18 Amendments of Reinhard BÜTIKOFER related to 2023/2868(RSP)
Amendment 2 #
Draft motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
– having regard to the Ministerial statements on plastic pollution and environmentally-sustainable plastics trade, trade and environmental sustainability and on fossil fuel subsidies adopted in December 2021,
Amendment 7 #
Draft motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the WTO was created to further the liberalisation of trade in goods and services, strengthen multilateralism and foster an open, inclusive, rules-based and non-discriminatory multilateral trading system, in order to improve the welfare of people around the world; whereas the overall objective of EU’s trade policy is to contribute to the harmonious development of world trade, the progressive abolition of restrictions on international trade and on foreign direct investment, and the lowering of customs and other barriers; whereas trade is vital and a key instrument for supporting and complementing efforts to advance sustainable growth and improve standards of living, ensuring full employment and a large and steadily growing volume of real income in accordance with the objective of sustainable development, seeking both to protect and preserve the environment and to enhance the means for doing so in a manner consistent with their respective needs and concerns at different levels of economic development; whereas EU’s trade policy should be consistent with the objectives of sustainable development, the eradication of poverty and the promotion of human rights;
Amendment 14 #
Draft motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas a strong, open and inclusive multilateral trading system should plays an essential role in reaching global goals on climate change and achieving net zero through, for example, the exchange of the goods and services essential for clean- energy technologies and a circular economy;
Amendment 21 #
Draft motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the rules-based multilateral trading system is currently under a great deal of pressure, subject to geopolitical tensions and unilateral measures, as well as an unjustified reliance on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) national security exceptions by some of its members, which is already resulting in a more fragmented and less predictable context for trade policy; whereas the outcome at MC12 proved that the WTO can still deliver multilateral agreements and respond to emergencies;
Amendment 25 #
Draft motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12) adopted a Decision on 17 June 2022 providing limited flexibilities in the framework of the TRIPS agreement to enable the production and supply of Covid-19 vaccines, while postponing the decision on the extension of the scope of these flexibilities to Covid-19 therapeutics and diagnostics; whereas WTO rules should enable flexibility for developing countries to contribute to the uptake of clean and green technology and put in place domestic industrial and innovation policies to support infant industries that will contribute to the decarbonisation of the world economy;
Amendment 33 #
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Reiterates its full commitment to the enduring value of multilateralism and underlines that a multilateral system to govern trade is essential; calls for a trade agenda based on fair and rules-based trade for the benefit of all, which contributes to sustainable economic growth and prosperity, thereby strengthening peace and security; emphasises the importanceat the WTO has the potential to promote the realisation of the SDGs, social, environmental and human rights and ensuring that multilaterally agreed and harmonised rules are applied by all;
Amendment 39 #
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Urges all WTO members to commit to a successful outcome of MC13; believes that MC13 should be the starting point for advancing and modernising the WTO to ensure it can play a role in addressing the challenges of the 21st century, including on issues such as climate change and sustainability; urges all WTO members to step up their efforts to focus on tangible outcomes that show that the WTO can address current challenges; welcomes the guidance given by the Senior Officials’ Meeting on 22 and 23 October 2023; asks WTO members, in particular, to conclude the second phase of the multilateral agreement on fisheries subsidies and adopt a comprehensive package on institutional reform, including a decision that would lead to a fully functioning dispute settlement system;
Amendment 43 #
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes thCalls for an even more constructive engagement by all WTO members to restore a fully functioning dispute settlement system; commends the work of the facilitator in steering the process that should lead to a consolidated draft text to be submitted to MC13; calls on members to reach an agreement on the dispute settlement system at MC13; recalls that a binding, two-tier and independent process should remain the core objectiveregrets, however, that no acceptable proposal could be found by 18 December as originally planned; calls on members to put in place constructive and transparent discussions to reach an agreement on the dispute settlement system at MC13; recalls that a binding, two-tier and independent process should remain the core objective; invites members to consider joining the multi-party interim appeal arbitration arrangement (MPIA) to demonstrate their commitment to a fair and functioning dispute-settlement system and in order to bridge the time until a fully-functioning dispute-settlement body at WTO level is up and running again;
Amendment 46 #
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Urges all WTO members which have not yet done so, to swiftly ratify the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, in order for the agreement to enter into force as soon as possible, for which ratification by two thirds of the membership is required; stresses the crucial importance of also reaching an agreement on disciplines on fisheries subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, in order to achieve ocean sustainabilityvoid depleting marine biological resources and allow for their sustainable management;
Amendment 49 #
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Calls on WTO members to extend as soon as possible the flexibilities agreed for Covid-19 vaccines in the Ministerial Declaration on TRIPS on 17 June 2022 to also cover Covid-19 therapeutics and diagnostics;
Amendment 50 #
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses the need to mainstream the development dimension of the WTO, including through the WTO reform process and through making the special and differential treatment fit for purpose for the 21st century; regrets that the WTO has not yet delivered on its Doha Development Agenda, where issues such as public policy exceptions, special and differential treatment, special safeguard mechanisms, technology transfers and capacity building have a prominent place; welcomes, in this context, the decision already taken on the extension of support measures to assist least-developed countries (LDCs) on the path to graduation from LDC status, in order to provide a smooth and sustainable transitional period for the withdrawal of trade preferences; emphasizes the need to formulate an agenda on concrete steps to increase flows of technology to the Global South, aimed at a workable mechanism for technology transfer including IPR and the transfer of knowledge and skills;
Amendment 56 #
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Underlines the need to reinvigorate discussions on State support for industrial sectors within the WTO, including an update of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (ASCM), with a view to increasing transparency and adapting the WTO rulebook on subsidies in order to respond to contemporary challenges, namely climate change, and effectively address negative spillover effects such as overcapacity and carbon- intensive supply chains; takes the view that MC13 should launch a time-limited work programme to allow for deliberation on State intervention in support of industrial sectors, in order to provide recommendations for MC14, paying particular attention to the positive and negative impacts of industrial subsidies on both trade and the environment, as well as possible flexibilities for countries with a low per capita income;
Amendment 61 #
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses the need to make progress in the agriculture negotiations in order to obtain credible results on issues such as a permanent solution on public stockholding for food security purposes and enabling regional food storage initiatives, domestic support, market access, cotton, export restrictions and export competition, and strengthening the agricultural sector to respond to contemporary challenges, including rural livelihoods and environmental sustainability; calls to build on the EU agriculture ministers 2022 commitments toward greater transparency in communicating data on private stocks of grains and oilseeds, and to support at WTO level a greater sharing of data on commodity trading and private stocks with the Committee on World Food Security;
Amendment 68 #
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Expects the WTO reform to create an easier path for open plurilateral agreements to be integrated into the multilateral architecture in order to ensure progress in areas not mature enough for the entire membership; invites all WTO members to reflect on a way to develop a new system for enhanced cooperation such as is used in the European Union, and on that basis establish a straightforward mechanism which allows the resulting agreements to be incorporatedwhile fully respecting Articles IX and X of the WTO Agreement that require consensus and overall transparency as necessary conditions for integrating plurilateral agreements into the WTO struarchitecture;
Amendment 71 #
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the conclusion of the negotiations on the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement in order to create a more transparent, efficient and predictable environment for facilitating cross-border investment and the participation of developing countries in global investment flows; reminds of the importance to respect WTO members' ability to adopt measures in support of their public policy objectives, such as sustainable development or human rights and to support and incentivise investments that support sustainable development and do not contradict other goals such as fossil fuel phase out; underlines the importance of an overall EU approach as regards investment facilitation that focuses on cooperation, including capacity building and technical assistance, notably as regards support for digitalisation in developing countries; supports the incorporation of this agreement into the WTO rulebook under Annex 4 on Plurilateral Trade Agreements, as established in Article X.9 of the WTO Agreement and considers that this can serve as a model for future plurilateral agreementprovided this decision is taken by consensus by WTO members;
Amendment 75 #
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Highlights the importance of regulating digital trade, as it currently accounts for 25 % of total trade, both at multilateral and plurilateral level; supports the efforts to find a fair and permanent solution foron customs duties on electronic transmissions related to the moratorium; welcomes and supports the broad membership, ambitious negotiating agenda and progress made to date in the WTO plurilateral negotiations on e- commerce; highlights the importance of the free flow of electronic transmissions, which are fundamental to digital trade and reduce trading costs, increase consumer welfare as well as export competitiveness, and bring significant benefits, particularly to SMEs and developing countries; recalls its position that a potential agreement needs to guarantee market access for e- commerce-related goods and services in third countries, as well as the protection of consumer and labour rights, and facilitate business innovation, without preventing policy space for countries to impose customs duties should they consider this best achieves their public policy objectives; welcomes the decision by the United States to stop pushing for WTO rules on cross-border data flows and source code and to start a rethink process of its digital trade policy; stresses that a potential agreement on e-commerce needs to comply with existing as well as future EU legislation related to data flows, data localisation and source code,protection and localisation, privacy and artificial intelligence and that it guarantees sufficient policy space to regulate the digital realm; calls on all partners to fully engage in and support efforts to conclude negotiations by MC13;
Amendment 85 #
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Believes that the outcome of MC13 should provide an action-based agenda for trade policy supporting the 2030 SDGs and the Paris Agreement; strongly encourages WTO Members to consider all possible measures to contribute to limiting greenhouse gas emissions in line with the UNFCCC and the conclusions of COP28, reinforce alignment with the Paris Agreement and climate neutrality, and enhance cooperation in the WTO on measures adopted domestically; welcomes the constructive discussions carried out in the framework of the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD); emphasises the need to advance the discussion on goods and services that help address environmental and climate challengeswelcomes the Ministerial Statements on plastic pollution and environmentally- sustainable plastics trade, trade and environmental sustainability and on fossil fuel subsidies of December 2021; encourages the WTO to facilitate exchange of information and cooperation between WTO members on carbon pricing methodologies; emphasises the need to advance the discussion on goods and services that help address environmental and climate challenges, including how taking into account the process and production methods of products can be a useful lens to ensure their trade policy is in line with their own environmental, human health and animal welfare legislation; urges the EU to raise awareness about its sustainability legislation such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and deforestation, and explain the motivations behind it to make sure it is recognised as a genuine attempt to make trade more sustainable;
Amendment 93 #
Draft motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls on WTO members to enhance the exchange with all stakeholders, including civil society, trade unions and business organisations, and to step up cooperation with other international organisations such as the International Labour Organization and more broadly the UN system; expects leaders to communicate more at different levels about the benefits of rules-based trade;