Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-02-16-Speech-4-051-000"
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"en.20120216.6.4-051-000"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, my colleague, Mr Menéndez del Valle, has already explained the reasons why the Committee on International Trade, of which we are both members, is recommending that Parliament give its assent to the conclusion of this convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential rules of origin for free trade. In fact, this is not just a case of taking another step forward in building this Euro-Mediterranean free trade area and making it more consistent. It is also a case of encouraging regional integration on the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean by encouraging South-South trade; that is, trade between our Mediterranean partners.
Indeed, the European Union, strong from its success as an area of economic integration, has always encouraged the economic integration of other areas. It therefore does not make us look bad to do everything we can to encourage others to follow us and take advantage of economic and trade integration in the same way.
As Mr Menéndez del Valle has already said, we are thinking not just of recommending the adoption of this report, but also of asking the Commission a series of questions, which we consider necessary in order to reinforce our belief in supporting this agreement. As such, we would ask the following questions, which Mr Menéndez del Valle and I wrote together, and which the rapporteur has already briefly mentioned.
Firstly, in order for this agreement to significantly support democratic transition on the southern shore of the Mediterranean, it will need to bring genuine economic benefits to those countries. Has there been any evaluation of the true positive impact of this agreement and of these new preferential rules of origin? Secondly, the convention does not include any conflict resolution mechanism. Could this be because the Commission considers – and I would like the Commissioner to justify this to us – the conflict resolution mechanisms already in place with many of these countries sufficient? The convention also does not include any revision mechanism.
Does the Commission believe that these rules will do for evermore; that there will be no need for periodic evaluation of these rules, so as to justify their future revision? Finally, there is the very politically sensitive issue that Mr Menéndez del Valle has already mentioned of products originating from Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory. It is clear that we have to be absolutely certain that these products are unable to benefit from the trade preferences that the Union awards to its partners, including the Palestinian Authority and Israel. These products cannot benefit from these advantages, and that is the least the EU can do if it is not to be complicit in the illegitimate occupation of Palestinian land. There can be no doubt in this regard, and a strong commitment from the European Commission on this matter is essential."@en1
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