Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-10-20-Speech-3-725"
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"en.20101020.28.3-725"2
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"Madam President, honourable Members of Parliament, Europe is very concerned at the devastating impact of the floods in Pakistan, which destroyed livelihoods and communities throughout the country.
Trade can be an important part of a long-term economic solution for Pakistan. We have a tight calendar to work to. You can count on me and my staff to explain our approach and reduce any lingering concerns you may have.
The scale of the disaster is unprecedented in Pakistan’s history. The cost in humanitarian needs, and to its already fragile economy, is immense. The severity of this crisis demands an immediate and substantial response, also taking into account the strategic importance of Pakistan’s development, security and stability in the region.
The European Council on 16 September called for a comprehensive package of short-, medium- and longer-term measures that will help underpin Pakistan’s recovery and future development. The initial EU response to the floods was swift and generous. Our common contribution to the humanitarian aid efforts presently stands at more than EUR 320 million from Member States and the European Commission in cash and in kind. This alone represents more than 60% of the global initial UN appeal.
The European Council recognised that, in addition to the immediate and significant humanitarian aid and development assistance, ambitious trade measures are essential for economic recovery and growth. Trade is therefore part of the long-term response to the ongoing crisis. To this end, the Commission adopted on 7 October a proposal for unilateral suspension of import duties on a number of important export items from Pakistan. This proposal is now submitted to Member States and the European Parliament.
The Commission is proposing to liberalise 75 tariff lines on imports from Pakistan, accounting for 27% of Pakistan’s current imports to the EU and almost EUR 900 million. This would yield an increase in EU imports from Pakistan of about EUR 100 million.
The objective of this measure is to support Pakistan’s reconstruction efforts in the medium term. Consequently, the special concessions will be limited in time – the Commission is proposing three years. Given the nature of Pakistan’s industrial base and export basket, where textiles account for more than 60%, a large number of products for which we propose liberalisation are textile products. Other industrial products such as ethanol are also included.
If Parliament and the Council can act quickly on this, we hope to have the measure in place on 1 January 2011. In parallel, we are working with other members of the World Trade Organisation to obtain the necessary permission – a WTO waiver – which has to be granted before the measure takes effect.
The trade concessions should be economically meaningful for Pakistan but, at the same time, take account of industrial sensitivities in the European Union. Therefore, in drawing up this proposal, we have tried to take into account industrial sensitivities in the EU, especially as regards textiles. Our analysis has shown that the impact on EU production is likely to be modest.
The potential increase in EU imports from Pakistan (EUR 100 million) corresponds to less than 0.5% of EU production value of the liberalised items, which, in fact, account for EUR 24 billion. The European Parliament’s support in helping this proposal come to fruition is essential to the presentation of a complete picture of EU solidarity in times of unprecedented needs."@en1
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