Activities of Sandro GOZI related to 2020/2023(INI)
Shadow opinions (2)
OPINION on the recommendations on the negotiations for a new partnership with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
OPINION on the recommendations on the negotiations for a new partnership with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Amendments (26)
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 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls its resolution of 15 January 2020 on implementing and monitoring the provisions on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement1 , reiterating that the full implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement remains an overriding priority; and the main precondition for a successful future partnership; __________________ 1 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0006.
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas cohesion policy is a key instrument that ensures solidarity between EuropeanU regions in exchange for the opportunities afforded by the internal market; whereas if regions are to access the internal market, they must make a contribution to the cohesion funds – as is the case for European Economic Area (EEA) countries;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas the Union is the world’s leading commercial power and the biggest single market in the world, acting as a major driver of economic prosperity;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls that compliance with treaties constitutes a fundamental principle of any legal order and, in particular, the international legal order; stresses that stability and trust in relations between the European Union and the UK depend on both parties respecting the principles that the Withdrawal Agreement and the EU- UK Political Declaration is binding upon them, and that it must be implemented in good faith;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that the UK should be invited to contribute to the cohesion funds if it, in the absence of full participation in the internal market, the United Kingdom should not be able to benefit from cohesion funds, except for projects which are permitted under the regulations establishing those funds; adds that, should the United Kingdom ultimately wishes to participate in the internal market, it should contribute to cohesion funds for the 2021-2027 period in accordance with the model forapplied to EEA countries;
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 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that the new agreement should take into account the needs of the regions affected by Brexit, especially those sharing a land or sea border with the UK, such as the border regions of Ireland and the coastal regions along the Channel, the Atlantic and the North Sea;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Regrets in this regard that the European Parliament does not have full access to the UK negotiation documents, foremost the UK draft legal text; stresses the importance of full transparency in the negotiation process and urges the Task Force for the Relations with the UK to advocate for the publication of the full negotiation positions to ensure that the Parliament can effectively and informedly follow the partnership negotiations;
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 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Is concerned about the process of application of the European Union Settlement Scheme; notes in this regard that according to the latest EU Settlement Scheme Statistics, for February 2020, published by the UK Home Office on 19 March 2020, the total number of applications received up to 29 February 2020 was more than 3.3 million (3 343 700), and that, of the total number of applications concluded, 58 % were granted settled status and 41 % were granted pre- settled status ; is concerned that citizens with pre-settled status do not have access to benefits unless they also prove their right to reside; recalls that the success of the future relationship between the EU and the UK depends also on the correct implementation of the provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement concerning the rights of European citizens in UK;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recalls that in any event a new agreement will lead to customs checks and verification before goods enter the internal market and insists that safeguarding the compliance of goods with internal market rules is of the utmost importance; considers that operational procedures aimed at safeguarding the internal market for goods and the customs union must keep ‘red tape’ to a minimum, especially for SMEs; underlines that European SMEs must not be adversely affected by the agreement with the UK and calls for a stable, predictable and properly regulated environment in which to conduct their businesses and keep their competitiveness and market share, as well as growth, investment and job creation;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Asks the Commission to prepare for the consequences of a no-deal scenario should the UK not request an extension to the transition period.
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Reiterates that Parliament will remain vigilant about the implementation of all the provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement and the EU-UK Political Declaration;
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 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Insists that any agreement on a new relationship between the EU and the UK must be coherent and adapted to the geographical proximity of, and crossborder local cooperation between both parties, on the one hand, and to the high level of interconnectedness of both parties’ economies; rejects in this regard any ‘cherry-picking’ of various elements from different legal and trade frameworks applicable in the context of relations between the EU and various other third countries;
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 53 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Rejects failure to achieve a comprehensive agreement by resorting to several sectoral agreements due to a lack of time for concluding the negotiations; reiterates that it is still possible to extend the transition period in accordance with Article 132 of the Withdrawal Agreement; is concerned that the COVID-19 pandemic risks having a negative impact on the timeline planned for the conclusion of the agreement; warns that a strict adherence to this calendar under challenging circumstances increases the risk of a hard Brexit at the end of the transition period;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses that the public procurement market should remain equally open on both sides, provided there is an effective level playing field covering every relevant aspect; regrets that the public procurement sector is not mentioned in the UK mandate for the negotiations and calls in this regard for the inclusion of additional rules and commitments that provide for the same level of access to procurement markets for both parties, which should be drawn up in full compliance with the EU acquis;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Underlines that the future agreement with the UK must preserve the current high levels of protection of intellectual property, with mechanisms for cooperation and exchange of information, and it must keep the same level of protection for the existing geographical indications as set out in the Withdrawal Agreement, as well as for the recognition of new ones, which are of great economic and cultural value to both parties to the Agreement;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. UPoints out that the large amount of non-tariff barriers, divergences in the level and quality of controls, and differences in customs procedures and sanctions policies at the EU’s points of entry into the Customs Union often result in distortion of trade flows and put at risk the integrity of the European single market; underlines the importance of preserving the integrity of the customs union and its procedures, which guarantee the safety of consumers and the economic interests of the EU and of EU undertakings; stresses the need for greater investment in customs controls facilities at common transit points;
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Insists that the Commission ensures that custom controls throughout the EU follow the same standards, by means of a direct unified customs control mechanism, in coordination with Member States and in full compliance with the principle of subsidiarity;
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the provisions of the draft text of the Agreement aiming to preserve the autonomy of the EU legal order, including the role of the Court of Justice of the European Union as the ultimate organ for interpreting of EU law; regrets in this regard that the UK mandate rejects any jurisdiction of a foreign court, including the CJEU;
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 72 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Welcomes the human rights commitments foreseen in the draft Agreement, including the respect of the European Convention of Human Rights; stresses the necessity to formalise these commitments, including the abidance by the European Court of Human Rights; reiterates that future judicial and police cooperation between the Union and the UK should depend on such formalised commitments;
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19 b. Stresses the need to include clear provisions as to the upholding of a rules- based international order, the rule of law and the promotion of democracy;