Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-06-04-Speech-3-175"
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"Mr President, let me first apologise on behalf of Peter Mandelson, who is not able to be here to discuss with this House the regulation on the generalised system of preferences (GSP). He has asked me to speak on his behalf.
A number of comments also touch on the need to ensure that developing countries are able to access sufficient and good-quality aid for trade to help them build trade capacity and harness the potential of trade to drive their own economic growth and sustainable development. Here the European Union has already demonstrated its strong commitment and, in the EU Aid for Trade strategy of October 2007, has put in place a firm basis on which to make yet further improvements.
In conclusion, let me repeat that we very much appreciate the interest shown by Parliament in these proposals.
I thank you for your work and the valuable comments made on the proposal for a GSP regulation for 2009-2011. The Commission considered it important that Parliament should be able to express its opinion, and we really appreciate the effort you have made to examine the proposals and provide an opinion, even in a rather short timetable. We therefore welcome the opinion and the opportunity to engage with you and explain the Commission’s position.
The GSP scheme is an important pro-development instrument of EU trade policy. The Commission therefore appreciates the recognition in the opinion that the EU’s GSP is the most important such scheme among the developed countries and that it continues to make an important contribution to the objective of promoting development and poverty reduction in the developing world.
We share the objective expressed by Parliament that the scheme should continue to operate in a stable, transparent and predictable manner. These aspects are important for the beneficiary countries themselves, giving them and economic operators within the EU a firmer basis for their own decision-making on trade and investment opportunities.
The Commission considers that all three components of the scheme – the standard GSP for all beneficiaries, the ‘GSP Plus’ for those countries that make specific commitments in terms of adherence to international standards for good governance and sustainable development, and the Everything But Arms initiative for the least-developed countries – are operating well and in line with the overall policy orientations put in place for the period 2006-2015. That is why the basic approach underpinning the proposed regulation for 2009-2011 is one of continuity in substance, combined with some technical updating.
We are working actively with the Member States in the Council towards agreement on the final regulation. The Presidency has set the objective of achieving this before the end of June. That is something the Commission supports, since an early decision is important to ensure that beneficiary countries and all other interested parties, including business operators, have sufficient notice of the changes to be made next January.
Another very important reason for an early decision is that all those countries that wish to apply for ‘GSP Plus’ treatment will have to do so by the end of October and need confirmation as soon as possible of the relevant criteria and the process they will have to follow.
I would note that some of Parliament’s comments and suggestions in fact relate to issues that go beyond the scope of this regulation, even if they are certainly issues of importance from a development perspective.
Reform of the EC’s preferential rules of origin, including for the purpose of the GSP, is being taken forward in a separate exercise headed by Commissioner Kovács."@en1
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