13 Amendments of Glenys KINNOCK related to 2008/2170(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation (new)
Citation (new)
- having regard to the Declaration on EPAs by the ACP Heads of State adopted in Accra on 3rd October 2008,
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. Whereas ACP countries have voiced a series of concerns regarding ‘contentious clauses’ in the initialled Economic Partnership Agreements and have requested these be addressed before signing;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)
Recital H b (new)
Hb. Whereas some ACP countries are unable to make commitments beyond a trade in goods agreement at the present time and wish to opt out of other aspects of the Economic Partnership Agreement until they reach a sufficient level of development to embrace the full agreement; and whereas a goods-only agreement is all that is needed for WTO compatibility;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas the adjustment costs resulting from the EPAs will have a significant adverse impact on the development of ACP countries, which, whilst difficult to predict, will consist of direct impact through the loss of customs duties and the costs of regulatory reform and enforcement to comply with the wide range of regulations stipulated in the EPA; and indirect impact through the costs necessary for adaptation or social support in the areas of employment, skills enhancement, production, export diversification and reform of public financial management,
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas ACP countries are concerned that there may be adverse impacts on local producers and food security;
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Jb. (new)
Recital Jb. (new)
Jb. whereas ACP countries and third parties are concerned that the MFN clause in the initialled texts will undermine South-South trade,
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J c (new)
Recital J c (new)
Jc. whereas ACP countries are concerned that rules of origin remain unduly restrictive for some products;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas the development impactbenefits of EPAs willshould result from their effects on: - the reduction of net customs revenues and its effect on the budgets of the ACP States, - the improvement of the supply of ACP countries' economies and provision of customers with imported EU products, - growing: - ACP regional integration, which has the capacity to improve the framework for economic development, but only if the EPAs complement rather than undermine indigenous regional integration processes, - possible increased exports tofrom the EU from ACP countries through improved RACP to the EU, if the rules of Oorigin, which would lead to economic growth, more employment, increased state revenue which could be used to fund social measures, - regional integration and other trade facilitation measures are improved, including inf the ACP regions, which has the capacity to improve the framework for economic development and would therefore contribute to economic growth, - the successful use of financing for Aid for Trade in connection with the EPAs, full €2 billion Aid for Trade commitment is delivered without delay to support trade capacity building, - the implementation of reform measures in the ACP countries, in particular as regardson public finance management, collection of customs duties and establishment of a new tax revenue systems,
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1
Paragraph -1
-1. Urges the Council, the Commission and governments of the EU Member States to do their utmost to re-establish an atmosphere of confidence, mutual respect and trust in so far as it has been damaged in the course of negotiations; (text of paragraph 7 modified and moved back)
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reminds the Council and the Commission that Europe has a legal obligation to ensure that neither the conclusion nor the renunciation of an EPA should lead to a situation where an ACP country may find itself in a less favourable position than it was under the trade provisions ofconferred by the ACP preference waiver under Lome Convention, and subsequently the Cotonou Agreement;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Stresses that WTO compatibility as defined by GATT XXIV pertains only to trade in goods and requires "a substantial part of the trade" to be liberalised "within a reasonable length of time" and urges the Council and Commission to accept any goods-only WTO compatible proposals from ACP countries;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Urges the Commission to allow the ACP countries to renegotiate the disputed clauses before the agreements are signed, and to give ACP negotiators sufficient time to evaluate the agreement and to make suggestions before adopting the relevant agreement; stresses in particular the importance of taking into account the concerns of partner countries and their parliaments, local authorities and civil society in the framework of negotiating full EPAs, which should not be concluded under pressure and in haste, as they exceed the requirements of the WTO;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Underscores the need for stronger monitoring and evaluation provisions in the EPAs which will determine the impact of the EPA on country and regional development and poverty reduction objectives - not merely EPA compliance levels - and provide for a redress mechanism to allow for the amendment or repeal of any aspect of the EPA that undermines a process of regional integration, or damages chances of reducing poverty or achieving the MDGs;