Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-06-14-Speech-3-215"
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"en.20000614.9.3-215"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, China was yet another of our trading partners to realise during negotiations in Beijing that the European Union has specific, independent weight as a major global trading area. The Commission represented coherent positions on the part of the European Union with the support of the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers and implemented many of them. Competition and the reciprocal opening of markets, freedom of establishment and in the provision of services, intellectual property rights, environmental protection and partnership for sustainable development are just a few examples.
For the rest, our position is based on the principles of free and fair global trade and is shaped by the European model of a social, ecological market economy, many fundamental points of which are already included in European framework legislation. We expressly thank Commissioner Lamy and his team – and I expressly include his predecessor Sir Leon Brittan here – for the excellent result; the Commission negotiated successfully and competently; China has moved a long way towards opening its markets and basically accepts the rules specified by the World Trade Organisation in 1994 and further developed since. There is no need to outline the specific successes in detail. They range from reductions in customs tariffs, from starting rates of often over 40% to an average of 10%, to the opening of import and export monopolies via joint ventures in the service sector, trade chains and medium-term freedom of establishment for independent European undertakings.
So the results are clear. But integrating China into world trade also means ensuring that it is in a position to respect and apply the rules of the World Trade Organisation, act as a responsible partner and take on new responsibilities.
We therefore thank Commissioner Patten for his assurance that technical assistance, training for China’s specialists and for those responsible for the new chapter in cooperation will be coordinated with the United States.
But we feel that something else is needed; greater understanding on China’s part of the European Union’s commercial position on the reciprocal opening of the markets. We are counting on China’s supporting the European Union’s proposals for a comprehensive new round of WTO talks in the short term. In the long term, we would stress the implications of a more intensive trading partnership with China for peace in Asia, Europe and the world as a whole. We feel that China will, in the long term, see the obvious need for the rapid economic and social development of China to be fostered within a framework of open markets and democratic reform. On behalf of the PPE Group, therefore, I welcome the successful outcome of negotiations with China and call on the Council to put this result in political order so that the European Parliament is able to adopt this important decision."@en1
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