25 Amendments of Stéphanie YON-COURTIN related to 2020/2023(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas an agreement with the UK must ensure a balance of rights and obligations, respect the full integrity and proper functioning of the EU’s internal market and customs union, and guarantee a level playing field for businesses as well as a high level of consumer protection;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that the full implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Protocol on Northern Ireland, is a prerequisite for and a basic component of a futurenew partnership between the EU and the UK; expresses concern at the UK Government’s statements demonstrating a lack of political will to fully comply with its commitments under the Withdrawal Agreement, namely regarding border controls in the Irish Sea; notes that no concrete reassurances were given on this matter during the first meeting of the Joint Committee; underlines that trust between the Parties is essential in these negotiations;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the common fisheries policy (CFP) has for almost 50 years enabled, in all the Member States concerned, the establishment of optimal conditions for the development of fishing and the sustainable management of resources; whereas, therefore, following the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union (EU), an agreement is necessary to guarantee the economic vitality of the fisheries sector, the preservation of species and the protection and restauration of biodiversity;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Highlights the considerable level of integration and interdependence of the EU’s and UK’s economies, as well as the geographical proximity of the Parties; notes the acknowledgment of these circumstances by both Parties in the ‘Political Declaration setting out the Framework for the Future Relationship Between the EU and the UK’; recalls that the Political Declaration, based on the existing unique relationship, serves as the basis for an ambitious, broad, deep and flexible partnership;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the fact that the Commission has presented and published a comprehensive legal proposal for a future relationnew partnership, broadly in line with its negotiating mandate and the European Parliament’s resolution, and deeply regrets the fact that the UK Government has refused to accept a similar level of transparenc; urges the Commission to continue its transparency towards the co-legislators, as well as the financial services industry and consumers, and deeply regrets the fact that the UK Government has refused to accept a similar level of transparency; stresses that clarity and certainty are crucial to business continuity and a seamless provision of services to consumers, as well as to preventing market volatility;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes it to be in both Parties’ mutual interests to establish an ambitious futurenew economic partnership covering a wide number of sectors; underlines that, in any case, a level playing field must be ensured and EU standards safeguarded in order to avoid a ‘race to the bottom’ and the acquisition of unfair competitive advantages through the undercutting of levels of protection or other regulatory divergences; considers that any futurenew framework should safeguard EU financial stability, fair competition, investor and consumer protection, and the integrity of the single market, and commitments to combat climate change, while respecting the EU’s regulatory regime and decision- making autonomy;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Reaffirms that no comprehensive trade agreement can be concluded between the EU and the UK if it does not include a complete, balanced and long-term fisheries agreement, allowing the continuation under optimal conditions of access to waters, resources and markets of the parties concerned;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Reaffirms that the fisheries agreement must have a direct link with the ongoing negotiations on an economic partnership, in particular on trade, and can therefore not be disconnected; stresses that the issue of free access to waters and ports cannot be separated from the issue of free trade and access of UK fisheries products to the EU market;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls that the greatest mutual benefit will be obtained by maintainingupholding continued reciprocal access to water and resources, with the aim to uphold existing fishing activities, as well as by defining common, coherent and stable principles and rules, enabling open access of fishing and aquaculture products to markets without causing economic or social tensions through unbalanced competition; insists on having within the trade agreement a safe guard clause stating that any breaches on the reciprocal access to water and ressources clauses leads to a suspension of preferential tariffs for UK goods in EU market ;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that under no circumstance a third country can have the same rights or enjoy the same benefits as a Member State; stresses that the rights and privileges associated with the access to the internal market go hand in hand with strict obligations for full respect of and compliance with internal market rules; recalls, therefore, that a balanced, ambitious and wide-ranging free trade agreement can only be agreed if a level playing field is secured through stipulation, proper implementation and effective enforcement of robust commitments;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Stresses the need to uphold common high standards in the field of state aid control and competition law; underlines that achieving a level playing field between the Parties will require a robust framework for state aid control, antitrust, and merger control that prevents unfair distortion of trade and competition;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for the maintenance of a stable and constant distribution of fishing rights that respect the principle of relative stability; and stresses the importance of long- term management of resources based on compliance with CFP principles such as maximum sustainable yield (MSY) as well as with the objectives of the Multiannual management plans (MAP) concerned namely North Sea and Western waters MAPs and the technical measures which have so far contributed to the improvement of the state of fish stocks for the benefit of the fleets of both EU Member States and the UK;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Underlines that dynamic regulatory alignment on the market surveillance of products and robust product standards should be an essential and irreplaceable part of any future agreement so as to ensure a level playing field for EU businesses and a high level of protection for EU consumers through effective market surveillance; underlines that a level playing field requires a horizontal mechanism, such as an overall governance framework covering all areas of cooperation, to ensure effective implementation, enforcement and dispute settlement through adequately resourced domestic authorities and effective administrative and judicial proceedings, and to provide the Union with adequate mechanisms to compensate for the UK’s possible non-compliance in every covered area;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Stresses that the resulting framework must be clear and transparent, and must not impose a disproportionate burden on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs);
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Stresses that the agreement must ensure that technical measures or Marine protected areas are reciprocal, non- discriminatory and proportionate and do not constitute a de facto way of excluding EU vessels from UK waters ; stresses that when Marine protected areas are established, all stakeholders including European fishers shall be involved in the governance and in the monitoring of such areas in compliance with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature recommendations; insists that the agreement cannot lead to a levelling down of EU environmental and social standards;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Insists that UK fisheries and aquaculture products that enter the Internal Market must comply with the same environmental, social, sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards than the EU fisheries and aquaculture products so as to ensure a level playing field between the UK and the EU fisheries and aquaculture products as well as to ensure European consumer protection ;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Stresses the importance of an overarching chapter on the needs and interests of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with regard to market access facilitation issues including, but not limited to, compatibility of technical standards, and streamlined customs procedures with the aim of preserving and generating concrete business opportunities and fostering their internationalisation; emphasizes the need to enhance the ability of SMEs to benefit from trade in the future EU-UK economic partnership, including through the sharing of information on laws, regulations, and customs; encourages the Parties to set up SME contact points;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses that ambitious arrangements should be included to facilitate electronic commerce and data flows, to address unjustified barriers to trade by electronic means, and to ensure an open, secure and trustworthy online environment for businesses and consumers, in conformity with EU rules on data protection;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls, in the context of financial services, that passporting rights, which are based on mutual recognition and harmonised prudential rules in the internal market, will cease to apply between the EU and the UK at the end of the transitional period; underlines that, thereafter, access to the European financial market must be based on equivalence decisions made within the EU’s legal framework; notes that equivalence examinations are a technical process which should be based on clear and transparent criteria; recalls that equivalence decisions are unilaterally granted and withdrawn by the European Commission, taking due account of the impact on the market and the need to preserve EU financial stability; recalls the importance of the EU maintaining its autonomy to adopt any measures for prudential reasons;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6 b. Welcomes the Parties’ commitment in the ‘Political Declaration setting out the Framework for the Future Relationship between the EU and the UK’ to endeavour to conclude the equivalence decision assessments by the end of June 2020; urges both Parties to continue their efforts to meet this objective;
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6 c. Recommends that the Parties establish a mechanism for continuous cooperation and dialogue amongst policy- makers, regulators and supervisors; such a mechanism would serve as a forum for enhancing regulatory alignment and sharing supervisory concerns and best practices, including on new innovative services such as crypto assets; believes it is of mutual benefit to both Parties to continue to share necessary and relevant information and data between supervisors;
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Calls on the Parties to work towards simplification of their requirements and formalities for customs procedures in order to reduce the time and costs thereof for traders or operators, including small and medium-sized enterprises;
Amendment 74 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)
Paragraph 6 d (new)
6 d. Given the increasing digitisation of trade, including services, recommends that the Parties agree, as part of the governance framework of the new partnership, provisions for facilitating digital trade, addressing unjustified barriers to trade by electronic means, and ensuring an open, secure and trustworthy online environment for businesses and consumers; these provisions should facilitate necessary data flows, subject to exceptions for legitimate public policy objectives, while not undermining the EU’s personal data protection rules, and should be subject to appropriate judicial control;
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 e (new)
Paragraph 6 e (new)
6 e. Believes it is of mutual benefit to both Parties to continue to share any necessary and relevant information and data required to combat money- laundering and terrorist financing; recommends that the Parties establish a mechanism that will ensure full cooperation and communication in this regard;
Amendment 80 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Defends the need to extend the transition period in order to allow enough time to conclude the negotiations on a comprehensive futuIn light of the impact of the Covid- 19 crisis on the societies, economies and politics of the Parties, asks the European Commission to pre partnership, while safeguarding citizens’ rights, legal certainty and economic ane the scenario of a potential extension to the transition period financial stability case requested by the UK.