32 Amendments of Madeleine JOUYE DE GRANDMAISON
Amendment 3 #
2008/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas Article 36(1) of the Cotonou Agreement contains the agreement of the European Union and the ACP States to conclude "“WTO compatible trading arrangements, removing progressively barriers to trade between them and enhancing cooperation in all areas relevant to trade"”; whereas under Article 37(6) of the Cotonou Agreement ACP countries have the right to explore alternatives to EPAs,
Amendment 15 #
2008/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas the development impact of EPAs in the ACP countries will result from their effects on - the reduction of net customs revenues and its effect, ultimately, onf the budgets of the ACP States, - the improvementncrease of the supply of ACP countries' economies and provision of customers with imported EU products, - growing exports to the EU from ACP countries through improved Rules of Origin, which would lead to, particularly with regard to imported EU products, - whereas the impact of EPAs on development can only be positive if, in order to compensate for these effects, these agreements result, for the ACP countries, in: - growing exports to the EU from ACP countries, enabling the generation of economic growth, and more employment, leading to increased state revenue which could be used to fund social measures, - regional integration in the ACP regions, which has the capacity to improve the framework for economic development and would therefore contribute towould compensate for the loss of customs revenue and could, if sufficient, be used to support the funding of social measures, - further development of the regional integration processes throughout the ACP, which could lead to the creation of frameworks more likely to bring peace, regional stability, cooperation, development and economic growth, - the successful use of financing for Aid for Trade in connection with the EPAs which would directly benefit the ACP countries, - the implementation of reform measures in the ACP countries, in particular as regards public finance management, collection of customs duties and establishment of a new tax revenue system, whereas, finally, the impact of EPAs on development must result, in the ACP countries, in significant social evolution which is fair for everyone,
Amendment 19 #
2008/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital O a (new)
Recital O a (new)
Oa. whereas the 'most-favoured nation clause' may jeopardise the South-South trade and constrain the development in ACP countries,
Amendment 21 #
2008/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital P a (new)
Recital P a (new)
Pa. whereas, concerning that women produce 60-80% of food and work in the agricultural or in the informal sector with low levels of income, little job and social security and few job alternatives in developing countries, the opening up to food imports from Europe and liberalisation under EPAs might negatively effect the unemployment rate and intensify the existing inequalities between women and men,
Amendment 24 #
2008/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Reiterates that full EPAs have to include binding provisions for development cooperation in order to reach their ultimate goal which is sustainable development and regional integration in ACP countries,
Amendment 25 #
2008/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 a (new)
Paragraph -1 a (new)
-1a. Calls on the Commission to be vigilant that the issue of compatibility with WTO rules does not take precedence over the overall aim of development,
Amendment 46 #
2008/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Underlines, considering that customs revenues are the most important source of income in ACP countries, that the 'most- favoured nation clause' might hamper South-South trade and development and stresses that EPAs should not include the 'standstill clause' which fixes the tariffs at their current rates within the transition periods and would even affect products which are on the exclusion list;
Amendment 61 #
2008/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Calls for the necessary integration of the outermost regions (such as the Caribbean) into their regional environment to be taken into account and the instruments of this integration to be provided: free movement of goods and persons (tourist visas to be readily available), tax and customs facilities and support for the establishment of interregional airlines; calls for every effort to be made so that the EPAs will, for the ACP as well as for the outermost regions, form part of a ‘win-win’ system;
Amendment 62 #
2008/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Stresses the importance of public services for development and democracy and consequently asks the Commission to act with caution when considering the liberalisation of service sectors, and in particular to exclude water, health and education from liberalisation,
Amendment 63 #
2008/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Stresses that EPAs must also promote equal participation of women and men for the benefit of all development processes through women’s equal access to productive resources, land, capital, credit and technology, gainful employment, and decision-making;
Amendment 5 #
2008/2074(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph - 1 (new)
Paragraph - 1 (new)
-1. Notes that the Commission communication fails to identify the causes of this scarcity and that, while it proposes a number of excellent measures to alleviate water shortages and drought in the European Union, they do not provide a lasting solution to the problem of dwindling water resources;;
Amendment 18 #
2008/2074(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3a (new)
Paragraph 3a (new)
3a. Stresses that water remains above all a resource which has been inherited and must be shared by all humanity and that an increase in its cost in monetary terms, even where based on economic analyses, can be neither taken as the cornerstone of the ‘user pays’ principle nor seen as a lasting solution to the problem of increasing water scarcity and drought; considers that, furthermore, proposals to increase the cost of water fail to take account of the millennium objectives: access to drinkable water for all and poverty reduction;
Amendment 19 #
2008/2074(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3b (new)
Paragraph 3b (new)
3b. Stresses that all sources of pollution are contributing to water scarcity, which means that it is urgently necessary to implement throughout the territory of Europe a strict and efficient system of monitoring the use of pollutants, in particular pesticides and other industrial pollutants;
Amendment 20 #
2008/2074(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3c (new)
Paragraph 3c (new)
3c. Urges the Commission and Member States to acknowledge that deforestation and unrestrained urban development are greatly contributing to growing water scarcity;
Amendment 21 #
2008/2074(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3d (new)
Paragraph 3d (new)
3d. Notes that the communication fails to address the problem arising in numerous regions from the non-purification of waste water;
Amendment 22 #
2008/2074(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3e (new)
Paragraph 3e (new)
3e. Stresses the need to introduce throughout European territory a system of integrated resource management (IRM) for water by catchment area, so as to ensure the balanced distribution of this resource for various uses;
Amendment 23 #
2008/2074(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3f (new)
Paragraph 3f (new)
3f. Stresses that the need to protect groundwater resources should not be forgotten if they are to be included in overall water resource management;
Amendment 24 #
2008/2074(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3g (new)
Paragraph 3g (new)
3g. Urges that support be given to all rational rainwater collection systems (meeting good public health standards).
Amendment 10 #
2008/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
Ia. whereas ORs are a considerable asset to the European Union as regards space research, in particular through Kourou,
Amendment 11 #
2008/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I b (new)
Recital I b (new)
Ib. whereas the European Union's status as a major power with one of the world's richest natural biodiversities is due precisely to the ORs and OCTs;
Amendment 15 #
2008/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes the satisfactory results obtained under the POSEI programme (agriculture and fisheries) and in the sugar cane, rum and bananas sectors; wishes to see proper consideration given to the financial impact which the ongoing international negotiations and the measures undertaken at the WTO may have on these agricultural sectors; will closely monitor the forthcoming mid-term review of POSEI and the assessment of differentiated tax regimes;
Amendment 16 #
2008/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Welcomes the implementation of the NETBIUM programme in particular, which is a significant example of the ORs' potential in the field of scientific research; wonders, however, about the fact that, despite the quantity of projects conducted and the extent of the OR's potential, the ORs' integration in the European Research Area (ERA) is still limited; calls, therefore, for efforts to be redoubled in order to (1) step up the establishment of local research facilities that are equal to their potential, (2) encourage and help OR local authorities to increase their research efforts and investments (an essential means of creating new jobs and economic sectors with good prospects), (3) encourage and support the development of attractive, successful universities, with genuine resources and with standards equal to those of universities in mainland Europe;
Amendment 17 #
2008/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Calls on the Commission to implement a programme to support the local cultures of ORs, in particular with a view to supporting and encouraging the survival of the regional languages (such as creole), lifestyles, and customary, artistic, culinary, spiritual and philosophical traditions of those regions;
Amendment 18 #
2008/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Calls on the Commission to take account of the special nature of Guyana in these OR aid programmes: Guyana is one of the few areas of the European Union that still has various indigenous peoples who must be respected and protected by every possible means; the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of 13 September 2007 states that indigenous peoples are equal to all other peoples, have a right to be different, to consider themselves different and to be respected as such; to this end, there is an urgent need for specific European aid programmes to be established for them in order effectively to protect the cultural wealth which such peoples represent for Europe's and man's common heritage, promote and respect the intrinsic rights of such peoples deriving from their political, economic and social structures, spiritual traditions, history and philosophy, and in particular guarantee their tight to full enjoyment of their lands, territories and resources;
Amendment 20 #
2008/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Regrets that the ORs were not involved in the preparation of the EPA negotiations as regards aspects relating to their specific interests nor in the negotiation of EPAs with the ACP countries as regards those same aspects; calls therefore on the Commission to associate the ORs as closely as possible in the further negotiations;
Amendment 21 #
2008/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Calls on the Commission, in the context of the wider neighbourhood action plan, with a view to coordinating with the EDF the funding of OR extraterritorial cooperation projects with ACP countries, to set up and organise information meetings in the different ORs to enable local stakeholders (private and public) to acquire a better understanding and grasp of the complexity and specific features of the procedures required for the implementation and success of such projects;
Amendment 23 #
2008/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Considers that Community actions should be a catalyst for a spirit of enterprise that will transform the ORs into centres of excellence, driven by sectors which fully exploit their advantages and know-how, such as waste management, renewable energies, student mobility, climate researchenergy self- sufficiency, student mobility, research into climate change and biodiversity or crisis management;
Amendment 26 #
2008/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Points out that many actions and programmes to be pursued and initiated for the ORs can make significant contributions to established Community and international priorities, in particular as regards climate change, the protection of biodiversity, renewable energies, health in developing countries, food supplies, diversification of economic and productive activities, and research into slavery and colonialism;.
Amendment 27 #
2008/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Calls on the Commission to ensure that proper funding is provided, in the context of research programmes, for research relating to the history of slavery and colonisation;
Amendment 41 #
2008/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Calls on the Commission to provide, in the context of compensation for handicaps relating to the position of the outermost regions, for the drafting of a proposal for an EU directive to regulate the rates charged by private and public companies for postal and telecommunications services, so as to ensure that such rates do not exceed the telecommunications and postal rates applied between two mainland Member States;
Amendment 47 #
2008/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Calls on the Commission to submit a communication addressed to Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, following the Partners' Conference due to be held in Brussels on 14 and 15 May 2008, to draw conclusions and summarise the progress highlighted by the conference;
Amendment 48 #
2008/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Calls on the Commission to conduct an environmental and social impact study on the reform of the sugar and banana COMs;