32 Amendments of Paolo DE CASTRO related to 2021/2177(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
— having regard to its resolution on the 15th of January 2020 on the European Green Deal(2019/2956(RSP)),
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 b (new)
Citation 10 b (new)
— having regard to its report of 2 June 2021 on the trade-related aspects and implications of COVID- 19(2020/2117(INI)),
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. having regard to the political and commercial significance of improving relations with India – a strategic partner of the EU- in the field of trade including the field of agriculture, food and GIs, which an FTA will greatly enhance;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas India abstained during the 11th Emergency Special Session of the UN General Assembly on the resolution 'Humanitarian consequences of the aggression against Ukraine' while 140 countries voted in favour;
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the EU is India’s third- largest trading partner and leading foreign investor, while India is the EU’s ninth- largest trading partner and only accounted for less than 2.1 % of its total trade in goods in 2021; whereas there is untapped potential for stronger, deeper and mutually beneficial economic cooperation, as long as European standards are protected;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
E a. whereas India still faces important challenges in relation to sustainable development, human rights and the environment, notably with respect to the situation of minorities and the fundamental freedoms; whereas the European Parliament voiced its concern on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act,2019 (CAA), excluding Muslims to citizenship protection;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
E b. whereas India has not yet ratified all fundamental ILO conventions, namely the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention (No. 87)and Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention (No. 98); whereas the workforce of the informal economy of India still accounts for more than 90 % of the entire workforce; whereas this leaves millions of people without social insurance and a life in uncertainty1a; _________________ 1a https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public /---ed_emp/--- ifp_skills/documents/publication/wcms_73 4503.pdf
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that the Ministerial Conference has repeatedly reproached IndiaIndia has been reproached at ILO Ministerial Conferences for non-compliance with ILO conventions, including in the field of agriculture;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
E c. whereas agriculture is only 20 per cent of India’s GDP, it employs 42 % of the total employment1a; whereas India ranks second globally in food and agricultural production; whereas India is one of the largest milk producers globally, it excluded dairy products in its agreements with Australia and the United Arab Emirates; whereas food security is a right, but stock piling global supplies is problematic, especially of perishable foods; whereas Indians farmer’s protested for more than a year against laws passed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that would have allowed farmers to sell produce directly to buyers; whereas the laws were retracted in the end; _________________ 1a https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.A GR.EMPL.ZS?locations=IN
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E d (new)
Recital E d (new)
E d. whereas the European Commission presented the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence and amending Directive (EU) 2019/1937 on 23 February; whereas the European Parliaments has called for a legislative proposal on an effective traceability mechanism for goods produced through forced and child labour;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Draws attention to the fact thatNotes that while India’s legal order allows the cultivation of genetically modified organisms for the purpose of processing them into food and feed, its GMO regime is similar to the EU’s in terms of rigorousness and strictness;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Draws attention to the fact that India’s legal order seems to imposes less stringent restrictions on the agricultural use of hormonal and antimicrobial preparations, while underlining that exports to the EU of products not in compliance with EU rules in these areas remain forbidden;
Amendment 33 #
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Stresses the economic and strategic importance of this agreement, which will only succeed if it manages to align the EU and India agenda and values in relation to sustainable development – to stimulate growth and employment, boost competitiveness, fight against poverty, make progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and support workers’ rights and fundamental freedoms;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that the above circumstancesany greater market access in an FTA to Indian agricultural products should not result in giveing Indian companies and multinational corporations involved in trading in Indian agricultural products and foodstuffs an unfair competitive advantage over EU farmers that can be classified as dumpingdue to lower standards not in compliance with international law;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Recalls the existing high value duties imposed by India on several EU agricultural products (wine, citrus fruits, olive oil, dairy products, fruit and vegetables) as well as the high number of non-tariff barriers applied by India on the import of EU agricultural products;
Amendment 45 #
6. Notes that, as a result of the above circumstances, the EU-India agricultural and food trade balance last year reached a deficit of EUR 1.8 billion, andwhile that imbalances in agricultural trade between the EU and India is steadily increasingremained stable in the last decade, so there is an interest for the EU producers to be able to access the Indian market to redress/address this imbalance;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Considers that the existing negotiating mandate is comprehensive and broad enough for negotiations to restart; takes the view, however, that an addendum is necessary to ensure thatNotes that for a swift adoption a trade agreement a complete revision of the negotiating mandate is not possible due to time restraints; stresses that the current mandate should be interpreted to be in line with modern standards to ensure that the environmental and human rights standard are at the core of the prospective comprehensive trade agreement; contains as integral parts thereof a dedicated chapter for SMEs, a dedicated chapter on raw materials to remove all export duties on raw materials, and an ambitious and enforceable trade and sustainable development chapteralls for an ambitious, binding and enforceable trade and sustainable development chapter which is subject to suitable and effective dispute settlement system with a sanctions-based mechanism that fully respects international commitments, and is aligned with the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal,;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Urges the Indian government to urgently ratify the two remaining fundamental ILO conventions 87 and 95 and makes it a precondition for the EU before signing any prospective trade agreement; stresses that given the informal nature of the Indian labour market there are many challenges regarding the implementation and enforcement of the International Labour Standards; calls upon the Commission to ensure that all fundamental ILO conventions are applied in the prospective trade agreement; calls upon the Commission to ensure that the prospective trade agreement between the EU and India is in line with the European Green Deal, the Farm2Fork strategy and COP26;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission to negotiate a separate agreement on the protection of geographical indications before negotiating an EU-India trade agreement, stresses that the conclusion of the trade agreement and the investment agreement between the EU-India should be conditional on the latter;
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission not to negotiate a reduction in the existing tariff and non-tariff protectionNotes that the trade agreement is a real opportunity to gain access to this major and rapidly growing market and calls ofn the EU’s common internal market for agricultural products that can be grown in the EU and for foodstuffs produced from themCommission to negotiate a reduction or removal of the existing tariff for the EU agricultural products;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the text of the agreement - as consistently done in previous EU FTAs - provides protection of the EU’s common internal market by preventing: (i) the importation of non- authorized genetically modified organisms in foodstuffs, feed and seeds; (ii) the importation of agricultural products and foodstuffs with higher levels of pesticide residues than providallowed for in EU law, through systemic application of EU rules on MRLs; (iii) the importation of agricultural products and foodstuffs in whose production hormonal preparations which are banned in the EU have been used; (iv) the introduction of antimicrobial- resistant strains of microbes.
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – introductory part
Paragraph 6 – introductory part
6. Encourages the negotiators to make good progress in achieving a comprehensive, state-of-the-art and WTO- compatible free trade agreement, giving priority to areas conducive to sustainable growth, addressing inequalities, and the digital and green just transitions, as follows:
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Draws attention to the fact that the trade agreement will require both parties to make robust commitments on both the social and environmental aspects of sustainability including the relevant ILO conventions, the decent work agenda, key environmental conventions including the Paris Cop21 commitments on climate change, and cooperation on animal welfare;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – point iii
Paragraph 6 – point iii
iii. the elimination of onerousunjustified technical barriers to trade, including a review of the increasing number of obstacles of late such acurrent technical barriers ion ICT, medical devices, toys, alcoholic beverages, polished diamonds, food and steel; the agreement should seek to ensure compliance with the international standards of the International Organization for Standardisation (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU), go beyond the WTO Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement, ensurepreventing that there is no duplication of testing and certification, and streamline licensing schemes, quality control orders and clinical investigations;
Amendment 103 #
vii a. the inclusion of the newly presented circular economy action plan to ensure less waste, consumer empowerment, making sustainable products the norm and lead global efforts on circular economy
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – point x
Paragraph 6 – point x
x. effective bilateral measures on safeguards in addition toline with the existing WTO trade defence instruments;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Invites the EU’s negotiating team to make best use of India’s commitment to multilateralism and an international rules-based trading orderRegrets the lack of progress to reform the WTO and to urges India to play a more decisive role in ongoing efforts to reform the WTO; applaudto secure meaningful results at the next MC 12 in line with its economic and political weight; notes the EU and India’s co-sponsored reform proposal for the WTO Dispute Settlement Body and calls on India to join the multi- party interim appeal arbitration arrangement; commends the commitment of EU and Indian leaders to enhancing coordination on global economic governance, notably in the WTO and G20; expects to be briefed about the results of the EU-India Senior Officials’ Dialogue, which aims to deepen bilateral cooperation on WTO issues under the auspices of the High-Level Dialogues on Trade and Investment;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. ReaffirmNotes that an investment protection agreement could be an adequate stepping stone for further strengthening bilateral trade relations; encourages the negotiators to agree onput more pressure on the founding of a multilateral investment court, and to only accept a dedicated EU- India investment court system as a stepping stone to a multilateral investment courtmporary solution, to which both the EU and India should adhere;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. WelcomNotes the establishment of two joint working groups to ramp up regulatory cooperation on goods and services, including on green and digital technologies and on resilient supply chains with representatives from different stakeholders, including social partners, NGOs and business representatives, on equal footing; stresses the crucial role of the High-Level Dialogues on Trade and Investment for ensuring good progress overall, including on long- standing market access issues; expects to be briefed and consulted promptly and regularly about the results of these dialogues;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the negotiators, as a matter of priority, to agree on the establishment of a bilateral ex ante consultation platform between the EU and India designed to facilitate discussions and consultations in advance of any new measures ;believes that such a platform subsidies that could negatively affect trade or investment; takes the view that business and industry associations should be able to bring any new trade or investment irritants to the attention of the secretariat of this platform; believehould have representatives from different stakeholders, including social partners, NGOs and business representatives, on equal footing; considers that the platform shcould eventually be made an integral part of the governance framework of the future trade agreement;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Considers that the conclusion of the EU-India free trade agreement should be supported with the establishment of a joint committee to provide joint monitoring, structured dialogue, and oversight by the European Parliament and both chambers of the Parliament of Indiato improve coordination, implementation and review of the measures of the TSD chapter and the agreement as a whole by the European Parliament and both chambers of the Parliament of India; stresses that the involvement of civil society in monitoring the implementation of the agreement is crucial, and calls for the swift establishment of Domestic Advisory Groups following the entry into force of the agreement and for the balanced representation of civil society therein, including independent organisations from the labour and environmental sectors; highlights that the Commission is failing to take into account the repeated demand from the European Parliament for greater enforceability and monitoring of commitments, for instance through the use of sanctions and a reform of the Domestic Advisory Group system;