12 Amendments of Louis MICHEL related to 2016/2140(INI)
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas economic development should go hand-in-hand with social justice and a good governance policy; whereas the complexity and fragmentation of global value chains (GVCs) underline the need for complementary policies and flanking measures to bring about a process of continuous improvement to make GVCs and production chains sustainable, to avoid, address and mitigate their potential adverse impacts of those chains and to ensure victims of human rights violations have an effective access to remedy;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas economic development should go hand-in-hand with social justice and good governance; whereas the complexity and fragmentation of global value chains (GVCs) underline the need for complementary policies and flanking measures to avoid, address and mitigate their potential adverse impacts and to ensure victims of human rights violations have an effective access to remedy;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas most human rights violations in the garment sector are labour- rights related and include the denial of workers fundamental right to join or form a union of their choosing and bargain collectively in good faith; whereas this has led to widespread labour rights violations ranging from poverty wages, wage theft, unsafe workplaceforced labour and child labour, unsafe workplaces and unhealthy working conditions, and sexual harassment, to precarious work;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas in order to improve the governance of GVCs, the various instruments and initiatives of policy areas such as trade and investment, private sector support and development cooperation, must be harnessed to contribute to the sustainability and responsible management of GVCs as part of delivering the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; whereas the protection of intellectual property rights is the only guarantee that developing countries can participate effectively in innovative economies;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the specific characteristics of the garment sector value chains, such as geographically dispersed stages of the production process, purchasing policy, low prices, short lead times, subcontracting and short-term buyer-supplier relationships are conducive to reducing visibility and transparency over an enterprise’s supply chain and to increasing the risks of human rights and labour abuses and of environmental damage; whereas transparency is a prerequisite for a company’s accountability and responsible consumption; whereas the consumer has the right to know where a piece of clothing was produced, and in which social and environmental conditions;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas an estimated 60-70 % of employees in the ready-made garment sector are young,minors, and mostly low-skilled female workers; whereas low wages, coupled with low if any social protection make these women particularly vulnerable to exploitation; whereas a gender perspective is largely missing in the ongoing sustainability initiatives;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas in October 2015 the Commission released its new trade strategy ‘Trade for All’, in which it sets out its aim to use trade as a means of strengthening sustainable development, human rights, the fight against corruption, and good governance in third countries;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that EU trade and investment policies are interlinked with social protection, development, human rights and environmental policies; reiterates its call on the Commission and the Member States to guarantee policy coherence for development on business and human rights at all levels, in particular in relation to the Union’s foreign policy and trade and investment policy;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls for the Commission to be committed to promoting binding and non- negotiable human rights and social and environmental clauses in the negotiation of international and bilateral agreements; regrets that current human rights clauses in free trade agreements and other economic partnership agreements are usually not respected; reiterates the need to enhance legal certainty by reinforcing trade courts and mediation services by recourse to international arbitration;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Acknowledges the increasing attention given to promoting sustainability, transparency and traceability for the value and production chains and good working conditions through global supply chains following the Rana Plaza factory collapse, the introduction of the draft French law on mandatory due diligence, the UK anti- slavery bill, and the statement made by President Juncker at the G7 Summit in favour of ‘urgent action’ to improve responsibility in global supply chains; acknowledges the Commission’s commitment towards responsible management of supply chains, including in the garment sector, as outlined in the Communication entitled ‘Trade for All’; welcomes the green card initiative in which eight Member States have called for a duty of care by EU-based companies towards individuals and communities whose human rights and local environment are affected by the companies’ activities;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to present a legislative proposal on binding due diligence obligations for supply chains in the garment sector aligned with OECD guidelines and internationally agreed standards on human rights, health standards and social and environmental standards; this proposal should focus on the core problems garment workers face (occupational health and safety, a living wage, freedom of association, sexual harassment and violence) and should address the following matters: key criteria for sustainable production, transparency and traceability, including collection of data and tools for consumer information, due diligence checks and auditing, access to remedy; gender equality,; supply-chain due diligence reporting; the responsibility of companies which exploit resources in the event of man-made disasters, and awareness raising; notes, however, with concern that a lot more needs to be done and urges the Commission to take further actions which have a direct impact on workers’ lives;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Emphasises the need to enhance codes of conduct, labels of excellence, other labels and fair trade schemes, and of ensuring alignment with international standards such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the upcoming OECD due diligence guidance for the garment and footwear sector;