Activities of Jean-Pierre AUDY related to 2007/2256(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
Implementing trade policy through efficient import and export rules and procedures (debate)
Implementing trade policy through efficient import and export rules and procedures (debate)
Reports (1)
REPORT on implementing trade policy through efficient import and export rules and procedures PDF (175 KB) DOC (90 KB)
Amendments (25)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital 14 a (new)
Recital 14 a (new)
– having regard to the communication of 1 April 2008 from the Commission entitled ‘Strategy for the evolution of the customs union’ (COM(2008)0169),
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the concepts of customs union and common trade policy are coterminous,
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas the European Union’s import and export rules and procedures continue to play a crucial role in the smooth functioning of the internal market,
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas, over the years, the common trade policy has undergone important changes which have required - and continue to require - continual adjustments to the import and export rules and procedures,
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas simplifying and updating the import and export rules and procedures in the European Union and at international level are of strategic importance for competitiveness and trade,
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the specific problems encountered by SMEs with regard to mastering customs rules and procedures often impede such firms' access to international trade and prevent them from taking full advantage of all the opportunities offered by globalisation,
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas correct assessment of the tariff classification, origin and value of imported goods is essential for the proper application of the common customs tariff, tariff preferences, anti-dumping and anti- subsidy measures and a whole range of other trade policy instruments,
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the role of customs is now moving away from the simple collection of customs duties, an important task which, however, has been considerably scaled down over the last twenty years, towards the application of non-tariff measures, especially in respect of security and safety, combating counterfeiting, money laundering and drugs, and towards the application of measures concerning health, the environment and consumer protection, not to mention the collection of VAT and import/excise duties and exemption from export/excise duties, as well as, of course, compliance with the Union’s trade policies,
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas developing countries experience particular difficulties in setting up effective customs systems, especially with regard to infrastructure, equipment and staff training and integrity,
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas the essential objective of facilitating trade must be reconciled with the equally important objective of effective controls,
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas greater use of information technology and other modern technologies when processing customs transactions and checking goods produces significant improvements in efficiency and speed,
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
Fb. whereas it is necessary to take into account the interoperability requirements imposed by the use of such equipment and the costs incurred by its use by the administrative authorities concerned and economic operators,
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas one of the new fundamental objectives laid down in Article 2(5) of the Treaty on European Union, as amended by Article 1(4) of the Treaty of Lisbon, is that in its relations with the rest of the world the Union must contribute to the protection of its citizens; whereas the Treaty on European Union also specifies, in Article 2(2) as amended by Article 1(4) of the Lisbon Treaty, that the Union offers its citizens ‘an area of freedom, security and justice’ without internal borders, ‘in which the free movement of persons is assured in conjunction with appropriate measures’ with respect to (inter alia) external border controls,
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas the World Customs Organisation (WCO) plays an important role in promoting trade through international customs cooperation,
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Greatly regrets that Parliament is not more closely involved, so as to enable it to exercise the right of prior scrutiny it enjoys under the comitology procedure, in considering the draft regulation on the reform of the rules of origin of the Generalised System of Preferences, currently under consideration by the Member States in the context of the Customs Code Committee, is not subject to any right of scrutiny by Parliament, in spite of its importance and great political sensitivityn spite of the importance and great political sensitivity of this reform; notes, however, that the Commission is due to deliver a presentation on the subject to the parliamentary committee responsible;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Deplores, also, that the delay in concluding economic partnership agreements with the ACP countries has made it impossible up to now to apply, in our preferential relations with those countries, the simplified and updated rules of origin to which all partners concerned aspire; calls on the Commission to speed up the relevant proceedings;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Notes, however, that in the case of both the GSP (Generalised System of Preferences) and the EPA (economic partnership agreements) it is important to ensure that the preferences granted to countries benefiting from these arrangements in certain sensitive sectors do not lend themselves too easily to being exploited by very competitive third countries by virtue of excessively flexible rules of origin;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Paragraph 10 c (new)
10 c. Regrets that European firms are making little use of Community 'customs warehousing' and outward and inward processing procedures due to their complexity; calls on the Commission to consider simplifying the 'procedures with economic impact', introducing more flexible procedures and introducing a paperless system;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Also supports the Commission's ambitious plans to include a chapter on facilitating trade and customs cooperation in all the new free trade agreements it negotiates, in line with its Communication of 4 October 2006 entitled 'Global Europe: Competing in the World – a contribution to the EU's growth and jobs strategy' (COM(2006)0567);
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Heading between paragraphs 12 and 13 (new)
Heading between paragraphs 12 and 13 (new)
New customs tasks
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Calls on the Commission to make every effort, particularly in the Transatlantic Economic Council, to convince our American partners to refrain from implementing this legislation or, at least, to make it considerably more flexible; undertakes to defend the Union's position on this subject in discussion with members of the American Congress in the Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue (TLD);
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. Notes that pernicious discrepancies are sometimes found between Member States, for example with regard to the levying of VAT on imports, conditions for access to certain simplified procedures, the frequency of physical checks of goods and penalties;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20 b. Considers that every effort must be made to ensure equal treatment for economic operators throughout the Community customs territory, as it is an essential prerequisite as regards preserving the integrity of the internal market and protecting the Union's financial interests, maintaining its powers in the area of external policy – particularly trade policy – and ensuring compliance with its international commitments;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Stresses the crucial importance, in this respect, of instruments such as the Community's integrated tariff (Taric), European binding tariff information (EBTI) and the common risk management framework; calls on the Commission and the Member States to continue to perfect these instruments and ensure they function properly;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21 b. Calls on the Commission to make every effort to publish precise rules on the administrative and penal sanctions for infringing customs law, as stipulated by the Treaty of Lisbon;