Activities of Paweł ZALEWSKI related to 2011/2306(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the trade aspects of the Eastern Partnership PDF (178 KB) DOC (108 KB)
Amendments (41)
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the DCFTA negotiations with Ukraine were completed in October 2011; whereas the DCFTA will only enter into force after the conclusion of the EU- Ukraine Association Agreement, which is currently blocked due to the EU’s discontent with Ukraine’s internal politjudicial developments;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas in 2011 Armenia made significant progress towards fulfilling the key recommendations, and DCFTA negotiations could therefore start in the foreseeable futurewere launched in February 2012;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recognises that DCFTAs present for EU a vital trade instrument for building up long term economic relationships with third countries; acknowledges the impact of DCFTAs on the entire functioning of our trade partners countries that reaches far beyond pure trade issues, influencing also the state of democracy, the rule of law and other common standards.
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Stresses that the decision making process to assess the preparedness of potential EU partners to enter into trade negotiations should be free from political prejudgements and should to a larger extent depend on the real capacity of the trade partner to effectively implement the DCFTA conditions;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Acknowledges the fact that DCFTAs might be a core component of a wider political agreement (Association Agreements); stresses, however, that in cases when it is not possible or advisable to have an AA with a particular third country, an adequate trade agreement (i.e. in form of a DCFTA) shall be considered, so as to efficiently pursue the EU economic and trade goals;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Is in favour of strengthening the cooperation between EU and its Eastern Partners in a number of sectors, in particular: industry, SMEs, research, development and innovation, ICT and tourism;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Considers that differentiation accompanied by application of the ‘more for more’ principle as outlined in the above-mentioned Joint Communication on A new response to a changing neighbourhood is also a step in the right direction in trade relations with the Eastern Partners, making it possible to rewardacknowledging the efforts of those who make the most progress and motivating others to step up their efforts;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Appreciates the recognition that for countries which are not in line for DCFTAs, other frameworks of cooperation can be explored, i.e. under the umbrella of Agreements on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial products (ACAA) or other specific sectoral or industry-targeted agreements;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes all efforts towards strengthening of the Eastern Partnership, especially the Commission’s flagship initiatives on SMEs, including the EaP SME facility, and on regional energy markets and energy efficiency;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. ConsidersRecognises the importance of the EURONEST Parliament Assembly (PA), particularly its Committee on Economic Integration, Legal Approximation and Convergence with EU policies as well as its Committee on Energy Security, to be an ideal platform forin discussions on trade issues between the Members of the European Parliament and national parliamentarians of the EU’s Eastern Partners; expresses its hope that the conditions for the members of the Belarusian Parliament to join the EURONEST PA will be met in the foreseeable future;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Underlines that a DCFTA is not assistance given to the Eastern Partners, it is a trade deal bringing about reciprocal advantages for both parties; regrets that the ENP review still does not elaborate on how developing such a trade policy could present a boost for EU economic interests by bringing substantial benefits to EU consumers, companies and workers; stresses that DCFTAs would not only bring economic benefits for the Eastern Partners but can also accelerate institutional reforms, modernisation and development;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Insists that the EU’s strategy towards Russia should integrate the Russian influence on the Eastern Partners; notes that Russia has concluded a Customs Union with Kazakhstan and with one Eastern Partner, Belarus; regrets that Russia may have undermined the trade negotiations between the EU and several Eastern Partners, in particular Ukraine, by offering them an alternative path, based on short-term solutions such as lower gas prices; reckons that these alternatives will turn counterproductive on the long run for the Eastern Partners;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Insists that the success of DCFTAs will to a great extent depend on theirinstitution building and a proper implementation of the commitments, which can only be assured in an open, transparent and corruption-free business environment; , which is a prerequisite for a successful implementation of DCFTAs.
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes that, even if most of the Eastern Partners represent only a very small market for the EU, prosperity and stability in the EU’s Eastern neighbourhood are in the EU’s utmost interest and moreover that stable and predictable relations between the EU and its Eastern Partners will undoubtedly raise trade volumes in both directions;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Calls on the EU authorities to be more involved in finding a peaceful solution for the problems of territorial reintegration of Moldova, Georgia and Azerbaijan;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Emphasises that the accession of Azerbaijan to the WTO is the key prerequisite for opening the DCFTA negotiations and thus bringing EU- Azerbaijan trade relations to a higher level; notes that the nastructure of the Azerbaijani economy does not give the countryits government a strong motivation to seek WTO membership and a DCFTA with the EU; stresses however that the benefits of a DCFTA are not purely economic but that it could also bring about sustainable progress and prosperity in many other areadevelop the local economy beyond its overreliance on energy exports; urges the Azerbaijani Government therefore to step up its efforts towards WTO membership; in this regard calls on the EU to provide Azerbaijan with the necessary assistance;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Commends the remarkable economic growth experienced by Azerbaijan in past years; points out however that the oil sector provides 50% of Azerbaijan’s GDP, 95% of its exports and 60% of its budget revenues, which makes the Azerbaijani economy vulnerable to oil price volatility and all changes in global demand; calls in this regard on the Azerbaijani Government to consider adopting effective and consistent measures to diversify the country’s economy;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Recalls Azerbaijan’s great potential for development of a competitive agricultural production, and recommends that the Azerbaijani Government take into account this area as a potentially important step towards the diversification of its economy and its exports to the EU, subject to compliance with EU sanitary and phytosanitary requirements, and to other countries;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Strongly supports the upgrading of the trade component of the future EU- Azerbaijan Association Agreement to a DCFTA once all the conditions are met; suggest that an intermediary step could present a new agreement with enhanced trade provisions, in particular on energy, combined with ACAA;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Regrets that Belarus, despite its unquestionable potential, is drifting more and more farther from EU in terms of its overall political and economic standards, as well as its model of economy;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Stresses the importance of Belarus’s strategic position as a country of transit for energy, particularly supplies of natural gas for the EU; emphasises in this regard the importance of providing aid for the energy sector under the regional ENPI instrument (via energy infrastructure, for instance)calls therefore for its prompt ratification of the Energy Charter;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Stresses the need for more EU assistance in order to improve the performance of administrative structures, in particular the need to fight corruption;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Points out that there is a need for a deeper involvement of EU banks within the territory of Belarus in order to avoid a diminution of EU influenceinvestors in Belarus in the restructuring an privatisation of its economy; calls therefore for necessary judicial and administrative reforms that would enable EU companies to become present and play an active role in this country;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Congratulates Georgia on having remarkably well tackled the dramatic economic impact of the 2008 military conflict withaggression from Russia and on having successfully reoriented its exports towards other markets;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Recognises that the Georgian Government is trying to enhance the protection of intellectual property rights, points out however that Georgia still has thea highest prevalence of pirated software (95%) of any country; calls in this regard on the Georgian Government to pursue with the utmost insistence its fight against piracy;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. Regrets however that Georgia still remains one of the poorest Eastern Partners, and emphasises that the DCFTA would help to unleash Georgia’s potentialEmphasises that the DCFTA would help fight existing inequalities, particularly in rural areas; and enable the country to become an attractive location for investment;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49
Paragraph 49
49. Welcomes Georgia’s new procurement system, enabling e-auctions for all types of contracts, irrespective of their size or nature; points out that Georgia should also serve as an example for the EU Member States in this area;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. Calls on Georgia to ensure that, after the conclusion of the DCFTA negotiations, only eligible products originating from the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia benefit fromregions formally recognising their adhesion to the Georgian state are eligible for trade preferences;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Reiterates its previously expressed wishIs of the opinion that the future DCFTA should apply to the whole territory of Moldova, including the breakaway region of Transnistria, which could serve as a soft- power tool towards the resolut that formally acknowledges its adhesion tof the Transnistrian frozen conflictMolovan state;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53
Paragraph 53
53. Notes that, for the time being, most Moldovan exports originate from agriculture and thus face fierce competition and strict requirements in the EU market; takes the view that a DCFTA should help diversify Moldovan exports and make the country more competitive and would enable Moldova to attract foreign investments in order to end its dependence on remittances and make the transition to an export-competitive market economy;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56
Paragraph 56
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58
Paragraph 58
58. Points out that Ukraine is the EU’s largest Eastern Partner and that the DCFTA opens a new market of 5046 million consumers for the EU; considers that for the EU the biggest benefits from implementing the DCFTA will come from a more stable and predictable trade and investment regime in Ukraine;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59
Paragraph 59
59. Welcomes the Ukrainian authorities’ efforts to focus on overcoming the economic backwardness of eastern parts of Ukraine, which is a real contribution to the national integrity of Ukrainesocial and geographic inequalities, in particular between the capital and the regions;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 61
Paragraph 61
61. Points out however that the application of the DCFTA will also bring about structural and political reforms; questions in this regardsupports the current EU position, which makes the political reforms a precondition for the conclusion of the Association Agreement and consequently the DCFTA; calls on the Commission to examine the possibilities of initialling and implementing the DCFTA regardless of the conclusion of the Association Agreement, i.e. as an ad interim agreementmonitor the evolution of the judicial and political situation in Ukraine;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62
Paragraph 62
62. Recognises that, regarding integration into European structures, Ukraine is the most advanced Eastern Partner, which is gradually adapting its legal system to the EU and to international standards and has also made great progress in the adoption of OECD standards and norms; notes nevertheless that the business climate in Ukraine is still considered at the 152th rank by the World Bank’s Doing Business, with a worsening of the state of problems regarding trading across borders;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 64
Paragraph 64
64. Reiterates that fundamental economic, political and institutional reforms with a broad and permanent participation of civil society organisations and networks, must be accelerated and conducted in a more comprehensive and consistent way, in order to ensure proper implementation of the DCFTA and the gains coming from it; in particular, calls for continuation of economic reforms in the areas of agriculture, energy and transport sectors;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66
Paragraph 66
66. Points out that Ukraine still continuCalls the Ukrainian government to better address the concerns of business sector, in particular: access to underperform credit and land, mortgage, preferential credits for developing attracting foreign digricultural small enterprises; simplified and more transparecnt investment as compared to the EU’s newest Member States and compared to most current and potential candidates for accession to tax collection system, refunding value-added tax to exporters, customs clearance and approval procedures for imports, promotion of the SMEs sector, improvement of law enforcement in the area of protection of material assets and intellectual property; as all those factors have an immediate and direct impact on the quantity and quality of trade relations withe EU in the Western Balkans; and its foreign direct investment inflow in Ukraine;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67
Paragraph 67
67. Calls on Ukraine to adapt its internal legislation in order to facilitate free and uninterrupted transit of gas to the EU Member States; notes that this process should include restructuring of the gas sector and the establishment of a fair regulation of the energy infrastructures with a view towards equal footing between foreign suppliers, foreign customers and local demand of energy; to call for enhanced cooperation between the EU and Ukraine in the energy sector, for integration of the Ukrainian energy sector into the European energy sphere, and for the initiation of joint modernisation and development projects in the energy infrastructure sphere; calls the government to implement the 3rd energy package;