Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-09-27-Speech-2-047-000"
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"Madam President, I would like to thank Members for this opportunity to comment on the excellent report prepared by Daniel Caspary. I appreciate the frank and comprehensive analysis it makes of our communication on trade policy.
The report also states the importance of ensuring that trade works for poverty reduction. This is an issue that is also important for me and is why the Commission will submit to college a communication on trade, investment and development, by the end of November.
Another area of importance mentioned several times in the report is ensuring that we are open but not naive, which I fully agree with. One initiative the Commission is working on is a legislative proposal for an EU instrument that will help secure and increase symmetry in access to public procurement markets in developed countries and large emerging markets. Procurement markets represent a substantial part of national economies, but European businesses cannot always get equal or easy access. The Commission has just ended the public consultation, is reviewing different options and will put forward a proposal within the coming months.
I note that the report acknowledges the achievements of the market access strategy and the importance to continue to work towards keeping markets open. The Commission produced a trade and investment barriers report for the Spring European Council this year, which was shared with the Parliament as well. The report monitors barriers and protectionist measures and sets out a number of key priorities for market access action vis-à-vis our strategic partners, and should become the public reference document and benchmark for our enforcement action at political level. I welcome Parliament’s decision to also prepare a report on this matter.
We are actively pursuing our market access work, in particular, in relation to intellectual property rights in third countries, access to key raw materials for EU industry and securing reliable energy supplies. We will also continue to enforce EU rights and defend the interests of EU businesses of all sizes – anti-dumping or anti-subsidy cases, bilateral discussions on market access barriers, negotiating trade deals and bringing cases before WTO. One example is how we have actively and consistently – and so far successfully – addressed issues relating to access to raw materials in China through the WTO’s dispute settlement system. In keeping with our enlightened openness, we have no qualms about using all instruments to ensure that all countries and companies comply with WTO rules.
Finally, I welcome a reference to the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund in the report. The Commission is currently finalising a proposal to improve the fund and to extend it to the agricultural sector. This is scheduled for adoption on 5 October 2011.
I see much agreement between this report and the Commission’s own communication on trade policy and look forward to discussing it with Parliament. On the last question from Mr Caspary as to where I am going, I have only one answer: I am going forward.
First of all, I would like to address one unwarranted criticism that this report raises, which is its lack of long-term vision. Parliament will also have seen the two detailed staff working documents which accompany our communication. One contains rigorous economic analysis as well as available long-term forecasts. The other presents an assessment of the Global Europe strategy adopted by the Commission in 2006.
One of the key priorities of our new trade strategy is to ensure stronger and sustainable growth in Europe by engaging with other strategic growth poles in the world: China, Russia, Japan, etc. I am sure that Members will agree with me that this is a legitimate long-term objective and not just a misguided short-term vision.
We also strive to uphold the value of multilateralism and project our European values in the rest of the world, in an ever-increasing complex world where global governance and strong leadership seem to be in short supply. Unless you believe that multilateralism and our strong engagement with strategic partners will not be objectives worth pursuing by 2030 or beyond, then I find it hard to accept the report’s criticism of a lack of long-term vision.
I would also like to stress that the objectives and priorities set in the communication will produce economic effects in the next five to ten years. Today, 36 million jobs in the EU depend on our external trade. These jobs are important today and they will be as important in decades to come. If we are successful in our strategy, and not least if Parliament lends its support, our new trade policy can generate EUR 150 billion every year, and more jobs at the same time. These gains are long-term gains, which can only be reaped if we set a strong foundation for our policy today.
Secondly, I notice that we both share the aim of higher growth and consider that we should harness all the growth potential of external trade. The growth potential of the various trade initiatives that we are considering or pursuing is therefore a major factor allowing us to set priorities among the many negotiations which the Commission can engage in.
Thirdly, the report considers that we are not ambitious enough and that our trade negotiations are too slow. Let us talk again when I return to this House to present concluded free trade agreements in the months and years to come. Of course, while it is important to be ambitious, it is equally important to understand that European trade policy does not solve all global issues and that global agreements are based on mutual obligations and commitments. Imposing obligations on our partners is only feasible if we ourselves are willing to make commitments which they consider equivalent. Otherwise, no deal is possible.
That is why I am pleased to see that we agree on many of the priorities for the EU’s trade policy: multilateralism remains our top trade priority. The EU has a deep commercial and systemic interest in a strong multilateral trading system, and the Commission has played a proactive role in the Doha negotiations throughout 2011, including by developing a solid compromise proposal in the key area of tariffs on industrial goods.
We also consistently called for deliverables for Least Developed Countries and we have an established, excellent track record already. In the coming period, ahead of the December Ministerial Conference, the Commission will continue its work in Geneva with the objective of finding a road map that can take the Doha negotiations out of the present impasse."@en1
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