating to human and labour rights violations or on the grounds that they have caused environmental disasters;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas on 26 June 2014 the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on the establishment of an intergovernmental working group with the task of launching a process leading to the introduction of an international legally binding instrument to regulate the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises in the framework of international law; whereas the European Union voted against this resolution;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas as long ago as 1974 the UN Centre on Transnational Corporations drew up a Code of Conduct for transnational corporations, and again in 2003, the UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights published its Norms on the responsibility of transnational corporations and other business enterprises; whereas, in both cases, corporations prevented the documents from being adopted and instead drew up their own voluntary and unilateral codes of conduct;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
Cd. having regard to the Commission communications entitled ‘Corporate social responsibility: a business contribution to sustainable development’ (2002) and ‘Implementing the partnership for growth and jobs: Making Europe a pole of excellence on corporate social responsibility’ (2006), as well as the ‘Renewed EU strategy 2011-14 for corporate social responsibility’ (2011) and the European Parliament resolution on ‘corporate social responsibility: accountable, transparent and responsible business behaviour and sustainable growth’ (2013); whereas none of these documents is binding in nature and the Commission has refused to define legal responsibilities, has failed to introduce any type of regulation and has left businesses to set their own rules;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas there is a clearly asymmetrical relationship between international rules on trade and investment, which have full legal force as part of international trade law, and international labour standards, which are subject to cultural and political differences between countries, come below national standards in the legal hierarchy, do not have transnational judicial institutions and make no provision for coercive measures or economic sanctions;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Db. whereas in many cases trade and investment treaties signed between transnational companies and peripheral states contravene national legislation, are signed under conditions that are known for the pressure exerted and the lack of public information and transparency, and cause serious harm to the development of national industries and people’s right to effective access to essential public goods and services; whereas, as the independent expert Alfred-Maurice de Zayas pointed out in his influential report on the promotion and protection of human rights, drawn up for the United Nations General Assembly, the investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms that generally accompany these agreements have until now been completely opaque and ineffective in terms of guaranteeing the criminal liability of businesses in cases involving serious damage to the environment, public health and food security, and attacks against the physical integrity and lives of people who have opposed or demonstrated against major projects carried out by these undertakings;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that the EU committed itself to promoting human rights and democracy in its relations with third countries; stresses, therefore, that the advancement of human rights and democratic principles should be respected and supported through all EU policies, including trade policy, and all relevant EU external financing instruments;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Urges the EU to adopt the necessary measures to incorporate labour and social rights into the European and international regulatory framework so that these rights, and in particular the right of collective bargaining, are made binding, as proposed by the Commission in its 2004 communication ‘Partnership for change in an enlarged Europe - Enhancing the contribution of European social dialogue’;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes the Commission’s efforts to fulfil its commitment to including human rights for impact assessment studies of legislative and non-legislative proposals, implementing measures and trade agreements; furthermore, calls on the Commission to systematically carry out such human rights impact assessments and to improve their quality and comprehensiveness; to this end, welcomes any effort made towards effective coordination with the ILO and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the endorsement and enforcement of all international principles and conventions signed in the field of human rights, specifically as regards labour rights;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Urges the EU to ensure that the EU Court of Justice specialises in labour law and can pass judgment on failure to comply with labour law at European and international level;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Encourages the Commission and Member States to work towards the promotion in Europe of social and solidarity-based economy entities (cooperatives, mutual societies, foundations, associations and others) in third countries, which in themselves represent new formats for intervention that give priority to individual rights and the values of social justice, reciprocity, democracy, ecological sustainability and social and technological innovation over company profits;
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Urges the Commission to provide an urgent and forceful account of cases of business irresponsibility that have occurred in Europe in relation to tax evasion committed by major European and multinational undertakings and fraud surrounding checks on pollutant gas emissions in the car industry, that will serve as an example and bolster the EU’s credibility when calling for human and environmental rights to be complied with in third countries; to this end, proposes stepping up fiscal control and transparency mechanisms and strengthening judicial cooperation among states;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Urges the Commission and Member States to play an active part in the proceedings opened by the United Nations Human Rights Council and the United Nations Environment Programme with the aim of ensuring that businesses are effectively held accountable for human rights abuses and environmental crimes; to this end, reiterates the need for international agreements signed between the EU and third countries to incorporate clauses relating to human rights and the protection of the environment and fundamental ecological equilibria in the territories where these businesses operate.