| activities |
added |
-
- date
- 2008-01-17
- body
- EP
- type
- Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
- committees
-
- body
- EP
- responsible
- False
- committee
- ECON
- date
- 2008-01-15
- committee_full
- Economic and Monetary Affairs
- rapporteur
-
- group
- ALDE
- name
- SCHMIDT Olle
-
- body
- EP
- responsible
- False
- committee
- IMCO
- date
- 2008-01-31
- committee_full
- Internal Market and Consumer Protection
- rapporteur
-
- group
- ALDE
- name
- BUŞOI Cristian Silviu
-
- body
- EP
- responsible
- True
- committee
- INTA
- date
- 2006-09-26
- committee_full
- International Trade
- rapporteur
-
- group
- PPE-DE
- name
- KAMALL Syed
-
- date
- 2008-05-06
- docs
-
- url
- http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE405.975
- type
- Committee draft report
- title
- PE405.975
- body
- EP
- type
- Committee draft report
-
- date
- 2008-06-24
- text
The Committee on International Trade adopted an own
initiative report by Syed KAMALL (EPP-ED, UK) on trade in
services.
The report stresses that the total percentage of the
share of GDP in the EU25 in 2007 was comprised of more than 75% for
the service sector, whereas, in the same year, the share of GDP for
services was around 78% for North America, 52% for Africa and 60%
for Asia. The European Union is the world's largest exporter and
the biggest service provider with more than 28% of total global
exports. Convinced, that services constitute the backbone of every
economy, MEPs reiterate that liberalisation of services is
therefore important not only for developed countries, but
particularly for developing countries.
Drawing attention to the high level of external
competitiveness of European services providers, the report calls on
the Commission to pursue, in trade negotiations, both the
progressive and reciprocal liberalisation of services and a
policy of increased transparency and predictability of rules and
regulations and rigorous sanctions in order to combat corruption
and monopolies.
MEPs also reiterate the need to address the
interaction between trade and social issues by recalling
that: (i) an international trade system which serves the needs of
development and poverty reduction should also contribute to social
progress and decent employment; (ii) trade rules should not impinge
on the social standards established by the ILO; (iii) the fight
against all forms of labour exploitation (prohibition of forced
labour and child labour, in particular), together with respect for
trade union freedoms, is vital to the organisation of a fair trade
system that serves the interests of everyone.
The Commission is called upon to take the different
Member State and developing country interests into account when
negotiating commitment schedules. MEPs consider that the EU cannot
and should not impose a one-size-fits-all model on other countries
and that it must take the different stages of development into
account when calling for the deregulation and liberalisation of
services.
Furthermore, the committee acknowledges states'
sovereignty and thus their right to regulate in all areas of
services including in the area of public services,
irrespective of whether commitments have been undertaken in the
framework of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATS),
provided that any such regulations are made in conformity with
GATS. MEPs also encourage compliance with environmental and
quality standards in a reasonable and objective manner, without
constituting unnecessary barriers to trade.
The report also stresses that an effectively
functioning internal market in services is important for the global
competitiveness of EU enterprises and calls for the timely and
correct implementation and transposition of Community legislation,
including Directive 2006/123/EC on services in the internal
market.
In terms of the Doha Development Round, the
report recalls that Article XIX of the GATS states that 'members
shall enter into successive rounds of negotiations, beginning not
later than five years from the date of entry into force of the WTO
Agreement and periodically thereafter, with a view to achieving a
progressively higher level of liberalisation'. MEPs recall that
these negotiations take place in the framework of the single
undertaking principle and that, as a result, it is necessary to
ensure a balance with the interests defended in other areas of
negotiation.
The report also recalls that each state is free to
liberalise any service sector and stresses the need to leave
developing countries a degree of freedom concerning the degree of
reciprocity in opening exchanges by letting them decide on their
rate of liberalisation.
MEPs encourage a quick resolution on the package of
modalities on negotiations on agriculture and on Non-Agricultural
Market Access (NAMA) so as to move on with the negotiations on
GATS. They welcome, in this respect, the announcement of a
signalling conference to advance the stalled Doha Development Round
negotiations on services.
The committee encourages a clear and ambitious level
of commitments in the currently negotiated and upcoming
bilateral and regional trade agreements. It considers that
trade in services is a vehicle for development provided that a
solid and transparent national normative framework is put in place
for services. In this regard, the committee notes the results
achieved in the Economic Partnership Agreement with the Caribbean
Forum of ACP States (CARIFORUM).
Lastly, the report stresses the need to deal with a
certain number of specific sectoral issues, such as: support
for the development of solid national rules for the service sector
in countries such as Ethiopia, Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda;
commitments among WTO members on the water distribution sector;
balanced trade in cultural services, respecting the protection of
intellectual property rights; assistance for the tourism sector
through development cooperation and technical assistance; stronger
action against counterfeiting or even the progressive opening of
the financial services sector in developing countries.
- body
- EP
- committees
-
- body
- EP
- responsible
- False
- committee
- ECON
- date
- 2008-01-15
- committee_full
- Economic and Monetary Affairs
- rapporteur
-
- group
- ALDE
- name
- SCHMIDT Olle
-
- body
- EP
- responsible
- False
- committee
- IMCO
- date
- 2008-01-31
- committee_full
- Internal Market and Consumer Protection
- rapporteur
-
- group
- ALDE
- name
- BUŞOI Cristian Silviu
-
- body
- EP
- responsible
- True
- committee
- INTA
- date
- 2006-09-26
- committee_full
- International Trade
- rapporteur
-
- group
- PPE-DE
- name
- KAMALL Syed
- type
- Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
-
- date
- 2008-07-02
- docs
-
- url
- http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A6-2008-0283&language=EN
- type
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
- title
- A6-0283/2008
- body
- type
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
-
- date
- 2008-07-02
- docs
-
- url
- http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A6-2008-0283&language=EN
- type
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
- title
- A6-0283/2008
- body
- EP
- type
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
-
- date
- 2008-09-03
- body
- EP
- type
- Debate in Parliament
-
- date
- 2008-09-04
- docs
-
- url
- http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2008-0407
- text
The European Parliament adopted by 525 votes to 77,
with 7 abstentions, a resolution on trade in services.
The own initiative report had been tabled for
consideration in plenary by Syed KAMALL (EPP-ED, UK) on
behalf of the Committee on International Trade.
The resolution recalls that services make up an
increasing percentage of GDP. In 2007, the total percentage of the
share of GDP in the EU25 was comprised of more than 75% for the
service sector, whereas, in the same year, the share of GDP for
services was around 78% for North America, 52% for Africa and 60%
for Asia. MEPs are convinced that services play an important role
in every economy and consider that a wider opening of access to the
services market is important not only for developed countries, but
also for developing countries.
Progressive and reciprocal
liberalisation: drawing attention to
the high level of external competitiveness of European services
providers, the Parliament calls on the Commission to pursue, in
trade negotiations, both the progressive and reciprocal
liberalisation of services and a policy of increased transparency
and predictability of rules and regulations, accompanied by strict
rules and sanctions to fight against corruption and monopolies, so
that citizens and entrepreneurs of both parties to an agreement can
have access to a wider range of services.
MEPs also reiterate the need to address the
interaction between trade and social issues by recalling that:
(i) an international trade system which serves the needs of
development and poverty reduction should also contribute to social
progress and decent employment; (ii) trade rules should not impinge
on the social standards established by the ILO; (iii) the fight
against all forms of labour exploitation (prohibition of forced
labour and child labour, in particular), together with respect for
trade union freedoms, is vital to the organisation of a fair trade
system that serves the interests of everyone.
The Commission is called upon to take the different
Member State and developing country interests into account when
negotiating commitment schedules. MEPs consider that the EU cannot
and should not impose a one-size-fits-all model on other countries
and that it must take the different stages of development into
account when calling for the deregulation and liberalisation of
services.
Furthermore, the resolution acknowledges states'
sovereignty and thus their right to regulate in all areas of
services including in the area of public services,
irrespective of whether commitments have been undertaken in the
framework of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATS),
provided that any such regulations are made in conformity with
GATS. MEPs also encourage compliance with environmental and
quality standards in a reasonable and objective manner, without
constituting unnecessary barriers to trade.
DohaDevelopment Round
and GATS: MEPs recall that these
negotiations take place in the framework of the single undertaking
principle and, therefore, have to be balanced against interests put
forward in other areas of negotiations. They consider that
negotiations on trade in services must serve both the interests of
the EU and the economic growth of the poorest countries. The
resolution also stresses the need to allow developing countries
political space regarding the level of reciprocity in the opening
up of trade by enabling them to decide for themselves the depth and
the speed at which liberalisation may be pursued.
Bilateral and regional agreements: the Parliament encourages a clear and ambitious
level of commitments in the upcoming bilateral and regional trade
agreements and stresses the importance of including therein
provisions relating to human rights and social standards. It
supports specifically the agreement on the Movement of natural
persons (Mode 4) in the EU-CARIFORUM agreement, considering this to
be a means of avoiding the brain drain. It also calls for
universal, accessible, sustainable and affordable public services
with high-quality standards to be ensured for all. The resolution
stresses that, when full Economic Partnership Agreements with the
ACP countries are to be finalised, they could cover not only goods
but also services and investment, but only if this is the wish of
those countries.
With regards to the negotiation of the EU-Association
of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Free Trade Agreement (FTA),
MEPs consider that aspects of the agreement affecting public
procurement, investments and services should recognise the varying
level of development of ASEAN members.
Specific sectoral issues: the resolution underlines the need to deal with a
certain number of specific sectoral issues, such as: the
commitments of WTO members with regards to the water distribution
sector; balanced trade in cultural services; respecting the
protection of intellectual property rights; assistance for the
tourism sector through development cooperation and technical
assistance; strengthening the security of electronic transactions
and trade and stronger action against counterfeiting; taking full
account of the existence of general interest services and the
potential impact of market opening on their
organisation.
The European Commission is called upon to pursue a
balanced package with an ambitious offer in services, especially in
financial services, where the EU has competitive expertise and has
strong potential for growth. The Commission must also promote
better access to financial services in developing countries (micro
credits, access to bank accounts, basic banking services,
mortgages, leasing and factoring, insurance, pensions and local and
international transfers) and encourage sound prudential regulation,
the development of competitive markets and financial services
education.
- type
- Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
- title
- T6-0407/2008
-
- url
- http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=15324&l=en
- type
- Results of vote in Parliament
- title
- Results of vote in Parliament
- body
- EP
- type
- Text adopted by Parliament, single reading
-
- date
- 2008-09-04
- docs
-
- url
- http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/spdoc.do?i=15324&j=0&l=en
- type
- Commission response to text adopted in plenary
- title
- SP(2008)6073
-
- url
- http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/spdoc.do?i=15324&j=1&l=en
- type
- Commission response to text adopted in plenary
- title
- SP(2008)6486
- body
- EC
- commission
-
- DG
- Trade
- Commissioner
- MANDELSON Peter
- type
- Commission response to text adopted in plenary
|
| committees |
added |
-
- body
- EP
- responsible
- False
- committee
- ECON
- date
- 2008-01-15
- committee_full
- Economic and Monetary Affairs
- rapporteur
-
- group
- ALDE
- name
- SCHMIDT Olle
-
- body
- EP
- responsible
- False
- committee
- IMCO
- date
- 2008-01-31
- committee_full
- Internal Market and Consumer Protection
- rapporteur
-
- group
- ALDE
- name
- BUŞOI Cristian Silviu
-
- body
- EP
- responsible
- True
- committee
- INTA
- date
- 2006-09-26
- committee_full
- International Trade
- rapporteur
-
- group
- PPE-DE
- name
- KAMALL Syed
|
| other |
added |
-
- body
- EC
- dg
- Trade
- commissioner
- MANDELSON Peter
|
| procedure |
added |
- dossier_of_the_committee
- INTA/6/57997
- reference
- 2008/2004(INI)
- title
- Trade in services
- legal_basis
- Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 048
- stage_reached
- Procedure completed
- subtype
- Initiative
- type
- INI - Own-initiative procedure
- subject
- 2.40 Free movement of services, freedom to provide
- 6.20 Common commercial policy in general
|
