Activities of Helmut SCHOLZ related to 2021/2038(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
The future of EU-US relations (debate)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the future of EU-US relations
Amendments (54)
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Identifies trade policy as a strategic geopolitical tool for the transatlantic agendaReiterates its support for the EU's new trade strategy designed for achieving its domestic and external policy objectives and to promote greater sustainability in line with its commitment of fully implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including through the Union's transatlantic agenda; identifies trade policy as an important tool for the sustainable and inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and for the green and digital transformations of our economies and towards building a more resilient world; highlights the need to identify joint actions based on shared interests and values in order to contribute to a global sustainable and inclusive economic recovery; stresses that ‘workers and wages’ and more resilient and responsible supply chains should be at the core of such an agenda;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
— having regard to its resolution of 20 May 2021 on the ruling of the ECJ of 16 July 2020 - Data Protection Commissioner v Facebook Ireland Limited, Maximilian Schrems - Case C- 311/18
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the US support for Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to become the new Director-General of the WTO, the US’s return to the Paris Agreement, the WTO tariff rate quota agreement and the temporary suspension of Airbus Boeing tariffand calls on the Commission and the Biden administration to be responsive to her important reform initiatives, in particular with regard to health; highly appreciates the US’s return to the Paris Agreement, and the commitment that addressing the real threats from climate change shall be vital in U.S. economic diplomacy and trade talks; considers the WTO tariff rate quota agreement a fair result; and expresses its hope that the temporary suspension of Airbus Boeing tariffs creates the space to finally settle this conflict and calls for a rapid and lasting solution on aircraft subsidies;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the US remains the EU’s closest strategic partner; whereas the EU and its Member States must abandon the role of junior partner in transatlantic relations and need to re-build the partnership on the basis of mutual respect of the specific interests of each partner;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Recommends to mutually recognise that state support for both Boeing and Airbus has been strategic and of essential importance for developing this industry in both the U.S. and the EU; calls for enhanced investment and cooperation in the industry to drastically reduce CO2 emissions in air transport;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas US policies under the Trump administration have had a profound impact on the transatlantic relations, resulting in mistrust, widening differences on many economic, trade and political questions and resulting in the emergence of new areas of disagreement; whereas despite important steps of the Biden administration to correct these developments divergent interests and differences continue and will continue to persist; whereas, however, the fact that nearly 47 percent of the electorate voted to re-elect Trump in 2021is proof that on several critical issues—ranging from trade to climate change to data protection—American priorities are not aligned with European ones;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas events of the last two decades, such as in particular the economic crisis, military interventions in the Middle East, the crisis of public health services and the failure to effectively manage the COVID-19 pandemic, have resulted in a call to replace the neoliberal agenda by a progressive agenda focussing on people;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
Ad. Whereas the Biden administration has thrown its support behind a move at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to temporarily lift patent protections for coronavirus vaccines; whereas the EU, following the resistance of those EU Member States which host big pharma business remains reluctant to actively support this request; whereas United States and the EU have enacted temporary trade measures that aim to restrict exports of vital medical supplies as other essential products needed for the worldwide fight against the pandemic;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the EU and the US share a fundamental interest in shaping the international environment; ; whereas the interests and positions not necessarily coincide: whereas the EU and its Member States reject any attempts to obtain global supremacy, but advocate multilateralism;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recognises at the same time that some diverging interests remain; in this regard, urges both sides to resolvefrontload resolving of bilateral disputes to 2021; urges the US to remove unilateral trade measures and refrain from taking further ones; urges the immediate removal of section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium; calls for a rapid and lasting solution on aircraft subsidies;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Welcomes the support expressed by President Joe Biden for a temporary international waiver on the agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights(TRIPS) for all coronavirus-related medical products, including vaccines and treatments; urges partners to work together with all the WTO members to ensure that intellectual property rights such as patents, industrial designs, copyright and protection of undisclosed information do not create barriers to the timely access to affordable medical products including vaccines and medicines or to scaling-up of research, development, manufacturing and supply of medical products essential to combat COVID-19;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Welcomes that USTR Katherine Tai took the initiative to speak with Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu about the global effort to end the pandemic and help the economy recover, and that both discussed the potential waiver of intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines as well as the need to increase production and distribution of vaccines and raw materials around the world;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Calls on the transatlantic partners to support and actively contribute to the UN Secretary-General's call for a global cease fire, including through effective measures against illicit arms trade and enhancing the transparency and accountability of arms trade, including U.S. and EU Member States' arms exports;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Advocates a joint strategic approach towards China, addressing the roots of unfair trade practices and tackling industrial subsidies, state-owned enterprises and human rights concerns; Notes the result of the first high- level meeting of the EU-US dialogue on China, where the two sides reiterated that their relations with China are multifaceted and comprise elements of cooperation, competition, and systemic rivalry; advocates a joint strategic approach with China, establishing a common understanding of what constitutes unfair trade practices in order to agree on measures to end them; recommends to build on the wording of the negotiated text of the Phase I agreement between the U.S. and China, and of the CAI between the EU and China; notes the existence of industrial subsidies in the US and the EU, stresses the need for enormous public and private investment into a successful green and digital transformation of industry; stresses the need for state-owned enterprises to play by the rules when acting in a market environment; stresses the significance of human rights and the imperative for business to adhere to them; points out in this regard the need for a binding due diligence legislation and calls for the US, for OECD members and for China to join and support this approach along global value and supply chains; welcomes the beginning of direct talks between Ambassador Katherine Tai and Vice Premier Liu He, during which they discussed the importance of the trade relationship between the US and China, and the guiding principles of the Biden- Harris Administration’s worker-centered trade policy and her ongoing review of the U.S.-China trade relationship; calls on the EU Commission to continue the high- level Trade and Economic Dialogue with China and to seek a date for the 9th session rather sooner than late;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Takes note of the dimension of the investment initiatives of the Biden administration, including the recently enacted 1.9 trillion dollar coronavirus relief package, and a proposed 2 trillion dollar infrastructure initiative, which would together give the federal government a bigger role in the US economy than it has had in generations, accounting for 20% of annual output; points out that this investment will have a potentially trade-distorting impact through its impetus on international competitiveness and innovation potential of U.S. companies, and calls on the EU and its Member States to mirror this investment offensive to avoid falling further behind in development, application and marketing of future-safe technologies and infrastructure;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas, while pursuing transatlantic cooperation in areas of shared interest, the EU should also foster its strategic sovereignty and where necessary autonomy in political, defence and, economic and trade relations;
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. While promoting dialogue and common action, calls on the Commission to assertively promote the EU’s interests and react to US unwarranted duties, and extraterritorial sanctions and market barriers, urges the US government to lift the embargo against Cuba and to stand no longer in the way for an implementation of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) EU - Cuba; calls on the Commission to address the elimination of recently erected US market barriers for olive oil and other EU products, and to seek now solutions that last beyond the election year 2022;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the EU and the US have the largest bilateral trade and investment relationship and enjoy the most integrated economic relationship in the world; whereas however, other partners are of major importance for EU’s trade and economy;
Amendment 85 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Encourages both sides to find a framework for joint action and look for selective agreements; calls for a stronger regulatory, green and digital partnership through the Trade and Technology Council and a coordinated approach to critical technologies, a carbon border adjustment mechanism and digital and global taxes.an improved direct cooperation of the parliamentary chambers of the European Union and the US, building on the experiences of the Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue, and striving for a coordinated approach to critical technologies, a carbon border adjustment mechanism and digital and global taxes, and calls on the United States and European Union to work for effective international measures to reshape tax justice and provide public authorities with the means to conduct far-reaching recovery and investment plans by establishing a global minimum effective corporate tax; calls on the partners to more strongly cooperate in ending practices of profit shifting and tax avoidance by global companies and to fight corruption;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
Ia. Whereas the pandemic has mirrored that an expansive web of inequalities has become a reality of the societies of the US and the EU which is not restricted to income and wealth, but includes education, health, and housing, unevenness of opportunity and access to public services;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I b (new)
Recital I b (new)
Amendment 94 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Recalls the commitments by the Commission for more transparency in trade related talks that emerged from lessons learned during the TTIP negotiations; urges the Commission to implement its commitments in trade transparency policy for any new cooperation with the United States; calls for any proposal sent to the United States to be published to ensure citizens’ trust, and stresses that agenda, minutes and list of participants to the meetings of the different regulatory dialogues should also be made available; calls for the European Parliament to be involved closely in the process and for a strengthening of the transatlantic legislators’ dialogue; calls on the EU and the US to involve civil society better in the further development of the transatlantic relations, and takes the view that a regular transatlantic civil society dialogue should be established for this purpose;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I c (new)
Recital I c (new)
Ic. Underlines the need to rebuild the transatlantic partnership on the basis of a paradigm a shift from neo-liberal policies towards a progressive agenda which focusses on people and works for a sustainable and environmental friendly reconstruction of the economy and for overcoming regional, social, race, and gender injustice; insists that the renewed transatlantic partnership should be based on equality of partners and respect for their interests;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. WelcomNotes the adoption of the new proposal of the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for an EU-US agenda for global change in December 2020 as a blueprint for a renewed transatlantic partnership;
Amendment 102 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Is mindful of the impact of trade on biodiversity; calls therefore on the two most influential partners in international trade to work actively for an ambitious outcome at the CBDCOP15 in Kunming, in October 2021;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) to reassert the continued relevance of the strategic transatlantic relationship for the rebuilding and reinvigorating of the multilateral rules- based international order, respect for the UN Charter and international law, the global strengthening of democratic values, and the promotion of human rights, sustainable development and inclusive growth;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the EU and the US to involve all social and economic forces in the debate on the future of transatlantic relations; takes the view that a regular transatlantic civil society dialogue must be established for this purpose;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Reminds that the CJEU found that the EU-US Privacy Shield does not guarantee an essentially equivalent, and therefore adequate level of protection compared to that provided by the GDPR and the EU Charter, particularly because of the bulk access by US public authorities to personal data transferred under the Privacy Shield, which fails to comply with the principles of necessity and proportionality, and because of the absence of actionable rights for EU data subjects before the US courts or any other independent authority acting as a tribunal against the US authorities; expects that the Biden administration will be more engaged in complying with its obligations under possible future transfer mechanisms than previous administrations, which showed a lack of political commitment to comply with and enforce the rules of the Safe Harbour and the Privacy Shield respectively;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Reiterates its commitment to international cooperation within the UN as an indispensable forum for multilateral solutions for global challenges and for policy outreach, policy dialogue and consensus-building across the international community;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Urges the transatlantic partners to proactively support a temporary international waiver on the agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights(TRIPS) for all coronavirus-related medical products, including vaccines and treatments; urges them to work together with all the WTO partners to ensure that intellectual property rights such as patents, industrial designs, copyright and protection of undisclosed information do not create barriers to the timely access to affordable medical products including vaccines and medicines or to scaling-up of research, development, manufacturing and supply of medical products essential to combat COVID-19;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. expresses concern at supply disruptions from the growing use of export restrictions and other actions that limit trade of key medical supplies and food, including by EU Member States; calls on the transatlantic partners and their allies to promptly remove those restrictive measures on products needed for the fight against the pandemic and its consequences and to refrain from imposing new ones or intensifying export and other trade restrictions;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for coordinated efforts to achieve ambitious commitments at the UN summits on climate change and biodiversity in 2021; expects the USA to be a strong partner in pushing for an ambitious outcome at the CBDCOP15 in Kunming, October 2021;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. underlines the link between nuclear disarmament and the non- proliferation of nuclear weapons, reminds the transatlantic partners that the consistency of the strategy concerning nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament of nuclear weapons and the complete dismantling of nuclear arms is key for their credibility; strongly encourages the US and EU Member States to ratify and implement the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; calls on the EU and the US to co-operate in facilitating the implementation and respect of the United Nations General Assembly resolutions on nuclear disarmament and on effective measures for nuclear risk-reduction;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Stresses that climate change is the biggest security threat to the EU, USA and the world;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Calls on the transatlantic partners to support and actively contribute to the UN Secretary-General's call for a global cease fire, including through effective measures against illicit arms trade and enhancing the transparency and accountability of Member States' arms exports;
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
Paragraph 17 c (new)
17c. Calls on the transatlantic partners to put the arms control and disarmament high on the agenda on its and the international agenda; calls on the transatlantic partners to push for international negotiations on arms control agreements, in particular for nuclear disarmament and non- proliferation and including new military technologies, such as artificial intelligence, outer space weaponry, biotechnologies and hypersonic;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Supports the creation of the EU-US Security and Defence Dialogue and calls on the VP/HR to launch it as soon as possible; stresses the need to end the narrow interpretation of security as protection from third countries threats and to start the discussion from a concept which does not neglect factors such as environmental hazards, threat of diseases, hunger, social injustice, right wing disinformation and violence;
Amendment 307 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Underlines that policies supporting democracy, human rights and rules of law, fighting disinformation and foreign interference beyond national borders can only be successful if based on defending democratic values, human rights and rule of law, fighting domestic disinformation and respecting international law domestically;
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Underlines the need on both sides of the address drivers of declining public trust in policy and institutions; stresses that efforts in this direction should include embracing and protecting more resolutely media plurality and independence, building trust in science and facts, protecting people of colour, expanding a safety net of non- discrimination policies, rejecting and addressing racial and religious discrimination and separating the interests of the public from the private interests of those in power;
Amendment 322 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Supports the proposal of President Biden to hold a Summit for Democracy with like-minded democracies; reiterates its commitment to develop broad partnerships to support effective multilateralism;
Amendment 326 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Calls on the United States and European Union to work for effective international measures to reshape tax justice and provide public authorities with the means to conduct far-reaching recovery and investment plans by establishing a global minimum effective corporate tax ;
Amendment 331 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Amendment 332 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
21c. Stresses that the increasing weaponization of disinformation via social media, the spread of hateful rhetoric and false or manipulated information across many of these channels must be addressed by limiting Big Tech´s “attention-seeking business models” which contribute to the spread thereof and to the polarization of our societies, (and Big Tech’s gradual tightening of its grip on digital activity) Further on, calls for an update of competition policies fit for the digital age addressing digital gate keeper platforms and players with structural remedies and separations and thus, prioritizing citizens’ concerns and rights, and strengthening pertinent public governance in this area; Advocates enhanced EU-US cooperation on renewable energy issues, building on the framework of the EU-US Energy Council; rejects the extension of trade in LNG originating from fracking;
Amendment 335 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
Amendment 356 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the transatlantic partners to abandon cold war inspired foreign policy paradigms; Calls for a comprehensive EU-US dialogue on China that should address the areas of divergence, such as the Comprehensive Agreement on Investments, and explore possibilities for EU-US cooperation with China in multilateral frameworks on common challenges, such as climate change;
Amendment 366 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Underscores the need to explore areas of convergence and possible cooperation with the US on China, notably regarding the protection of human and minority rights, de-escalation of tensions in South-East Asia, coordination of actions in the Indo-Pacific region, setting technological standards, protecting intellectual property rights and the fight against disinformation; supports closer coordination on these and other issues of common concern;
Amendment 367 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Stresses that the consolidation of bipolar structures in the Indo-Pacific region endangers the prosperous development, peace and security in the region; insists that no country should – as in the time of the Cold War – be forced to choose between two sides or fall into a state of unilateral dependency; stresses that freedom of choice regarding membership in economic and policy structures is vital; believes that openness, prosperity, inclusiveness, sustainability, transparency and reciprocity should be guiding principles for the relations of the partners acting in Indo-Pacific region; expresses its readiness to cooperate with the United States in the Indo-Pacific region if these principles are accepted and respected; calls on the United Stats to ratify the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS);
Amendment 376 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls for close cooperation to jointly address the range of threats emanating from the Russian Federation, such as the continued destabilisation of Ukraine and Georgia, interferences in democratic processes in the EU and the US, hybrid threats and disinformation campaigns, while at the same pursuing selective cooperation in the areas of shared transatlantic interest, notably in the area of arms control; welcomes the readiness of the Biden administration to re-start dialogue and negotiations with Russia; takes the view that the EU and its Member States should actively support the search for ways to dialogue and should contribute to the rebuilding of mutual trust;
Amendment 392 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. underlines the need to de-escalate the military confrontation on the European continent, in particular as the nuclear risks are concerned; calls on the transatlantic partners to engage in efforts to create the conditions for dialogue and negotiations on a new collective security system in Europe which takes into account the interests of all countries of Europe; underlines the urgency of resuming arms control and disarmament negotiations and improving the effectiveness of existing confidence and security-building measures, modernizing them and broadening their scope;
Amendment 404 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Supports closer cooperation with the US and Latin American countries in promoting multilateralism, democratic values, sustainable development, human rights and international law standards; calls on the US to lift the embargo against Cuba, which results in deep economic and social consequences in the region;
Amendment 420 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Calls on the EU and the US not to close their eyes to the Apartheid regime practiced by the Israeli government against Palestine and its people; calls on the transatlantic partners to take action condemning the brutal attacks and severe violations of human rights and international law that have been occurring in the region; calls on the US not to be another factor of instability in the region and calls on the removal of its Embassy from Jerusalem;