Activities of Ellie CHOWNS related to 2018/0356M(NLE)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
Amendments (9)
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the inclusion of a comprehensive and binding chapter on Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) with explicit references to Multilateral Environmental Agreements, the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; deplores, however, that the chapter on sustainable development is explicitly excluded from the state to state dispute settlement mechanism which provides for a suspension of trade preferences; underlines the importance of mandatory and enforceable provisions in the chapter on trade and sustainable development to contribute effectively to the strengthening of labour rights and environmental standards, including corporate responsibility;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Urges the Commission to earmark specific funding for civil society organisations, such as the domestic advisory groups (DAGs), in order to fulfil the key objectives of the TSD chapter, which include an increased monitoring of commitments, the development of action plans for areas where concerns have been identified, and the triggering of dispute settlement processes in the event that action plans have not been respected; regrets that the mandate of the DAGs is limited to monitoring the TSD Chapter only; regrets that the promotion of gender equality and women empowerment is not prominently mentioned in the FTA;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Deplores the fact that no human rights impact assessment was ever carried out prior to the launching of negotiations in spite of serious concerns regarding the protection of human rights in Vietnam, notably following the decision of the European Ombudsman of 26 February 2016, which concluded that the refusal of the European Commission to carry out a prior human rights impact assessment of the EU/Vietnam Free Trade Agreement is unjustified and constitutes a case of maladministration;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Congratulates, as a first step, Viet Nam on ratifying six of the ILO’s eight fundamental conventions, namely No 29 on forced labour, Nos 100 and 111 on non-discrimination, Nos 138 and 182 on child labour and, most recently, No 98 on the right to organise and collective bargaining; urges the Vietnamese Government to quickly ratify outstanding convention No 105 on forced labour and No 87 on the freedom of association, and highlights the crucial importance of ensuring that all of these conventions are fully implemented; into its legal system, prior to European Parliament ratification of the FTA; urges equally the Vietnamese Government to secure tangible improvements on human rights, i.e. by releasing all imprisoned human rights defenders and by repealing penal code provisions that criminalise free speech and association prior to ratification; more broadly, urges for the creation of an effective remedy and compensation mechanism for cases of human rights violations in the EVFTA;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes Viet Nam’s commitment to revise and quickly ratify its Labour Code, which shall allow effectively the formation of independent trade unions; highlighting the importance of the promotion and practical enforcement of gender equality and female empowerment; reiterates that gender inequality should no longer be seen as a purely social issue, but as an economic one that presents a key challenge to attaining inclusive and sustainable growth; calls on the Commission to monitor developments closely and to keep Parliament regularly updated on the situation.
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Points out that arbitrary expropriation are common phenomena in Vietnam where the land belongs to the State; expresses its concern that the new export opportunities offered by the EU - Vietnam agreement for the European agri-food industry may exacerbate land conflict, while undermining family farming;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Recalls the importance to adapt trade policies to support national efforts to combat climate change in order to comply with the Paris Agreement; stresses in this context the need to make EU- Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) consistent with EU-FLEGT agreement with Vietnam, notably by including in its trade and sustainable development (TSD) chapters binding and enforceable provisions to halt illegal logging, deforestation, forest degradation and land grabbing; stresses the importance of effective monitoring of these provisions and sanctions mechanisms that allow individuals and communities, outside or within the EU, to seek redress; in particular, underlines that this mechanism must give special consideration to the rights of indigenous peoples, forest-dependent communities, and the rights granted under ILO Convention C169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples where applicable;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Expresses its concern about the impact of the new stringent provisions on Intellectual Property Rights on Vietnamese access to medicine; calls for the removal of such restrictions to protect the right of access to generic medicines and to healthcare.
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4d. Recalls that the E.C. issued a “yellow card” to Vietnam in October 2017, in view of his failure to tackle effectively illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; urges the Vietnamese government to comply effectively with EU recommendations prior to the ratification of EVFTA.