36 Amendments of Helmut SCHOLZ related to 2011/2056(INI)
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Reaffirms its support for the Madrid Declaration of the EU - Latin America Summit 2010, which explicitly recognises the principle of the sovereign right of States to manage and regulate their natural resources, while stressing that due attention should be paid to sustainability criteria;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Reaffirms its support for the Madrid Declaration of the EU - Latin America Summit 2010, which explicitly recognises the principle of the sovereign right of States to manage and regulate their natural resources, while stressing that due attention should be paid to sustainability criteria;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. WelcomesTakes note of the proposal for EU diplomacy on raw materials and rare earths withwhose goal should be to promote international cooperation in the aimrea of urgently establishing an international regulatory platform and ensuring open global markesustainable extraction of raw materials and an efficient use of resources based on mutual interests;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1d. Recognises the right of countries to restrict access to their raw materials for environmental purposes or to address critical shortages of supply when necessary;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 e (new)
Paragraph 1 e (new)
1e. Recognises the limitations of export taxes for development purposes; insists however that export taxes can be an important policy tool in fostering the social and economic development of developing and least developed countries; therefore calls on the Commission to step back from insisting on the lifting of export taxes in international trade agreements;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 f (new)
Paragraph 1 f (new)
1f. Calls on the Commission to refrain from incorporating any temporary withdrawal provisions for beneficiary countries in its reform of the GSP mechanism that would infringe on a country’s legitimate right to implement certain export restrictions on its raw materials;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 g (new)
Paragraph 1 g (new)
1g. Rejects the inclusion of explicit guarantees on market access to raw materials in EU trade agreements and rejects calls for making this access a prerequisite for membership of the WTO;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses the importance of trade in raw materials for sustainable economic growth and calls for an integrated raw materials diplomacy to be developed by the EU, based on its industrial policy agenda and in line with its development and environment policy;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Renews its call on the Commission and the Council to promote Fair Trade in Raw Material , as well as other independently monitored trading initiatives contributing to raising social and environmental standards in supporting small and marginalised producers in developing countries, encourages public authorities in the European Union to integrate Fair Trade and sustainability criteria into their public tenders and purchasing policies;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission to ensure access to raw materials and rare earths through fair trade agreements and strategic trade partnerships that will allow developing countries to diversify and industrialise their economies; calls on the Commission in this context to incorporate compliance with ILO standards and international environmental standards into every trade agreements;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for an international agreement on regulatory standards on sustainable mining and good governance which should be promoted through relevant fora, such asextraction of raw materials and an efficient use of resources and recycling, aiming at the prevention of commodity speculation, the protection of ecologically sensitive areas and to minimize environmental impacts and social consequences as well as to bind all parties to the respect of common environmental, social, labour and human rights standards and good governance; stresses, that these regulatory standards should be promoted through relevant international organizations like the OECD, UNCTAD, UNEP and the G8WTO and the G20, the WTO, the OECD, UNCTAD, UNEP; country forums like the G8, the G20, the BRICS and others; reiterates its support for the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI);
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls for an international agreement on regulatory standards on sustainable extraction of raw materials and an efficient use of resources and recycling, aiming at the prevention of commodity speculation, the protection of ecologically sensitive areas and to minimize environmental impacts and social consequences as well as binding all parties to the respect of common environmental, social, labour and human rights standards and good governance; reiterates its support for the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI);
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the WTO to monitor closely the impact of export restrictions and other barrierspeculation, monopolies, conflicts and legitimate national government regulations on the price of raw materials and the supply situation; supports the creation in the WTO of a ‘Raw Materials and Rare Earths Stability Board’;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. WelcomeRejects the inclusion of explicit guarantees on market access to raw materials in EU trade agreements and as a prerequisite for membership of the WTO;rejects calls for making theis access to and sustainable governance of raw materials to be included in all EU agreements with relevant third countriesa prerequisite for membership of the WTO;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to draw up rules on the social responsibility of European undertakings involved in the mining of raw materials in source countries; insists that those rules must be binding and legally enforceable and relate to all stages of the exploitation of raw materials, including the corporation's accountability for adverse effects on the environment and livelihoods of indigenous communities;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Points out that competition for access to raw materials has often been a root cause of conflicts and wars, leading to the killing of millions of people in Central Africa and other regions of the world;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. points out that competition for access to raw materials has often been a root cause of conflicts and wars, leading to the killing of millions of people for example in Central Africa and other regions of the world;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Takes note of the fact that the EU is a major consumer of conflict mineral based products; calls for the introduction of global standards that ensure a clean trade system based on the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission, when preparing the new external action instruments for the period after 2013, to include measures to support good governance and sustainable mining in the programmes for the democratic and economic stability of fragilreach with the countries concerned a common approach to support good governance and sustainable extraction of raw materials and to include them in case an agreement is reached in the programmes of cooperation with the States that are suppliers of raw materials;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. This is of particular importance when it comes to the sourcing of so-called conflict minerals - such as cassiserite, coltan and wolfranite, which are mined in the DRC and widely used in mobile phones and laptops; refers to the Dodd Frank Act that was introduced in the US on April 1 as a possible model;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the Commission to support, in the spirit of true partnership, fragile states and governments of developing countries in the building up of an efficient management system for their raw materials, including advice on best practice in licensing issues, the negotiation of contracts providing for a just share in the profits for the population and for the society, the establishment of raw material processing industries, as well as in the prevention of ecological damages;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Believes that the responsibility for a coherent and effective EU diplomacy must lie with the EEAS, which will activate all relevant Commission services, in close coordination with the Council and Parliament; believes furthermore that the strategic relevance of raw materials should be reflected in the organisation of the EEAS and in the staffing of relevant EU delegations.
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to take the necessary measures to ensure there is transparency on commodity markets and to act decisively against commodities speculation;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Regrets that many developing countries and in particular LDCs have been locked into the production and export of raw materials and commodities whose volatile prices constitute a serious impediment to the alleviation of poverty as well as the realisation of the MDGs but recognises that increasing commodity prices have contributed to a significant rise in the external accounts of some developing countries, dependent on primary commodities; notes however that in most cases this has not led to a more equal wealth distribution; underlines the opportunities for the producer countries which lay in the own exploration and management of raw material deposits when fundamental rules of transparency are respected;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Supports current efforts in developing countries and in particular in LDCs to diversify their economies and develop economic activities at more advanced stages of the production process, to also include processing and marketing and to enhance the quality, productivity and production of products with a higher degree of value added; urges the Commission to support national commodity development and diversification strategies with support from the European Development Fund when necessary;
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Is concerned about the one dimensional character of the trade relations of most resource reach countries; considers the strengthening of regional economic frameworks and increased regional cooperation among developing countries to be of the utmost importance for the sustainable economic development of those countries; underlines in this respect the importance of south-south trade for the economic development of those countries;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)
Paragraph 6 d (new)
6d. calls on the Commission to support in the spirit of true partnership fragile states and governments of developing countries in the building up of an efficient management system for their raw materials, including advice on best practice in licensing issues, the negotiation of contracts providing for a just share in the profits for the population and for the society, the establishment of raw material processing industries as well as in the prevention of ecological damages; underlines the need to guarantee the full and equal participation of civil society organisations and the trade union movement in this process;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 e (new)
Paragraph 6 e (new)
6e. Recognises that liberalisation of trade in agricultural food products and agricultural primary commodities has exposed small scale farmers in developing countries and in particular in LDCs to many new challenges. As small scale farmers are largely comprised of women, this can have a disproportionately negative effect on them if they are not able to cope with external competition;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 f (new)
Paragraph 6 f (new)
6f. Supports developing countries in their endeavours to secure access to food for the local populations; believes that viable policy space must be further strengthened to enable national rules and measures for the development of this sector, as well as support women who carry the main responsibility for feeding their families and the local communities;
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 g (new)
Paragraph 6 g (new)
6g. Reiterates the volatility on the commodity markets and of food in particular; underlines that the right to food is recognized in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), therefore insists that efficient mechanisms to introduce fixed price regulations for food and staple goods internationally are a matter of utmost importance;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 h (new)
Paragraph 6 h (new)
6h. Takes note of the increased scepticism regarding the economic and environmental benefits of agro fuel production; is alarmed by the growing conflict between agro fuel production and need to use agricultural land in the interest of food security and food sovereignty ; stresses the need to increase public research into alternative energy sources;
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 i (new)
Paragraph 6 i (new)
6i. Notes the increase in leasing and buying off of farmland by emerging and developed economies - commonly referred to as land grabbing- in Africa in particular; notes that these practises largely occur as a result of unsustainable agricultural production internationally ; urges the Commission to not retreat to those new kind of colonialism in its trade and market access negotiations;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
Amendment 82 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Encourages the Commission and EU companies to promote and invest in the transfer of environmentally friendly technologies;