Activities of Sara MATTHIEU related to 2021/2177(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on EU-India future trade and investment cooperation
Amendments (24)
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Welcomes President Von der Leyen's proposal of creating a Trade and Tech Council between the EU and India and pledges support for the implementation of this plan;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Considers that the existinga broader negotiating mandate is comprehensive and broad enough for negotiations to restart; takes the view, however, that an addendum is necessaryshould be agreed so as to ensure that the prospective comprehensive trade agreement contains as integral parts thereof a dedicated chapter for SMEs, a dedicated chapter on raw materials to remove all export dutiewhile recognising that the economic strength of SMEs in India may be lower and therefore need special concessions, a dedicated chapter on raw materials, while respecting the partner’s domestic policy needs to use its own raw materials, and an ambitious and enforceable trade and sustainable development chapter aligned with the Paris Agreementconsistent with commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement’ that takes explicitly into account the outcome of the ongoing TSD review process; underlines that sustainability needs, beyond a TSD chapter, to be transversally reflected in the agreement in a future agreement through enforceable provisions;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Stresses that India has not yet ratified two fundamental ILO Conventions, namely Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) and Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98); recalls that India has been reproached at ILO Ministerial Conferences for noncompliance with ILO conventions;
Amendment 54 #
4 b. Recalls that the EU Treaties require the EU institutions to integrate human rights objectives into EU trade policy, including respect for fundamental freedoms; expresses deep concern regarding the increasing harassment and prosecution of journalists, activists and peaceful protesters under India’s counterterrorism law, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and systematic discrimination against minority groups, under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA); calls to repeal the adopted laws and policies that systematically discriminate against minorities and stigmatize critics of the government; takes note of the ban in 1948 against discrimination on the basis of caste, further enshrined in the Indian constitution; is aware that the system still continues to be practiced in parts of India, strongly calls for the effective implementation of the ban;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4 c. Stresses that the EU must ensure that all EU social, human rights, environmental, climate, health, safety and quality standards must be respected by both parties under the agreement;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4 d. Highlights the need to assess the social and gender implications of any proposed agreement, particularly as concerns the partner's freedom to adopt and adapt government procurement rules and tariff levels, as these are not only economic but also social and developmental policy tools;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 e (new)
Paragraph 4 e (new)
4 e. Recalls that the agricultural sector is a significant part of the Indian economy, and accounts for 41% of Indian employment; stresses that the poverty rate in rural India is at 25%, twice that of its urban areas; highlights the sensitivity of certain agricultural sectors in both the EU and India alike; notes in particular that, although India is one of the largest milk producers globally, its dairy sector is nevertheless considered sensitive
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 f (new)
Paragraph 4 f (new)
4 f. Asks the Commission, to refrain from seeking intellectual property rights beyond WTO TRIPS requirements and enforcement thereof for health products as well as for plants, in particular seeds, and animals; underlines the importance of technology transfers, notably as regards essential medicines as well as for climate and environmental innovations;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – point i
Paragraph 6 – point i
i. the comprehensive elimination of tariffs and quotas on a reciprocal basis, while paying attention to sensitive products and ensuring that reductions will not be compensated by an increase in taxes and levies, including at state level, on imported, while providing a special and differential treatment to sensitive products;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – point i a (new)
Paragraph 6 – point i a (new)
i a. the inclusion of an ambitious sustainable food chapter with explicit and enforceable provisions on biodiversity protection and provisions as regards water resources, and consistent with the Farm 2 Fork strategy;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – point i b (new)
Paragraph 6 – point i b (new)
i b. the inclusion of an Energy & Raw Materials Chapter that should provide for ex ante and ex post environmental and human rights impact assessment requirements as well prior and informed consent of potentially affected communities;
Amendment 73 #
ii. expedited, more transparent and less onerous customs, sanitary and phytosanitary procedures as well as a comprehensive single-window electronic certification processto the extent allowed by administrative capacities and on the basis on technical assistance as requested and the removal of disproportionate import bans;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – point iii
Paragraph 6 – point iii
iii. the elimination of onerousunjustified technical barriers to trade, including a review of the increasing number of obstacles of late such as ibarriers on ICT, medical devices, toys, alcoholic beverages, polished diamonds, food and steel; the agreement should seek to ensure, on the basis of technical assistance provisions, gradual compliance with the international standards of the International Organization for Standardisation (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU), go beyond the WTO Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement, ensureensure gradually that there is no duplication of testing and certification, and streamline licensing schemes, quality control orders and clinical investigations;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – point iv
Paragraph 6 – point iv
iv. a comprehensive chapter on public procurement at all levels of governance in order to enforce the principles of transparency and non-discrimination in public procurement through effective remedy procedures; calls, in this respect, for India to accede to the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement and to prohibit ‘buy national’ practices;
Amendment 88 #
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – point vi
Paragraph 6 – point vi
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – point x
Paragraph 6 – point x
x. effective bilateral measures on safeguards in addition toline with the existing WTO trade defence instruments;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Believes that the agreement should remove all discriminatory and disproportionate obstacles to establishment in services and manufacturing sectors in order to ensure a level playing field between EU and Indian operators, subject to special and differential treatment provisions;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. ConsideEncourages the negotiators ito expedient to providelore the costs and benefits of a provision on interoperable data flows between the jurisdictions of India and the EU in total compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)5 and to agree upon international standards on intercompany transfer pricing, subject to special and differential treatment provisions; _________________ 5 OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, p. 1.
Amendment 126 #
9. Invites the EU’s negotiating team to make best use of India’s commitment to multilateralism and an international rules- based trading order and to urge India to play a more decisive role in ongoing efforts to reform the WTOunderlines India’s role as regards ongoing efforts to reform the WTO and ensure that plurilateral agreements abide to the WTO Marrakesh Agreement provisions; invites the Commission to narrow the gap with India’s approach as regards ongoing WTO negotiations, in particular on Fisheries and public stock holding programs ahead of WTO MC 12; applauds the EU and India’s co-sponsored reform proposal for the WTO Dispute Settlement Body and calls on India to join the multi- party interim appeal arbitration arrangement; commends the commitment of EU and Indian leaders to enhancing coordination on global economic governance, notably in the WTO and G20; expects to be briefed about the results of the EU-India Senior Officials’ Dialogue, which aims to deepen bilateral cooperation on WTO issues under the auspices of the High-Level Dialogues on Trade and Investment;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. ApplaudsTakes note of both sides’ readiness to negotiate a stand-alone investment protection agreement, which would increase legal certainty for investors on both sides and further strengthen bilateral trade relations; recommends working towards the achievement of common and mutually beneficial objectives in these areas in order to foster economic growth and innovation in order to foster sustainable economic growth and innovation; proposes to carry out a comprehensive cost benefit analysis before the negotiations start; welcomes steps taken by India in its 2015 Model Bilateral Investment treaty to protect the interest of its citizens and sustainable use of its resources; especially welcomes the protection standards focusing on protection against expropriation, denial of justice, fundamental breach of due process, targeted discrimination and manifestly abusive treatment, as well as the obligation for investors to exhaust domestic remedies before using investment adjudication; believes that no protection should be granted to fossil fuel investments;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. ReaffirmsPoints out that an investment protection agreement could be an adequate stepping stimportant contributione for further strengthening bilateral trade relations; encourages the negotiators to agree on a dedicated EU- India investment court system as a stepping stone to a multilateral investment court, to which both the EU and India should adhere and to incentivize and protect sustainable investments, in all its dimensions, without relying on investor-state adjudication;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. WelcomesTakes notes of the leaders’ commitment to concluding a separate agreement on geographical indications, be it a stand- alone agreement or integrated within the comprehensive trade agreement;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the negotiators, as a matter of priority, to agree on the establishment of a bilateral ex ante consultation platform between the EU and India designed to facilitate discussions and consultations, in advance of any new measures or subsidies that could negatively affect trade or investment; takes the view that business and industry associations should be able to bring any new trade or investment irritants to the attention of the secretariat of this platformclude a wide range of stakeholders, including social partners and CSO organizations; believes that the platform should eventually be made an integral part of the governance framework of the future trade agreement;