BETA


Events

2018/04/11
   EC - Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2017/12/12
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2017/12/12
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 510 votes to 95 with 17 abstentions a resolution entitled ‘Towards a digital trade strategy’.

Whilst the globalisation and digitalisation of economies and of international trade have enabled businesses to grow and provided economic opportunities for citizens, Parliament believed that the digital economy requires a rules-based framework , including modern trade rules which can reconcile the rapid changes in the market with the rights of consumers, providing the policy space for new regulatory initiatives needed by governments to defend the protection of human rights.

The resolution underlined that the EU, as a community of values and the world’s biggest exporter of services, should set the standards in international rules and agreements on digital trade flows based on three elements:

ensuring market access for digital goods and services in third countries; ensuring that trade rules create tangible benefits for consumers and; ensuring and promoting respect for fundamental rights.

Parliament emphasised the need to bridge the digital divide in order to reduce potential negative impacts on society and development. It stressed in this context the need to remove barriers to lifelong learning and to reduce gender disparities in access to new technologies.

Personal data : Members recalled that personal data might be transferred to third countries when the requirements enshrined in the current Data Protection Directive and in the forthcoming Data Protection Regulation, are fulfilled. Whilst adequacy decisions constitute a fundamental mechanism in terms of safeguarding the transfer of personal data from the EU to a third country, the EU has only adopted adequacy decisions with four of its 20 largest trading partners. The Commission was called upon to speed up the adoption of adequacy decisions, provided that third countries ensure a level of protection ‘essentially equivalent’ to that guaranteed within the EU. Furthermore, Members urged the Commission to incorporate into the EU’s trade agreements a horizontal provision, which fully maintains the right of a party to protect personal data and privacy. Such rules and provisions should form part of all new and recently launched trade negotiations with third countries.

Data localisation : Parliament called on the Commission to strictly prohibit unjustified data localisation requirements in free trade agreements (FTAs), stating that the removal of such requirements should be a top priority. It pointed to attempts to use such requirements as a form of non-tariff barrier to trade and as a form of digital protectionism , which seriously hampers opportunities for European businesses in third country markets and undermines the efficiency benefits of digital trade.

Net neutrality : a digital trade strategy must be fully in line with the principle of net neutrality and safeguard the equal treatment of internet traffic, irrespective of its sender, receiver, type, content, device, service or application. In addition, traffic management measures should only be allowed in exceptional cases, where strictly necessary, and only for the necessary time.

Source codes : Members strongly deplored third country practices that make market access conditional on the disclosure and transfer to state authorities of the source codes of the software that companies intend to sell. They felt that such measures are disproportionate as a blanket requirement for market access, and called on the Commission to prohibit signatory governments to FTAs from engaging in such activities.

The resolution went on to highlight the following points:

the need to protect intellectual property rights and investments in R&D, and push for the worldwide implementation of international standards such as the WTO TRIPS Agreement and the WIPO Internet Treaties; the need to use trade agreements to promote the interoperability of ICT standards that benefit both consumers and producers, notably in the context of a secure Internet of things, 5G and cybersecurity; the need to put in place simplified, tax- and duty-free customs treatment of items sold online and returns unused; the need to include in trade agreements provisions to ensure that international roaming charges and rates for international calls and messages are transparent, fair, reasonable and focused on the needs of the consumer; in view of the fact that only 53.6 % of all households worldwide have access to the internet, the Commission should further mainstream digital technologies and services into the EU’s development policy; digital issues should also feature more prominently in the EU’s Aid for Trade policy to facilitate the growth of e-commerce; the need to ensure the deployment of appropriate infrastructure in terms of coverage, quality and security, as well as access to such infrastructure, particularly in rural, mountainous and remote areas; the Commission should foster the emergence of global industry standards under EU leadership for key 5G technologies and network architectures.

Documents
2017/12/12
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2017/12/11
   EP - Debate in Parliament
2017/11/29
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary
Details

The Committee on International Trade adopted the own-initiative report by Marietje SCHAAKE (ALDE, NL) entitled towards a digital trade strategy.

Whilst the globalisation and digitalisation of economies and of international trade have enabled businesses to grow and provided economic opportunities for citizens, the committee believed that the digital economy requires a rules-based framework , including modern trade rules which can reconcile the rapid changes in the market with the rights of consumers, providing the policy space for new regulatory initiatives needed by governments to defend the protection of human rights.

Members underlined that the EU, as a community of values and the world’s biggest exporter of services, should set the standards in international rules and agreements on digital trade flows based on three elements:

ensuring market access for digital goods and services in third countries; ensuring that trade rules create tangible benefits for consumers and; ensuring and promoting respect for fundamental rights.

They highlighted the following issues:

Personal data : Members recalled that personal data may be transferred to third countries when the requirements enshrined in the current Data Protection Directive and in the forthcoming Data Protection Regulation, are fulfilled. Whilst adequacy decisions constitute a fundamental mechanism in terms of safeguarding the transfer of personal data from the EU to a third country, the EU has only adopted adequacy decisions with four of its 20 largest trading partners. The Commission was called upon to speed up the adoption of adequacy decisions, provided that third countries ensure a level of protection ‘essentially equivalent’ to that guaranteed within the EU. Furthermore, Members urged the Commission to incorporate into the EU’s trade agreements a horizontal provision, which fully maintains the right of a party to protect personal data and privacy. Such rules and provisions should form part of all new and recently launched trade negotiations with third countries.

Data localisation : the committee called on the Commission to strictly prohibit unjustified data localisation requirements in free trade agreements (FTAs), stating that the removal of such requirements should be a top priority. It pointed to attempts to use such requirements as a form of non-tariff barrier to trade and as a form of digital protectionism , which seriously hampers opportunities for European businesses in third country markets and undermines the efficiency benefits of digital trade.

Net neutrality : a digital trade strategy must be fully in line with the principle of net neutrality and safeguard the equal treatment of internet traffic, irrespective of its sender, receiver, type, content, device, service or application.

Source codes : Members strongly deplored third country practices that make market access conditional on the disclosure and transfer to state authorities of the source codes of the software that companies intend to sell. They felt that such measures are disproportionate as a blanket requirement for market access, and called on the Commission to prohibit signatory governments to FTAs from engaging in such activities.

The report went on to highlight the following points:

the need to protect intellectual property rights and investments in R&D, and push for the worldwide implementation of international standards such as the WTO TRIPS Agreement and the WIPO Internet Treaties; the need to use trade agreements to promote the interoperability of ICT standards that benefit both consumers and producers, notably in the context of a secure Internet of things, 5G and cybersecurity; the need to put in place simplified, tax- and duty-free customs treatment of items sold online and returns unused; in view of the fact that only 53.6 % of all households worldwide have access to the internet, the Commission should further mainstream digital technologies and services into the EU’s development policy; digital issues should also feature more prominently in the EU’s Aid for Trade policy to facilitate the growth of e-commerce; the Commission should foster the emergence of global industry standards under EU leadership for key 5G technologies and network architectures.

Documents
2017/11/23
   EP - Vote in committee
2017/11/08
   EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2017/10/24
   EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2017/10/12
   EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2017/10/04
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2017/09/18
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2017/05/18
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
2017/03/21
   EP - DALTON Daniel (ECR) appointed as rapporteur in IMCO
2017/02/09
   EP - MLINAR Angelika (ALDE) appointed as rapporteur in LIBE
2017/01/16
   EP - BÜTIKOFER Reinhard (Verts/ALE) appointed as rapporteur in ITRE
2016/11/28
   EP - SCHAAKE Marietje (ALDE) appointed as rapporteur in INTA

Documents

Votes

A8-0384/2017 - Marietje Schaake - Résolution 12/12/2017 12:38:50.000 #

2017/12/12 Outcome: +: 510, -: 95, 0: 17
DE IT PL ES RO FR GB BG SE BE HU CZ HR LT NL PT AT SK LV SI FI EE DK LU MT IE CY EL
Total
83
62
39
45
26
65
57
15
16
16
14
20
11
10
24
16
13
11
8
8
8
6
7
5
4
8
5
19
icon: PPE PPE
176

Austria PPE

2

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg PPE

2

Malta PPE

1

Ireland PPE

3

Cyprus PPE

1
icon: S&D S&D
167

Croatia S&D

2

Netherlands S&D

3

Latvia S&D

1

Slovenia S&D

For (1)

1

Estonia S&D

For (1)

1

Denmark S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Malta S&D

3

Cyprus S&D

2
icon: ALDE ALDE
60
3

Romania ALDE

3

United Kingdom ALDE

1

Croatia ALDE

2

Portugal ALDE

1

Austria ALDE

For (1)

1

Latvia ALDE

1

Slovenia ALDE

For (1)

1

Estonia ALDE

3

Denmark ALDE

2

Luxembourg ALDE

For (1)

1

Ireland ALDE

For (1)

1
icon: ECR ECR
51

Italy ECR

1

Romania ECR

For (1)

1

Bulgaria ECR

1

Belgium ECR

1

Czechia ECR

2

Croatia ECR

For (1)

1

Lithuania ECR

1

Netherlands ECR

2

Slovakia ECR

Abstain (1)

3

Latvia ECR

For (1)

1
2

Denmark ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Greece ECR

Against (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
43

Italy Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

France Verts/ALE

Against (1)

6

United Kingdom Verts/ALE

3

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

2

Hungary Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Croatia Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Lithuania Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Netherlands Verts/ALE

2

Austria Verts/ALE

2

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

Slovenia Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Finland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Estonia Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Denmark Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1
icon: EFDD EFDD
36

Germany EFDD

Against (1)

1

Czechia EFDD

Against (1)

1

Lithuania EFDD

For (1)

1
icon: NI NI
16

Germany NI

Against (1)

2

Poland NI

Against (1)

2

France NI

3

United Kingdom NI

For (1)

Abstain (2)

3

Hungary NI

Abstain (1)

1
icon: ENF ENF
27

Germany ENF

Against (1)

1

Poland ENF

2

United Kingdom ENF

Against (1)

1

Belgium ENF

Against (1)

1

Netherlands ENF

4

Austria ENF

3
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
45

Italy GUE/NGL

3

United Kingdom GUE/NGL

Against (1)

1

Sweden GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Netherlands GUE/NGL

3

Portugal GUE/NGL

3

Ireland GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

4

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2
AmendmentsDossier
333 2017/2065(INI)
2017/09/06 IMCO 40 amendments...
source: 608.017
2017/10/02 LIBE 45 amendments...
source: 610.917
2017/10/04 INTA 248 amendments...
source: 612.059

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

committees/0/shadows/3
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GUE/NGL
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events
  • date: 2017-05-18T00:00:00 type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2017-11-23T00:00:00 type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2017-11-29T00:00:00 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A8-2017-0384&language=EN title: A8-0384/2017 summary: The Committee on International Trade adopted the own-initiative report by Marietje SCHAAKE (ALDE, NL) entitled towards a digital trade strategy. Whilst the globalisation and digitalisation of economies and of international trade have enabled businesses to grow and provided economic opportunities for citizens, the committee believed that the digital economy requires a rules-based framework , including modern trade rules which can reconcile the rapid changes in the market with the rights of consumers, providing the policy space for new regulatory initiatives needed by governments to defend the protection of human rights. Members underlined that the EU, as a community of values and the world’s biggest exporter of services, should set the standards in international rules and agreements on digital trade flows based on three elements: ensuring market access for digital goods and services in third countries; ensuring that trade rules create tangible benefits for consumers and; ensuring and promoting respect for fundamental rights. They highlighted the following issues: Personal data : Members recalled that personal data may be transferred to third countries when the requirements enshrined in the current Data Protection Directive and in the forthcoming Data Protection Regulation, are fulfilled. Whilst adequacy decisions constitute a fundamental mechanism in terms of safeguarding the transfer of personal data from the EU to a third country, the EU has only adopted adequacy decisions with four of its 20 largest trading partners. The Commission was called upon to speed up the adoption of adequacy decisions, provided that third countries ensure a level of protection ‘essentially equivalent’ to that guaranteed within the EU. Furthermore, Members urged the Commission to incorporate into the EU’s trade agreements a horizontal provision, which fully maintains the right of a party to protect personal data and privacy. Such rules and provisions should form part of all new and recently launched trade negotiations with third countries. Data localisation : the committee called on the Commission to strictly prohibit unjustified data localisation requirements in free trade agreements (FTAs), stating that the removal of such requirements should be a top priority. It pointed to attempts to use such requirements as a form of non-tariff barrier to trade and as a form of digital protectionism , which seriously hampers opportunities for European businesses in third country markets and undermines the efficiency benefits of digital trade. Net neutrality : a digital trade strategy must be fully in line with the principle of net neutrality and safeguard the equal treatment of internet traffic, irrespective of its sender, receiver, type, content, device, service or application. Source codes : Members strongly deplored third country practices that make market access conditional on the disclosure and transfer to state authorities of the source codes of the software that companies intend to sell. They felt that such measures are disproportionate as a blanket requirement for market access, and called on the Commission to prohibit signatory governments to FTAs from engaging in such activities. The report went on to highlight the following points: the need to protect intellectual property rights and investments in R&D, and push for the worldwide implementation of international standards such as the WTO TRIPS Agreement and the WIPO Internet Treaties; the need to use trade agreements to promote the interoperability of ICT standards that benefit both consumers and producers, notably in the context of a secure Internet of things, 5G and cybersecurity; the need to put in place simplified, tax- and duty-free customs treatment of items sold online and returns unused; in view of the fact that only 53.6 % of all households worldwide have access to the internet, the Commission should further mainstream digital technologies and services into the EU’s development policy; digital issues should also feature more prominently in the EU’s Aid for Trade policy to facilitate the growth of e-commerce; the Commission should foster the emergence of global industry standards under EU leadership for key 5G technologies and network architectures.
  • date: 2017-12-11T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20171211&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2017-12-12T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=30492&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
  • date: 2017-12-12T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P8-TA-2017-0488 title: T8-0488/2017 summary: The European Parliament adopted by 510 votes to 95 with 17 abstentions a resolution entitled ‘Towards a digital trade strategy’. Whilst the globalisation and digitalisation of economies and of international trade have enabled businesses to grow and provided economic opportunities for citizens, Parliament believed that the digital economy requires a rules-based framework , including modern trade rules which can reconcile the rapid changes in the market with the rights of consumers, providing the policy space for new regulatory initiatives needed by governments to defend the protection of human rights. The resolution underlined that the EU, as a community of values and the world’s biggest exporter of services, should set the standards in international rules and agreements on digital trade flows based on three elements: ensuring market access for digital goods and services in third countries; ensuring that trade rules create tangible benefits for consumers and; ensuring and promoting respect for fundamental rights. Parliament emphasised the need to bridge the digital divide in order to reduce potential negative impacts on society and development. It stressed in this context the need to remove barriers to lifelong learning and to reduce gender disparities in access to new technologies. Personal data : Members recalled that personal data might be transferred to third countries when the requirements enshrined in the current Data Protection Directive and in the forthcoming Data Protection Regulation, are fulfilled. Whilst adequacy decisions constitute a fundamental mechanism in terms of safeguarding the transfer of personal data from the EU to a third country, the EU has only adopted adequacy decisions with four of its 20 largest trading partners. The Commission was called upon to speed up the adoption of adequacy decisions, provided that third countries ensure a level of protection ‘essentially equivalent’ to that guaranteed within the EU. Furthermore, Members urged the Commission to incorporate into the EU’s trade agreements a horizontal provision, which fully maintains the right of a party to protect personal data and privacy. Such rules and provisions should form part of all new and recently launched trade negotiations with third countries. Data localisation : Parliament called on the Commission to strictly prohibit unjustified data localisation requirements in free trade agreements (FTAs), stating that the removal of such requirements should be a top priority. It pointed to attempts to use such requirements as a form of non-tariff barrier to trade and as a form of digital protectionism , which seriously hampers opportunities for European businesses in third country markets and undermines the efficiency benefits of digital trade. Net neutrality : a digital trade strategy must be fully in line with the principle of net neutrality and safeguard the equal treatment of internet traffic, irrespective of its sender, receiver, type, content, device, service or application. In addition, traffic management measures should only be allowed in exceptional cases, where strictly necessary, and only for the necessary time. Source codes : Members strongly deplored third country practices that make market access conditional on the disclosure and transfer to state authorities of the source codes of the software that companies intend to sell. They felt that such measures are disproportionate as a blanket requirement for market access, and called on the Commission to prohibit signatory governments to FTAs from engaging in such activities. The resolution went on to highlight the following points: the need to protect intellectual property rights and investments in R&D, and push for the worldwide implementation of international standards such as the WTO TRIPS Agreement and the WIPO Internet Treaties; the need to use trade agreements to promote the interoperability of ICT standards that benefit both consumers and producers, notably in the context of a secure Internet of things, 5G and cybersecurity; the need to put in place simplified, tax- and duty-free customs treatment of items sold online and returns unused; the need to include in trade agreements provisions to ensure that international roaming charges and rates for international calls and messages are transparent, fair, reasonable and focused on the needs of the consumer; in view of the fact that only 53.6 % of all households worldwide have access to the internet, the Commission should further mainstream digital technologies and services into the EU’s development policy; digital issues should also feature more prominently in the EU’s Aid for Trade policy to facilitate the growth of e-commerce; the need to ensure the deployment of appropriate infrastructure in terms of coverage, quality and security, as well as access to such infrastructure, particularly in rural, mountainous and remote areas; the Commission should foster the emergence of global industry standards under EU leadership for key 5G technologies and network architectures.
  • date: 2017-12-12T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
links
other
  • body: EC dg: url: http://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/trade_en title: Trade commissioner: MALMSTRÖM Cecilia
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  • 3.30.06 Information and communication technologies, digital technologies
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  • body: EP responsible: False committee: IMCO date: 2017-03-21T00:00:00 committee_full: Internal Market and Consumer Protection rapporteur: group: ECR name: DALTON Daniel
  • body: EP shadows: group: EPP name: REDING Viviane group: S&D name: GRASWANDER-HAINZ Karoline group: ECR name: MCCLARKIN Emma group: GUE/NGL name: SCHOLZ Helmut group: Verts/ALE name: HAUTALA Heidi group: EFD name: BORRELLI David responsible: True committee: INTA date: 2016-11-28T00:00:00 committee_full: International Trade rapporteur: group: ALDE name: SCHAAKE Marietje
  • body: EP responsible: False committee: ITRE date: 2017-01-16T00:00:00 committee_full: Industry, Research and Energy rapporteur: group: Verts/ALE name: BÜTIKOFER Reinhard
  • body: EP responsible: False committee: LIBE date: 2017-02-09T00:00:00 committee_full: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs rapporteur: group: ALDE name: MLINAR Angelika
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  • url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=30492&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament
  • url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P8-TA-2017-0488 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T8-0488/2017
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3.45.05 Business policy, electronic commerce, after-sales service, commercial distribution
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  • group: S&D name: GRASWANDER-HAINZ Karoline
  • group: ECR name: MCCLARKIN Emma
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  • group: EPP name: REDING Viviane
  • group: S&D name: GRASWANDER-HAINZ Karoline
  • group: ECR name: MCCLARKIN Emma
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    • body: EP responsible: False committee: IMCO date: 2017-03-21T00:00:00 committee_full: Internal Market and Consumer Protection rapporteur: group: ECR name: DALTON Daniel
    • body: EP responsible: True committee: INTA date: 2016-11-28T00:00:00 committee_full: International Trade rapporteur: group: ALDE name: SCHAAKE Marietje
    • body: EP responsible: False committee: ITRE date: 2017-01-16T00:00:00 committee_full: Industry, Research and Energy rapporteur: group: Verts/ALE name: BÜTIKOFER Reinhard
    • body: EP responsible: False committee: LIBE date: 2017-02-09T00:00:00 committee_full: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs rapporteur: group: ALDE name: MLINAR Angelika
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      procedure
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      Towards a digital trade strategy
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