Activities of Kader ARIF related to 2008/2135(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
An EU-India Free Trade Agreement (short presentation)
Amendments (28)
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) is of crucial importance to both the European Union and India; an FTA does not preclude bilateral WTO+ agreements,
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas India's trade and regulatory environment still remains comparatively restrictive; whereas in 2008 the World Bank ranked India 122 (out of 178 economies) in terms of "ease of doing business",
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas both parties reaffirm their commitment for tariff reductions, progressive reciprocal liberalisation of establishment and trade in services; whereas therefore the FTA should address issues of investment,
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas market access is being hampered by Non-tariff Barriers to Trade (NTBs) such as health and safety requirements or technical barriers, quantitative restrictions, conformity procedures, trade defence mechanisms, customs procedures, intneeds to be accompanied by transparent and adequate rules and standards to ensure that trade libernal taxisation, and a failure to adopt international norms and standards is beneficial,
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Believes that the FTA should be comprehensive, compatible with and complementary toatible with the WTO rules and obligations; the DDA remains both the European Union's and India's trade priority;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the outcome of the 9th EU- India Summit and the revised Joint Action Plan; recalls the pledge of the European Union and India to accelerate FTA talks; is disappointed with the slow pace of negotiations; calls for both parties to conclude a comprehensive, ambitions and balanced FTA by the end of 2009encourages the negotiating parties to ensure that sufficient time is taken for more thorough consultations with key stakeholders including parliamentarians in India as well as in the European Union, in order to ensure a balanced agreement which takes into account the interests and perspectives of all affected stakeholders;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Points to the future potential for an increase in EU-India trade and investment; considers the EU- India FTA as win-win scenariounderlines that the agreement must ensure that this increase in trade brings benefits to the widest number of people, as well as to the environment and enables the achievement of India’s millennium development goals;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Recognises the right of governments to maintain necessary 'policy space' and regulatory capacities to shape economic and social policies that serve their most vulnerable people, including trade measures to protect weak economic actors;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Stresses that an agreement should include a continued monitoring and comprehensive review system, in order to determine the socio-economic impact of the agreement; calls for provisions of the agreement to be adjusted in line with the conclusions of this review;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Asks the Commission to include an ambitious sustainable development chapter as an essential part of the agreement and subject to the standard dispute settlement mechanism;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes India's decreased average applied tariffs; stresses that these levels remain a genuine problem for European industry;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recognises that services are the fastest growing sector of the Indian economy; notes that India has offensive interests in GATS Mode 1 and Mode 4 liberalisation; the European Union would like to complete liberalisation in market access and national treatment in Mode 3 in most services, the removal of Foreign Investment Promotion Board approval and allowing subsidiaries in the financial sector to be wholly-owned;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes that India is gradually liberalising its banking sector; encourages India to allow more competition; recalls at the same time the importance of strong and well-designed rules and regulations for financial services and control of international financial transactions;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Points out that services liberalisation must in no way hinder the right to regulate services, especially to develop and maintain strong public services;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. WelcomNotes the Indian pledge to allow foreign law firms to operate in India; calls on the Commission to push forexplore with Indian authorities the opportunity and the scope of liberalisation of legal services in the FTA;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a.Recalls that investments need to be accompanied by well-designed rules and regulations; reaffirms in this context its resolution of 13 March 2007 on corporate social responsibility (2006/2133(INI)) and asks the Commission to make sure that EU-based transnational companies with production facilities in India abide by core ILO standards, social and environmental covenants and international agreements to achieve a worldwide balance between economic growth and higher social and environmental standards;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Recognises that FTA investment chapters have often come accompanied with commitments to liberalise capital movements and renounce capital controls; asks the Commission to refrain from including such clauses, given the importance of capital controls – especially for developing countries - to mitigate against the impact of the financial crisis;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. RegretNotes that India is not willing to include public procurement in the FTA; calls on the Commission to negotiate effective and transparent procurement systemsunderlines that an agreement should guarantee and secure the right of states to use government procurement as an instrument to encourage local economic development;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Welcomes India's commitment to a strong IPR regime; encourages its rigorous implementation and enforcement and to the use of TRIPS flexibilities to meet its public health obligations, particularly in relation to access to medicines; stresses that these negotiations must be compatible with protecting biodiversity and traditional knowledge;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Calls on the European Union and India to jointly fund and support measures and initiatives such as prize funds, patent pools and other alternative mechanisms, in order to support access to and innovation in medicines, particularly for neglected diseases;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Calls on the European Union and India to ensure that trade and FDI isare not encouraged at the cost of lowering either environmental, standards or core labour, or occupational health and safety legislation and standards; ensuring adequate capacity to monitor labour market and environmental developments, including the observance of such standards, is indispensible;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Asks for the ratification and effective application of the basic conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO);