Activities of Heidi HAUTALA related to 2018/2010(INI)
Legal basis opinions (0)
Amendments (25)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
- having regard to the INTA commissioned study "The inclusion of financial services in EU free trade and association agreements: Effects on money laundering, tax evasion and avoidance", of June 2016, and in particular its chapter on the EU-Colombia Peru Trade Agreement, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/ en/document.html?reference=EPRS_STU (2016)579326
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 b (new)
Citation 4 b (new)
- having regard to its recommendations of 13 December 2017 to the Council and the Commission following the inquiry into money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion,
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 c (new)
Citation 4 c (new)
- having regard to the European Economic and Social Committee’s Opinion of 15 February 2018 on Trade and Sustainable Development chapters (TSD) in EU Free Trade Agreements (FTA),
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EU Trade Agreement with Colombia and Peru (the Agreement) is a rules-based relationship, anchored on common values and international standards for human and labour rights, environmental standards and sustainable development, that has the potential of having a strong positive impact on the socio-economic development of the parties to the Agreement, on economic integration, on sustainable development, and on bringing the countries and their citizens closer together;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. WelcomesTakes note of the integration of Ecuador into the Agreement and stresses the constructive role played in this process by Colombia and Peru; recalls that the Agreementunderlines that no substantial change has been made in the agreement with Ecuador so that it clashes with several constitutional requirements in Ecuador; recalls that the contradictions with the Ecuadoran Constitution and loss of control of farmers over their seed were the reason given by former Ecuadoran president Rafael Correa for leaving the negotiating table of the Agreement, and expresses its still open to furworries that specific forms of Ecuadoran non-private production plants ("economía solidaria") and the concept of "Buen Vivir" are sacrificed since ther accessions of Ecuador to this Agreement;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is of the opinion that the Agreement is an opportunity to fosterparties should use this Agreement primarily to foster the peace agreement in Colombia, in particular with a view to support the execution of an integral land reform, as foreseen in Chapter1 of the pPeace agreement in Colombia;Agreement, and a strong monitoring that no European investment takes place in land that should be restituted to persons and communities displaced during the armed conflict,
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Takes note that trade between the EU, Colombia and Peru has declined since the Agreement entered into force; is, however, of the opinion that the Agreement has partially offset negative trends in terms of international trade flows, declining commodity prices and the economic slowdown in Latin America, and has had a stabilising effect; expresses its worries that the Andean countries still predominantly export primary products, of agrarian and mining origin, which both expose the countries to uncontrollable losses in revenues because of fluctuating world market prices and natural depletion in monocultures and mining areas, including open pit mining;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Underlines that the liberalisation of market access and dismantling of barriers on foreign ownership, as part of the key issues spelt out in the agreement, also have as a consequence the facilitation of land grabbing, which is a crime in itself, and of investment in large energy production projects, such as Hidroituango, with European co- financing, as well as of the installation or consolidation of large monocultural plantations, such as for palm oil in the case of Poligrow, a company of European origin, and asks for concrete data on land grabbing, displacement, including forced displacement, presence of irregular (former paramilitary) troops, and human rights violations which occur in areas of European investment since 2013;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Urges the setting up of a clear and easily accessible complaint mechanism for victims of human rights violations and crimes committed in the context of activities of European companies and investors in Colombia, Peru and Ecuador; suggests that a staff member in each of the EU delegations in Bogotá, Quito and Lima serves as contact point and first address for complainants;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the fact that EU investment stocks have increased in Colombia and in Peru, and points out that the EU is the biggest foreign investor in both countries; is worried that "investment" has a very large definition in the agreement, including all kinds of speculative investment, such as options, futures and potential financial products which might come into being in the future; asks to get detailed information, if possible in an interim report, of the different kinds of investment flooding into Colombia, Peru and Ecuador from the European Union, and the time of their stay in the respective country, as well as vice versa of investment flows from Colombian, Peruvian and Ecuadoran entities into the European Union;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Expresses its worries that the Agreement encompasses a far reaching liberalisation of current account transfers, with no provisions on disclosure of information of suspicions amounts transferred, no ceilings, and no adequate safeguard measures to prevent money laundering, transfer mispricing and tax evasion; underlines that this kind of provisions is of utmost necessity in countries struck by drug trafficking and organised crime;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Regrets that the agreement facilitates the transfer in freely convertible currency, and exposes in particular the Andean countries to the effects of unforeseen liquidation and repatriation of foreign investments and profits stemming from them; asks the participants of the Joint Committees on Financial Services, established as part of the Agreement, to discuss this problem with a view to find solutions shielding the Andean countries from sudden relocation; requests to be informed on actions envisaged or the lack hereof;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses that since the provisional entry into force of the Agreement, 1 155 Colombian companies – of which 328 are SMEs – and 2 328 new Peruvian companies – of which 90 % are SMEs – have begun to export to the EU; urges the European Commission to provide data on ownership of these SMEs to get assurances that they do not just stem from the known practice of splitting up of larger companies and outsourcing of production parts with the aim to avoid higher taxes, labour inspections and reporting, and integrating them into global value chains;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. WelcomNotes the fact that EU exports of agricultural products to both countries have increased significantly since the provisional application of the Agreement and asks the Commission to provide gender disaggregated data on ownership of exporting companies, size, volumes and jobs and forms of job contract in the export plants;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Is appalled that different Subcommittees have been used to impose private European interests against the European imperative of policy coherence, such as in the case of the Subcommittee on Market Access, where European negotiators urged the dismantling of higher tax rates for bigger cars, which is incoherent with the need to fight climate change; or in the Subcommittee on IP, where European negotiators asked to collect fees for European music majors, if their music was eventually played in public buses; expresses its wish that the Subcommittees turn off from defending private interests and develop agendas on how to design trade policy with the least possible impact on climate change;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 – point c
Paragraph 13 – point c
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Expresses, however, its wish that so called trade irritants are not just a disguised form to impose European products over locally produced goods, such as wines and spirits, and expresses its preference for the consumption of local goods, and in this respect the use of Geographical Indications;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Suggests to set up a meeting between the European and the respective Andean side to clearly define responsibilities in the monitoring of the implementation of these Road Maps and actions related to non-fulfilment;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Is of the opinion that the Agreement should include a wider Road Map, in particular tackling the sharp increase of killings of human rights defenders and leaders in the fight to get back their land they were forced to leave during the armed conflict in Colombia; asks the Commission to make proposals on how to annex such a broader Road Map to the Agreement;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the factNotes that, according to the OECD’s Trade Union Advisory Committee, there has been an increase in the number of inspectors in Colombia; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to support Colombia in its efforts to strengthen labour inspections, which represent an enormous challenge for the Colombian Government given that the state had lost control of parts of the country during the long armed conflict, and expects that additional and effective controls are carried out, especially in rural areas; asks the Commission to provide detailed information regarding the number of inspectors and inspections as well as irregularities found;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Asks the Commission for detailed information on the complaint case brought forward by Peruvian civil society against the European Commission, and its state of play;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Recalls that legislative changes that could lead to a lowering of the level of environmental protection with the aim of promoting foreign direct investment is not in compliance with the Agreement; and asks all European members of the Subcommittees related to the Agreement to refrain in the future in raising issues with the aim to achieve a dismantling of existing legal provisions on social and environmental issues, including climate change related issues;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Welcomes Colombia’s accession to the OECD on 30 May 2018, in what amounts to a recognition of the important reforms the country has undertaken, such as by reforming its justice system, improving its governance of state-owned enterprises and complying with the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention; encourages Peru to continue its reforms under the Country Programme agreement with the OECD; underlines, however, that the chapter on financial services eases tax fraud, tax evasion and money laundering, as spelt out in the INTA commissioned study of June 2016, (1) and therefore needs to be reviewed and improved in the shortest possible delay; (1) The inclusion of financial services in EU free trade and association agreements: Effects on money laundering, tax evasion and avoidance, see: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/ en/document.html?reference=EPRS_STU (2016)579326
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Stresses the importance of further enhancing international cooperation in the multilateral, plurilateral and regional international framework, in the context of the WTO, such as in relation to negotiations on the Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA) and the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA);
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Urges to include in the next implementation report data on the increase of transport (air and sea) related to the increased trade flows between the partners, and the increase of CO2 and other factors leading to climate change;