2010/2301(INI)
EU and China: unbalanced trade?
EU and China: unbalanced trade? 2010/2301(INI)
Lead committee dossier: INTA/7/04390
| DEVE | EMPL | IMCO | INTA | ITRE | |
| Lead Rapporteur | DE SARNEZ Marielle (ALDE) | ||||
| Opinion Rapporteur(s) | ZAHRADIL Jan (ECR) | STERCKX Dirk (ALDE) | LØKKEGAARD Morten (ALDE) | JADOT Yannick (Verts/ALE) |
Procedure completed
2010/2301(INI) EU and China: unbalanced trade?
Lead committee dossier: INTA/7/04390
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opinion | DEVE | ZAHRADIL Jan (ECR) | |
| Opinion | EMPL | STERCKX Dirk (ALDE) | |
| Opinion | IMCO | LØKKEGAARD Morten (ALDE) | |
| Lead | INTA | DE SARNEZ Marielle (ALDE) | WINKLER Iuliu (EPP), MENÉNDEZ DEL VALLE Emilio (S&D), STURDY Robert (ECR) |
| Opinion | ITRE | JADOT Yannick (Verts/ALE) |
Activites
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2012/05/23
Text adopted by Parliament, single reading
- T7-0218/2012
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2012/05/22
Debate in Parliament
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2012/05/22
Prev DG PRES
- DG {u'url': u'http://ec.europa.eu/trade/', u'title': u'Trade'}, DE GUCHT Karel
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2012/04/20
Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
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A7-0141/2012
summary
The Committee on International Trade adopted the report by Marielle DE SARNEZ (ADLE, FR) on EU and China: Unbalanced Trade? Members recall that the EU is the top destination for Chinese exports, which rose by 39.5% between 2009 and 2010. Reaching a peak amount of total trade of EUR 395 billion in 2010, they note that the imbalance in bilateral trade has been in Chinas favour since 1997. This trade deficit amounted to EUR 168.8 billion in 2010 compared to EUR 49 billion in 2000. Members also note that foreign investment by the EU in China in 2010 amounted to EUR 4.9 billion and foreign investment by China in the EU in the same year amounted to EUR 0.9 billion. To respond to this imbalance in trade between the EU and China, Members are committed to finding a balanced approach as regards the exchanges with China. The following measures are proposed: Improving market access: welcoming the strengthening of economic relations between the European Union and China, Members call on the Commission: to apply the principle of reciprocity to the EUs common trade policy with developed and emerging countries such as China, in order to restore fair competition and to ensure a more level playing field; to pursue a relationship of partnership and mutual benefits rather than engage in fierce competition and confrontation; to cooperate with the Chinese Government in order to eliminate all remaining obstacles by 2016, when market economy status is supposed to be granted China by the WTO. The report regrets the existence of numerous tariff and non-tariff barriers to the Chinese market, such as certain forms of discrimination against foreign operators, particularly in the banking, insurance and telecommunications sectors, and the complexity of the tariff structure and technical barriers to trade, such as the lack of transparency in technical rules and conformity assessment procedures, etc. Members urge China to bring its state subsidy programmes into line with relevant WTO law given that China has established very considerable trade advantages for itself in relation to the EU through targeted state subsidies, using a great variety of legal constructs. The Commission is called upon to reform the anti-subsidy regulation in order for the EU to be able to respond effectively to the considerable challenges presented by China. Members are concerned by the lack of predictability and publicity in connection with the technical rules and standards applicable to products, particularly in relation to certification, creating significant trade barriers for businesses exporting to China. They call on the country to adopt international standards for products and services so as to promote increased trade between China and other countries. It is also necessary to stress the importance of compliance by Chinese imports with European standards for food and non-food products. Member are also concerned by the fact that foreign businesses face difficulties in accessing Chinese public procurement, which stands in contrast to the fact that access to European public procurement is guaranteed. They are concerned by the possibly unfair terms of competition that apply whereby, in particular, disguised state aid allows Chinese businesses to make markedly better offers than their European competitors. They call on the Commission to rapidly develop, if possible in 2012, a European instrument to ensure reciprocity as regards openness in public procurement markets. The committee also considers it necessary to: reinforce instruments aimed at encouraging, coordinating and supporting market access for European SMEs on priority markets such as China; encourage China to become a signatory to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention; encourage China to reform its procedure as regards the installation of foreign companies (joint ventures); make use of trade defence instruments which are consistent with WTO rules, such as anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and safeguard measures in order to ensure a level playing field for EU-China trade. Defending the interests of European industry: Members deplore the inadequate protection of IPR in China, and regret the lack of specific means available to European businesses, and particularly SMEs, to counter IPR infringements effectively. They call on the Commission and Member States to defend IPR better in all multilateral organisations where China is a member (the WTO, the World Health Organisation(WHO) and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)). They also urge: China to continue to transpose into its national legislation current international law on the protection of IPR and, more specifically, to combat counterfeiting and piracy; the Commission and the Member States to step up customs cooperation in the EU and with third countries, particularly with China, on the seizure of counterfeit goods, and to simplify customs procedures. Noting that China produces 97% of the rare earths used in the world, Members calls on it to guarantee its trading partners sustainable production methods and fair market access. They invite the Commission to pay particular attention to any potential restrictions by China on the export of its raw materials and call on the Commission to develop a European strategy for the proper management of raw materials, involving increased energy efficiency, recycling, more efficient use of resources and the development of industrial cooperation in the green economy growth and innovation sectors. At the same time, Members urge the Commission to negotiate an ambitious and balanced EU-China investment agreement that seeks to create better environment for EU investors in China. The Council is called upon to elaborate its mandate for a future investment agreement with China, taking fully into account Parliaments views and positions, as set out in the resolution of 6 April 2011 on the future European international investment policy. Members stress the importance of business-to-business cooperation, and the setting up of partnerships between Chinese universities and EU companies. Alleviating currency competition: Members point out that China holds sovereign debt of Member States in the eurozone. Given the importance of this situation, they call on the Commission to start discussions with the European Central Bank (ECB) and Member States on the creation of a coordinated system to identify which parties hold sovereign debt. They are concerned that the EUs negotiating capabilities in trade negotiations with China are being undermined by the latters contribution to the financial stabilisation of the eurozone. They also emphasise that the alleged undervaluation and non-convertibility of the yuan might give Chinese exports an unfair competitive advantage, as China holds one-third of the worlds foreign exchange reserves. They call for the international financial regulations applicable to and the macroeconomic coordination between G20 countries to be strengthened, as economic stability and global trade would otherwise be at risk. They call on China to allow the yuan to appreciate to reach an appropriate exchange rate. Towards a new institutional framework for EU-China trade relations: Members call on the Member States, using appropriate monitoring mechanisms, to ensure that foreign enterprises operating in the EU respect all legislation in force in the Single Market, including social and environmental standards, to ensure the protection of patents and to contribute to efforts promoting the sustainability of employment when they purchase European businesses or set up subsidiaries in the EU. They ask the Commission and Member States to set up a body entrusted with the ex ante evaluation of foreign strategic investment, along the lines of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), in order to obtain a clear picture of businesses operating and investing in the territory of the EU, and to report to the parliament on a regular basis. The EU is called upon to act within all appropriate international organisations, such as the WHO, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations (UN), in order to initiate a process of reform geared at including binding social, environmental and health standards into the rules on the organisation of trade governed by the WTO. In parallel, Members deplore the fragmented and uncoordinated institutional framework of the EU-China trade relations and call on the Commission urgently to revise the bilateral relations organisational chart, to pursue better coordination and to eliminate the redundancies at the level of the countless working groups, dialogues and other formal and informal bodies active in this area. They also ask: the EU to develop a strategy to avoid compulsory technology transfers; for strict compliance with European rules and standards for all goods in circulation on the internal market. Assessing Chinas global role: given Chinas growing influence in the theatre of international trade, Members call on the EU to remain vigilant concerning the political, economic, social and environmental impact of increasing Chinese investment in developing countries, particularly in Africa and Latin America. Members are concerned that some European companies invest in China mainly because of the low cost of production caused by lower social, environmental and human rights standards. They strongly recommend that the Commission and the Member States promote effective corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices by European companies in China. The report emphasises that, in the best interests of developing countries as well as of broader global competition and growth, EU enterprises and actors seeking to compete with China in trade and economic relations with developing countries should work to present offers that are the most attractive in terms of long-term sustainability and benefit, including environmental, social, human rights and governance aspects. Noting that China is the worlds largest emitter of greenhouse gases, Members call on the EU to propose within international organisations that ecological aspects and climate change targets should be included in discussions relating to international trade. They encourage, therefore, the EU and China to develop a closer and more responsible strategic dialogue based on mutual understanding. Reinforcing the EU to cope with global competition: Members call on the EU to develop an ambitious common industrial policy based on research and innovation that benefits from innovative financing arrangements such as project bonds and that supports the development of SMEs. They call on the EU to: enhance the value of European production by providing better quality information to consumers, particularly through the adoption of the regulation on origin marking (made-in) of products imported into the EU; speak with one voice in order to prevent partnerships and bilateral agreements weakening the EU position; implement a long-term strategy with regard to China, ensuring the operational coordination both between the EU institutions and between the EU and the Member States; build up extensive cooperation with China in areas of joint research such as product safety and human health, and to establish further scientific, technological and cultural exchanges; resolve issues through increased bilateral co-operation or dispute settlement in the WTO.
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A7-0141/2012
summary
- 2012/03/27 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
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2012/01/20
Deadline Amendments
- 2011/12/02 Committee draft report
- 2010/12/16 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
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2010/12/09
EP officialisation
Documents
- Committee draft report: PE478.356
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A7-0141/2012
- Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T7-0218/2012
Votes
A7-0141/2012 - Marielle de Sarnez - § 30/2
2012/05/23
| Position | Total | ALDE | ECR | EFD | GUE/NGL | NI | PPE | S&D | Verts/ALE | correctional |
| For | 643 | 79 | 41 | 21 | 4 | 19 | 252 | 172 | 55 | 1 |
| Against | 38 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Abstain | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Amendments | Dossier |
| 404 |
2010/2301(INI) EU and China: unbalanced trade?
2011/03/05
EMPL
60 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. whereas China’s population of 1.3 billion makes for a labour force of 730 million people, thus constituting the world’s largest employment challenge,
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. whereas, despite the high growth rates recorded in China over the past 20 years, there has been a considerable increase in the country’s unemployment rate,
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. whereas there is strong evidence that supply chain control is not properly functioning; whereas recent studies indicate that control mechanisms are systematically undermined by employers by for example double book-keeping, fake pay slips and fake trade union representatives; whereas local governments are reluctant to supervise factories and receive bonuses in return for lack of controls,
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b.Calls on the Commission to intensify the existing dialogue on employment and social policy and to enter into a structured social dialogue with China in the framework of the High Level Economic and Trade Dialogue (HLD);
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Notes the competition between different social systems resulting from the opening up of the world market; notes
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Notes the competition between different social systems resulting from the opening up of the world market; notes a rise in the level of informal work in urban areas
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Notes the competition between different social systems resulting from the opening up of the world market; notes a rise in the level of informal work in urban areas as well as violations of the principles of decent work despite the existence of a legislative framework governing employment conditions; notes
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Notes the competition between different social systems resulting from the opening up of the world market; notes a rise in the level of informal work in urban areas as well as violations of the principles of decent work despite the existence of a legislative framework governing employment conditions; notes
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Notes the competition between different social systems resulting from the opening up of the world market; notes a rise in the level of informal work in urban areas as well as violations of the principles of decent work despite the existence of a legislative framework governing employment conditions; notes better access to the employment market and a fall in rural unemployment as a result of the opening up of the Chinese economy; considers it desirable for observance of human rights to be an essential pillar of economic cooperation between the EU and China, which will, inter alia, generate respect for employees in undertakings;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Notes the competition between different social systems resulting from the opening up of the world market; notes a rise in the level of informal work in urban areas as well as violations of the principles of decent work despite the existence of a legislative framework governing employment conditions; notes better access to the employment market and a fall in rural unemployment as a result of the opening up of the Chinese economy; observes that human rights are still not sufficiently taken into account in China, although they are an indispensable basis for stable relations between employees and employers;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Notes the competition between different social systems resulting from the opening up of the world market; notes a rise in the level of informal work in urban areas as well as violations of the principles of decent work despite the existence of a legislative framework governing employment conditions; notes better access to the employment market and a fall in rural unemployment as a result of the opening up of the Chinese economy; observes that, despite the ratification of ILO Conventions Nos 138 and 182, shortcomings remain in the field of the prohibition of child labour;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Notes the competition between different social systems resulting from the opening up of the world market; notes with surprise and displeasure a rise in the level of informal work in urban areas as well as violations of the principles of decent work despite the existence of a legislative framework governing employment conditions; notes better access to the employment market and a fall in rural unemployment as a result of the opening up of the Chinese economy;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Notes that the recent years of high economic growth in China have not equally benefited all segments of the Chinese population and that the social gap between the rich and the poor is gradually increasing;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Calls for trade competition between China and the EU to be based on clearly established rules allowing mutual emulation and business stability and optimisation, in order not to go against employees’ interests;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the impact which China, as the biggest exporting country, has on the world economy and the responsibility which this entails to comply with minimum social standards; welcomes the efforts made by Chinese central and local government in this area;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the impact which China, as the biggest exporting country, has on the world economy and the responsibility which this entails to comply with minimum social standards; welcomes the efforts made by Chinese central and local government in this area; emphasises th
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the impact which China, as the biggest exporting country, has on the world economy
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the impact which China, as the biggest exporting country, has on the world economy and the responsibility which this entails to comply with minimum social standards;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the impact which China, as the biggest exporting country, has on the world economy and the responsibility which this entails to comply with minimum social standards;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the impact which China, as the biggest exporting country, has on the world economy and the responsibility which this entails to comply with minimum social standards;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the impact which China, as the biggest exporting country, has on the world economy and the responsibility which this entails to comply with minimum social standards; welcomes the efforts made by Chinese central and local government in this area; emphasises the importance of a comprehensive law on social protection and health care and strict monitoring of compliance with legislation on employment conditions; stresses in this connection the Social Security Reform Cooperation Project between the EU and China, which aims to give Chinese citizens access to adequate and affordable social insurance; underlines the importance of compliance with International Labour Organisation rules and respect for the right to freely form trade unions;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the impact which China, as the biggest exporting country, has on the world economy and the responsibility which this entails to comply with minimum social standards, paying special attention to the existing legislation regarding intellectual property rights; welcomes the efforts made by Chinese central and local government in this area; emphasises the importance of a comprehensive law on social protection and health care and strict monitoring of compliance with legislation on employment conditions; underlines the importance of compliance with International Labour Organisation rules and respect for the right to freely form trade unions;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the impact which China, as the biggest exporting country, has on the world economy and the responsibility which this entails to comply with minimum social standards; welcomes the efforts made by Chinese central and local government in this area; emphasises th
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the impact which China, as the biggest exporting country, has on the world economy and the responsibility which this entails to comply with minimum social standards; welcomes the efforts made by Chinese central and local government in this area; emphasises the importance of a comprehensive law on social protection and health care and strict monitoring of compliance with legislation on employment conditions; underlines the importance of compliance with International Labour Organisation rules, particularly on health and safety in the workplace, and respect for the right to freely form trade unions;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the impact which China, as the biggest exporting country, has on the world economy and the responsibility which this entails to comply with minimum social standards; welcomes the efforts made by Chinese central and local government in this area; emphasises the importance of a comprehensive law on social protection and health care and strict monitoring of compliance with legislation on employment conditions; underlines the importance of compliance with International Labour Organisation rules and respect for the right to freely form trade unions; observes that, as a member of the WTO, China does not sufficiently guarantee compliance with the principles and obligations accepted by means of the protocol of accession, particularly with regard to protection of copyright and avoidance of export restrictions, which is distorting global competition and thus having an adverse impact in the EU;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the impact which China, as the biggest exporting country, has on the world economy and the responsibility which this entails to comply with minimum social standards; welcomes the efforts made by Chinese central and local government in this area; emphasises the importance of a comprehensive law on social protection and health care and strict monitoring of compliance with legislation on employment conditions; underlines the importance of compliance with International Labour Organisation rules and respect for the right to freely form trade unions; considers the intensification of the dialogue between the EU and China which was launched in 2009 to improve working conditions and reduce the number of occupational accidents and cases of occupational disease to be an essential measure;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the impact which China, as the biggest exporting country, has on the world economy and the responsibility which this entails to comply with minimum social standards; welcomes the efforts made by Chinese central and local government in this area; emphasises the importance of a comprehensive law on social protection and health care and strict monitoring of compliance with legislation on employment conditions; underlines the importance of compliance with International Labour Organisation rules and respect for the right to freely form trade unions; notes that, as part of closer economic cooperation between China and the EU, the labour-law dimension should loom larger in the bilateral dialogue between Europe and China on the rule of law;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the impact which China, as the biggest exporting country, has on the world economy and the responsibility which this entails to comply with minimum social standards; welcomes the efforts made by Chinese central and local government in this area; emphasises the importance of a comprehensive law on social protection and health care and strict monitoring of compliance with legislation on employment conditions; underlines the importance of compliance with International Labour Organisation rules and respect for the right to freely form trade unions; calls on the EU representatives in the EU- China-dialogue to stress the need for better supply-chain control with regard to working conditions;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Considers that the ILO should be given responsibility for monitoring observance of these rights;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Stresses that failure to uphold fundamental human rights, workers’ rights as established by ILO standards and the right to freely form trade unions is first and foremost an unacceptable violation of the principles underpinning civic coexistence, but also seriously distorts competition between businesses operating in different countries;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Stresses the importance of trade relations between the EU and China and calls for mutual respect for labour legislation, especially highlighting the prevention of using illegal forms of human capital such as: child labour, prison labour and any other forms of such labour human resources; stresses the importance of maintaining the level of fair competition among the two entities preventing any forms of price dumping occurred due to cheaper labour force and ensuring the respect for adequate working conditions that can be obtained by applying the existing rules and procedures laid down by the ILO and engaging into a fair trade partnership;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Welcomes the improvements made by the Chinese central and local government regarding better conditions for employees, yet considers that more efforts should be done in order to improve the legislation and calls for a rapid implementation of the international standards applied to labour with the view to prevent any possible future disruptions in the trading relations among EU and China;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Observes that the Employment and Social Affairs committee may suggest to the People's Republic of China, as per its remit, certain employment safety criteria based on its knowledge of international standards;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Calls for a further improvement of EU development aid, especially in such areas as employment, protection of safety and health at work, poverty eradication, public health and hygiene, education and improvement of the life conditions of children;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Emphasises the importance for global trade of the further improvement of the Chinese labour force; calls for the development of an EU-China comprehensive consultation mechanism in the field of education, as an adequate instrument aiming to strengthen the academic cooperation, the exchange of students and teachers training; underlines the necessity to increase the cooperation in the health sector, especially by sharing experience and control of HIV/AIDS and other serious diseases;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 c (new) 3c. Emphasises the importance of exchange experience and best practices in the field of employment opportunities on developing green jobs, when dealing with the economic, social and environmental impact on climate change;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 d (new) 3d. Calls for the further development of an improved cooperation on employment of legal immigrants and protection of the rights and interests of migrant workers and enhanced coordination in international labour affairs;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 e (new) 3e. Calls for further improvement of gender mainstreaming capacity of the government, employers' and workers' organizations with a view to effectively promote gender equality into national employment policies;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 f (new) 3f. Calls for the development of an adequate framework aiming to enhance the cooperation between the EU trade unions and the Chinese ones as an adequate instrument targeting the improvement of the working conditions of the labour force, the exchange of the best practices in the same field and to fulfil the ILO conventions;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 g (new) 3g. Calls on the European Commission to include, within the free trade agreements and investments, the corporate social responsibility clause to comply with the eight core conventions and the four priority conventions of ILO;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 h (new) 3h. Calls on the European Commission for the inclusion of a social clause in WTO agreements in accordance with ILO core labour standards;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Calls for exchanges of commercial and social good practice and experience between the EU and China to be stepped up;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Points out that one of the greatest challenges facing the Chinese authorities is how to fund a stable social security and healthcare system and pursue a social and employment policy that meets international standards and generates the same benefits in all of the country's provinces; stresses the importance of introducing effective policy measures to redistribute wealth among the country’s regions in such a way as to reduce the major disparities currently existing and ensure more sustainable growth;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. As people in Europe take it for granted that their suppliers comply with international agreements which are a precondition for GSP+, expects the People’s Republic of China and its firms without exception to take the same agreements as the standard for their everyday work and that the People’s Republic of China will put a stop to the supply of pirated goods and products from forced labour camps to the EU;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes that the Chinese
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes that the Chinese population is getting older and that the seemingly endless growth in the available workforce, in particular lower-skilled workers, appears to be drying up; notes that a shift in trade from China to other South-East Asian countries is taking place as a result of potential cost advantages; calls, therefore, on the Commission to introduce an integrated European policy for the South- East Asia region; observes that a stronger awareness of employment standards should arise in China’s growing middle class – an awareness which is relatively undeveloped in the population as a whole at present;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes that the Chinese population is getting older and that the seemingly endless growth in the available workforce, in particular lower-skilled workers, appears to be drying up; notes that a shift in trade from China to other South-East Asian countries is taking place as a result of potential cost advantages; calls, therefore, on the Commission to introduce an integrated European policy for the South- East Asia region that will prevent European multinationals from engaging in socially irresponsible practices in those countries;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Notes that European
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Notes that
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Notes that
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Notes that European direct foreign investment in China
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Notes that European direct foreign investment in China
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Considers that imports of counterfeit goods from China not only pose a threat to the health and safety of EU consumers but also have an adverse impact on employment within the EU;
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs has no right to impose, or seek to impose, any employment standards on the People's Republic of China;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Considers that attempts to impose any social, labour or environmental standards by sanctions, import tariffs or other means are likely to be struck down by the regulations of the WTO;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Calls on European business operating in China to apply the highest international standards and best practices in corporate social responsibility with regard to workers;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Expresses full support to Chinese workers in their struggle for decent pay and working conditions as well as the right to found grassroots independent trade unions democratically founded and controlled from below by workers;
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Notes the increased clampdown on democratic rights by the Chinese regime in recent months including the jailing and persecution of trade unionists.
source: PE-464.737
2011/10/17
ITRE
55 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Takes the view that the trade imbalances between the EU and China reflect their differing social, economic and democratic models
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Takes the view that the trade imbalances between the EU and China broadly reflect their differing social, economic, demographic and democratic models
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Takes the view that the trade imbalances between the EU and China reflect the
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Takes the view that the trade imbalances between the EU and China reflect their differing social, economic and democratic models; takes the view that the limited or non-existent degree of respect for certain rights in China is a contributing factor;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Takes the view that the trade imbalances between the EU and China reflect their differing social, economic and democratic models; takes the view that the limited or non-existent degree of respect for certain rights, and particularly workers’ rights, in China is a contributing factor; encourages, therefore, dialogue between the two partners;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 – indent 1 (new) – Calls on China to meet its responsibilities before the WTO by permitting full market access for outside goods and services, freedom of investment, the safeguarding of European companies’ rights and greater protection of intellectual property rights;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Draws attention to the temptation for European enterprises to relocate their operations to China in order to cut their costs and increase their profits, to the detriment of the EU workforce and with disregard for emissions reduction targets and for EU social and employment standards; calls for an EU-China trade policy to be developed that enables cooperation and the economic and social development of both parties;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Believes that Europe and China face both challenges and great opportunities with regards to our mutual relationship; underlines that the EU now, as demand surges in emerging economies, also has a chance to reap benefits of globalisation by further strengthening our export of goods and services to new markets;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Notes that this strategy must be based on mutual understanding and emphasises the importance of teaming cultures and social systems;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Stresses that the majority of direct foreign investment from the EU in Chinese industry is due in large part to low labour force costs, while most of the European companies that invest in China use that country as a low labour cost production platform to export goods to third country markets, especially in Asia, and back to Europe; this partly explains the EU’s trade deficit with China, with many of the products imported into the EU from China being produced by European firms or by direct subcontractors of those firms;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Takes the view that the challenges presented by China are those of implementing an ambitious EU industrial policy which should be based on: - stringent standards, - strengthening anti-dumping measures, - adopting a more balanced approach
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Takes the view that the challenges
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Takes the view that the challenges presented by China are those of implementing an ambitious and proactive EU industrial policy based on the drafting, implementation and enforcement of stringent standards, strengthening anti- dumping measures, adopting a more balanced approach to public procurement, pursuing research and innovation and promoting the green economy; points out that such an industrial policy will be effective only if it is developed at the EU level, and that it will be impossible to generate a coherent EU approach to China on the basis of separate national approaches;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Takes the view that the challenges presented by bilateral trade with China are those of implementing an ambitious EU industrial policy based on stringent standards, strengthening anti-dumping measures, adopting a more balanced approach to public procurement, pursuing research and innovation and promoting the green economy; points out that such an industrial policy will be effective only if it is
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Takes the view that the challenges presented by China are those of implementing an ambitious EU industrial policy based on stringent standards, strengthening anti-dumping measures, adopting a more balanced approach to public procurement, pursuing research and innovation, respecting intellectual property rules and promoting the green economy; points out that such an industrial policy will be effective only if it is developed at the EU level, and that it will be impossible to generate a coherent EU approach to China on the basis of separate national approaches;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Takes the view that the challenges presented by China are those of implementing an ambitious EU industrial policy based on stringent standards, strengthening anti-dumping measures, adopting a more balanced approach to public procurement, pursuing research and innovation and promoting
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Regards it as regrettable that barriers hampering access to Chinese markets – as referred to in the latest report of the European Chamber of Commerce and elsewhere – are generating very considerable costs for European firms and depriving them of commercial outlets; stresses that access to a number of key sectors remains limited owing to investment restrictions taking the form of shareholding ceilings that have been imposed in areas such as the motor vehicle industry, telecommunications, petrochemicals, energy and financial services;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Stresses that the weak protection of intellectual property rights limits the involvement of European companies both in direct foreign investment and joint ventures, and in the transfer of high technology and technology modernisation; calls on the Commission to promote, in the context of EU-China relations, the protection of intellectual property rights and improved conditions for direct investment and joint ventures, so that European hi-tech firms are able to invest in China;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Points out that public procurement forms the basis for a coherent, sustainable and innovative EU industrial policy; notes that China will secure market economy status in 2016 and calls on the Commission to propose ways of retaining trade defence mechanisms after 2016, in particular for innovative European SMEs;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Notes that the Chinese restrictions on market access and the lack of proper intellectual property protection form important barriers to further expansion of European enterprises in China; calls, therefore, for the urgent improvement of China's economic openness;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Believes that the setting up of an information exchange mechanism by the Commission regarding intergovernmental agreements between Member States and third countries in the field of trade with China, will facilitate a coherent approach to China;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Is concerned with the lack of will on behalf of the Chinese authorities to enforce copyright protection and to tackle the counterfeiting of products, such as electronics, software, audiovisual cultural content, and medicines, which has a significant negative impact on the EU economy and society;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Notes, furthermore, that technical barriers for foreign firms remain in place, that there is a growing tendency for some Chinese regulatory agencies to engage in unequal treatment, and that there is a lack of transparency in the regulatory sphere;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Stresses the importance of setting up an investment framework between the two sides, and notes the importance of identifying common ground between the EU 2020 strategy and the 5 year plan of China;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 c (new) 2c. Is concerned with the lack of will on behalf of the Chinese authorities to enforce cybersecurity and prosecute cybercrime, which undermines the global network and information security and has a significant negative impact on the EU economy and society;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Takes the view that, as the world's largest market, the EU must also continue to be the world leader in terms of developing standards; calls, therefore, for all goods in circulation on the internal market to comply with EU social, environmental and health protection standards;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Takes the view that, as the world's largest market, the EU must also continue to be the world leader in terms of developing standards, in particular in strategic areas; encourages, therefore, all forms of cooperation between China and the EU in international negotiations on standards; calls, therefore, for all goods in circulation on the internal market strictly to comply with EU social, environmental and health protection standards
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Takes the view that, as the world's largest market, the EU must also continue to be the world leader in terms of developing standards; calls, therefore, for all goods in circulation on the internal market to comply with EU social, environmental and health protection standards; calls for the agencies responsible for inspecting goods entering the EU to be strengthened; calls on the Commission promptly to propose a scenario for the gradual introduction of a trade conditionality mechanism and/or border adjustment measures;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Takes the view that, as the world's largest market, the EU must also continue to be the world leader in terms of developing standards; calls, therefore, for all goods in circulation on the internal market to comply with
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3.
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Considers it essential for the EU to mount a vigorous defence of EU standards, intellectual property safeguards and anti-counterfeiting measures during the new round of macroeconomic negotiations;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Emphasises the need for reciprocity, in particular as regards access to public procurement and to business finance;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes the scale of Chinese investment in renewable energies
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes the scale of Chinese investment and governmental financial support by means of subsidies in renewable energies, but stresses that the EU can still be at the cutting edge if it opts to focus its research efforts on rational resource management and the green economy and to invest in those areas; notes that without proper action the EU could become a net importer of renewable energy technologies with security of energy supply implications;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes the scale of Chinese investment in renewable energies is having a direct negative impact on the EU's own renewable manufacturing sectors, but stresses that the EU can still be at the cutting edge if it opts to focus its research efforts on rational resource management and the green economy and to invest in those areas;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes the scale of Chinese investment in renewable energies, but stresses that the EU can still be at the cutting edge if it opts to focus its research efforts on rational resource management and t
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Stresses that China is the world leader in the installation of wind farms, that Chinese and Indian manufacturers of wind turbines are in the top ten such manufacturers, and that China currently produces a large proportion of the world’s photovoltaic panels; calls on the Commission and Member States to take measures to promote the development and eco-efficient production, in the EU, of those technologies and of the new, innovative technologies needed to achieve ambitious targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Notes that labour disputes are on the rise in China and regards it as regrettable that minimum-wage increases are failing to compensate for inflation, in particular in the southern provinces; calls on China to enact comprehensive legislation on collective bargaining and to put in place all of the measures required for social dialogue; proposes that the Commission should make special arrangements for cooperation with the Chinese authorities in support of these changes;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Notes with concern the continuing barriers imposed by China on the free global trade of rare earth elements and derivative products, which were toughened through decreased export quotas that now include rare earth element alloys; calls on the Commission to decisively collaborate with China in reaching agreements that are mutually beneficial and respectful of environmental and international trade laws;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Points out that China has set ambitious targets for public procurement of innovative and green products, and calls for similar target setting in the EU and for support to be given to start-ups, innovative SMEs/SMIs and medium-sized companies that do not form part of large groups;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Takes the view that rising domestic demand and further economic reform in China will play a decisive role in fostering a more balanced market environment and reducing the trade deficit; supports implementation of the necessary banking services reforms and the development of a genuine consumer credit market;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the EU and China to develop partnerships and a more effective exchange of best practice in relation to R&D and industrial cooperation in the various growth areas within the green economy, such as re
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the EU and China to develop partnerships in relation to R&D
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the EU and China to develop partnerships in relation to R&D
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the EU and China to develop strategic partnerships in relation to R&D and industrial, technological and innovation cooperation in the various growth areas within the green economy, such as recycling, efficient management of rare earth elements throughout the economic cycle, renewable energies and energy efficiency by means of sharing and coproduction of renewable energy technologies and joint research and development programmes.
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the EU and China to develop partnerships in relation to R&D and industrial cooperation in the various growth areas within the green economy, such as recycling, efficient management of rare earth elements throughout the economic cycle, renewable energies and energy efficiency, and takes the view that the EU should step up its partnership with China on the ITER project.
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the EU and China to develop partnerships in relation to R&D and industrial cooperation in the various growth areas within the green economy, such as recycling and urban mining, efficient management of rare earth elements throughout the economic cycle, renewable energies and energy efficiency.
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 – indent 1 (new) – Points out that China continues to resort to non-tariff barriers including discriminatory public procurement procedures, raw materials restrictions and import and export quotas, which severely limit the presence of European companies on the Chinese market;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 – indent 2 (new) – Emphasises that China continues to apply restrictions to raw materials exports in the form of duties and quotas which are prohibited by the WTO and artificially inflate global raw materials prices, hence diminishing internal prices and giving Chinese producers a significant competitive advantage;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 – indent 3 (new) – Points out that China holds around 97% of the world’s rare earth supplies, on which the Chinese Government has imposed restrictive export quotas, thus increasing purchase prices for European enterprises and disadvantaging them in comparison to Chinese enterprises;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Welcomes the fact that European programmes are open to Chinese research teams, and calls for Chinese programmes to be opened up to European researchers; calls for technology partnerships to be established in order to address the shared challenge of developing resource-saving production methods.
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Calls on the EU and China to develop strategic partnerships in relation to R&D&I through enhanced collaboration of EU and Chinese universities and research institutions, joint training and academic programmes, increased mobility of researchers, and collaborative research programmes, to the mutual benefit of European and Chinese people.
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Draws attention to the fact that the EU’s CO2 emissions targets do not take account of ‘imported emissions’, which are included in the statistics for other countries such as China; calls accordingly on the Commission to review its targets in the light of the EU’s real carbon footprint.
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 c (new) 5c. Calls for the impact of the Chinese Special Economic Zones in North and Sub-Saharan African countries, in particular those with which the EU has concluded trade agreements, to be assessed; voices its concern at the fact that China’s policy in Africa may have a dramatic impact on natural resources and constitutes a challenge to the development policies pursued by the EU; calls on the Commission to ascertain whether EU trade policy towards China is consistent with the EU’s development cooperation policies for Africa;
source: PE-473.926
2011/11/14
DEVE
64 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Paragraph A A. whereas China has become an emerging economy registering double-digit growth rates since 1999 and is now, since February 2011, the world’s second largest economy; whereas, at the same time, China is still coping with the challenges which traditionally face every developing countries, particularly in its central provinces;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Paragraph A a (new) Aa. Whereas an indicative €224 million in EU development assistance was allocated to China for the period 2007-2013; whereas in March 2011 the European Commission announced the second 5-year EU-China Trade Project allocating €20 million in EU trade related assistance to China;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Paragraph B B. whereas economic growth in China has lifted half a billion people out of poverty since 1990; whereas, however, a large proportion of the migrant workers in towns and cities and the rural population are still living in poverty;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph B B.
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph B a (new) Ba. Whereas the rise of China as a development actor in Africa is one of the most striking feature of the last ten years;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph B b (new) Bb. Whereas China’s relations with African countries have been shaped, for example, by the need to obtain energy resources to support its economic development;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph B c (new) Bc. Whereas there are important differences between OECD-DAC and China development cooperation; whereas China's concessional loan programme, channelled through China Eximbank, is a major arm of China’s foreign relations; and whereas concessional loans are seen as tied aid;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph B d (new) Bd. Whereas China’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Africa aim to create a supportive environment for small and medium Chinese companies to venture overseas; whereas according to the African Development Group, Chinese- operated SEZ in Sub-Saharan Africa has had so far limited results in terms of investment, while their job creation impacts and integration with local economy has been limited;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph B e (new) Be. Whereas China’s Protocol of Accession is unique in that it includes a number of special commitments applicable to China only that takes the form of ‘WTO plus commitments’ (as in the case of export taxes) as well as ‘WTO- minus rights’, that allow WTO members to take protective measures against Chinese exports that deviate from general WTO disciplines;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph C a (new) Ca. whereas China’s rapid economic growth has taken place partially at the expense of human rights, and is partially built on forced labour and child labour;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph C a (new) Ca. Whereas China, not being a member of the OECD, is not obliged to comply with OECD rules that: limit tied aid; regulate credit practices, impose maximum repayment terms, country risk classification and minimum interest rates; require the exchange of information; and impose social, environmental and governance standards on financing activities;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph C a (new) Ca. whereas China is the second biggest trading partner of the European Union;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph C a (new) Ca. China has reached in recent decades important social progress; such as an improvement in the quality of life for such a huge population in such a short period of time is unique in history; reducing poverty for over 350 million people;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph C b (new) Cb. Whereas Chinese export finance activities have allowed China to increase its presence in many developing countries, particularly in Africa;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph C b (new) Cb. Whereas the EU has been running a structural deficit with China in trade in goods since 1997, which demands from the EU to set up a new strategic framework of cooperation with China;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph C c (new) Cc. Whereas there are considerable potential benefits for developing countries from deeper economic relations with China, notably in terms of infrastructure development;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph C d (new) Cd. Whereas, however, China’s export credit finance activities in developing countries pose potential threats to developing countries in terms of natural resource management, debt sustainability, governance improvements, and local employment and productivity;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph C e (new) Ce. Whereas Chinese participation in an international trade system founded on openness and transparency is vital, in order to ensure international prosperity and sustainability;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Stresses on the one side the growing competitiveness of the Chinese market, difficult access to it for European companies, unclear market regulations especially in the area of FDI and protection of property rights, and on the other side that there is great potential in mutual market access, liberalisation and deepening trade and investment cooperation between Europe and China;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Stresses that there is great potential in mutual market access, liberalisation and deepening trade and investment cooperation between Europe and China, provided that rules guaranteeing fair competition are introduced;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Notes that China’s growth and its capacity to move in thirty years from under-development to an emerging global power has contributed to make China an alternative source of trade and finance from Africa’s traditional partners;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Is aware that China’s impact on Africa varies according to the size, economic structures, and quality of governance and institutions in African economies; takes the view that the impact of China’s trade on African countries needs to be further evaluated, i.e. to the extent to which trade with China will encourage further specialisation in primary commodities, or can help African economies diversify their production and finance sustainable projects;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 c (new) 1c. Underlines that China’s new role as a major source of finance in Africa has sparked several concerns in the EU; in particular, underlines that while international organisations and bilateral aid agencies of traditional donors have made their assistance conditional on good governance, this is not the case for China; fears accordingly that China’s influence could further delay efforts to improve governance and reduce corruption in Africa, especially in its partner countries characterised by weak institutions such as Angola, Congo, Nigeria and Sudan;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 d (new) 1d. Recalls that trade and FDI in the natural resource sector generally tend to impair governance and efficiency, have harmed the environment, and often failed to lead to a reduction of poverty; stresses that the development impact of investments in the extractive sector should be enhanced through more transparency in the procurement and contracting process and more active engagement of African civil society organisations in oversight; in this context, calls on the EU to encourage China to endorse the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative principles;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 e (new) 1e. Deems that reaping benefits from the collaboration between China and Africa will require, among others, that African governments strengthen their governance institutions; likewise, insists upon the need to upgrade political dialogue between China and EU Members States to engage China to pay attention to the implications of its assistance for governance and the environment, and to ensure that China's aid complements, rather than competes with, aid from traditional donors;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 f (new) 1f. Notes that Chinese investments in Africa, channelled mainly through the Export-Import Bank raises concerns, e.g. about sustainability of projects, as in the case of large controversial hydropower dams projects; as a first step, shares the view of the African Development Bank Group, according to which it would be desirable to expand the implementation of the Equator principles, a voluntary set of standards for determining, assessing and managing social and environmental risk in project financing, to Chinese investments;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 g (new) 1g. Notes with concern that in Africa, a majority of China’s large-scale projects have been carried out by a predominantly Chinese labour force; as a result, the local labour force remains untrained and the spin-offs for the population in terms of employment are minimal;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 h (new) 1h. Takes the view that African countries need to increase the value added of their production, irrespective of their partner countries; this implies developing tools such as imposing technology transfer requirements or local content requirements not only for Chinese investors but for all investors, to increase for instance the demand for unskilled African labour for investment projects;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Is concerned at the rising total EU trade deficit with China;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Is concerned at the rising total EU trade deficit with China; is convinced, however, that the strong growth in trade between all the EU Member States and China represents a crucial development instrument for both the EU and China, as open trade is one of the most effective drivers of economic growth, the fight against poverty and wealth creation;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Is con
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Notes that the China-Africa Development Fund (CADF) supports the setting-up of special Chinese Economic Processing Zones in Africa; shares the views of the African Development group according to which there is a need to integrate Chinese investments into the national production chain to ensure that these zones will effectively promote industrialisation, which implies e.g.: strengthening legal and regulatory arrangements, including social and environmental safeguards, as well as improving access of local companies and workers to the zones to ensure linkages to the local economy;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Is of the opinion that trade should promote human rights on a global level and that all trade partners of the EU should respect the ILO conventions, in particular the convention against forced labour, which means that products produced in prisons and prison camps (the Lao Gai) should not be permitted on the EU market;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Calls on the EU to improve its effectiveness when it comes to trading with China by better institutional organization as well as finding a coherent position towards China among the Member States;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Is aware of the fact that although rapid economic growth in China has created vast wealth, especially for the urban population, it has amplified the disparities between urban areas and rural areas, where 50.3 % of China’s mainland population live, contributing to a process of urbanisation and flight from the land and creating a situation whereby in 2011, for the first time in China's history, more than half the country's population is living in towns and cities;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Points out that Chinese aid differs in a number of ways from that applied by OECD countries, in particular, recalls that while OECD members commit, through the OECD Arrangement on Officially Supported Export Credits, to conform to an agreed set of environmental, social and governance standards in their export finance activities, China is not committed to these rules;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Recalls also that, while OECD members agreed to the OECD Recommendations on Bribery and Officially Supported Export Credits, which aim to deter and sanction bribery of foreign public officials in international business transactions supported by official export credits, these measures have not been adopted by China; in light of this, finds it of particular importance that the EU engage in further discussion with China to develop and implement common standards with OECD on development aid, including on debt relief;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Commission to continue supporting China in the process of achieving its strategic development goals, but at the same time gradually to move away from traditional development cooperation and aid towards a more commercially oriented relationship with China in the interests of both sides;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Commission to move away from traditional development cooperation and aid towards a more commercially oriented relationship with China in the interests of both sides and to encourage the Chinese authorities to orientate the commercial growth and gains towards the civil society;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Commission to move away from traditional development cooperation and aid towards a more commercially oriented relationship with China in the interests of both sides, but emphasises that the EU's trade relations with China should continuously be complemented with efforts and demands for democratic development;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Commission to move away from traditional development cooperation and aid towards a more commercially oriented relationship with China in the interests of both sides; stresses in this respect that the new approach must take into consideration the fact that China has become itself an important donor especially in Africa, and that therefore its development agenda with the EU should rather focus on concrete areas of common interest;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the Commission to move away from traditional development cooperation and aid, through a gradual reduction in ODA (official development assistance) as from 2013, towards a more commercially oriented relationship with China in the interests of both sides;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Calls on the Commission in particular to support China in making its farming industry more productive and thereby reduce the pressure on world agricultural markets;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. This should be done in dialogue with the Chinese authorities to ensure that the disadvantaged and poor people currently benefitting from EU development projects are not left behind;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Calls on the Commission to phase out development aid to China which represents €128m for the period 2007- 2010, as China is an emerging market economy and a major economic and political player at world scale;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Calls on the Commission to raise immediately in the dialogue with China the issue of China's purchases of land in developing countries;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Points out that China is emerging as a major aid donor in its own right, despite around 16% of its 1.3 billion people still living below the poverty line;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission, therefore, to treat China as a partner, with respect for its cultural traditions and values, whilst supporting China's transition to an open socirty based on the rule of law and respect for human rights and insisting that it comply with the ILO's basic labour standards; considers that such an approach will help to overcome current tensions, intensify further exchanges and increase mutual investment;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission, therefore, to treat China as a partner, with respect for its cultural traditions, and
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission, therefore, to
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission, therefore, to treat China as a partner, with respect for its cultural traditions and values; considers that such an approach will help to overcome current tensions, intensify further exchanges and increase mutual investment leading both partners towards a ‘win-win’ situation;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6.
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Warns against the creation of a protectionist climate,
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6.
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Warns against the creation of a protectionist climate, as this would be harmful, not only to the bilateral political relations, but also to the EU and Chinese economies in the long run and would go against EU development goals as defined in the EU 2020 strategy;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Calls on the Commission to discuss with the EU's Chinese partners the possible terms of agreements and concessions for the import of commodities from developing countries which would be fair, transparent and promote development; is concerned at the increasing competition for commodities between the EU and China and its detrimental impact on developing countries;
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Urges the European Commission and member states to use all available diplomatic channels and other tools to encourage China to commit to international standards of transparency regarding its export credit financing activities in developing countries and other trade related measures both within China and externally; urges the European Commission and member states to continue to work to engage China in international norms and standard-setting organisations related to the international trading system;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Calls on the EU and the US not to lecture China but to engage at all levels with this emerging economic giant for the mutual benefit of all parties;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Considers it necessary that EU development policy and actors work to build the capacity of developing countries to negotiate robust deals with China - particularly where these deals concern natural resources -, to manage debt, and to face potential threats to local productivity and job markets posed by influxes of Chinese workers and products;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Calls on China to be more engaged in global institutions, recognising that China is already playing a full and active role in the UN and in peace-keeping missions;
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 c (new) source: PE-475.912
2011/12/10
IMCO
44 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Underlines the
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Underlines the interdependence between the Chinese and the EU markets, and the need for the respect of the principle of reciprocity and a level playing field where protectionism is avoided; notes the progress made by China towards opening up its markets; stresses, however, the need to address certain ‘behind the border measures’ in China, which hamper the business climate for European businesses; takes the view, while continuing along the WTO track, that a free trade agreement (FTA) with China could improve trade relations; insists nonetheless on the fact that an agreement at multilateral level should be the priority for the EU;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Underlines the interdependence between the Chinese and the EU markets, and the need for a level playing field where protectionism is avoided; notes the progress made by China towards opening up its markets; stresses, however, the need to address certain ‘behind the border measures’ in China, which hamper the business climate for European businesses; takes the view, while continuing along the WTO track, that a free trade agreement (FTA) with China
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Underlines the interdependence between the Chinese and the EU markets
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Stresses that efforts should be intensified to ensure that the value of the Chinese currency is aligned more with the dynamics of supply and demand in the wider context of trade between the EU and China;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Calls the Commission for an in-depth analysis of the impact of exchange rates on EU-China trade balance;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Stresses the need to further integrate China into the global trading system; calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure constructive dialogue with China on acceptable economic practices in corporate governance, specifically highlighting issues such as corruption and IPR enforcement;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Argues that the Commission should explore the possibility of developing and establishing an early warning mechanism to detect non-tariff barriers and strengthen its existing analytical tools for a qualitative evaluation of NTBs in China;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the importance of the EU- China High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue; calls for the EU and China to meet twice each year to strengthen their dialogue, in particular on the protection of European trademarks, action to combat counterfeiting, investments, provision of services, intellectual property rights, standards, public procurement, product safety and access to raw materials;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the importance of the EU- China High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue; calls for the EU and China to meet twice each year to strengthen their dialogue and achieve concrete results, in particular
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the importance of the EU- China High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue; calls for the EU and China to meet twice each year to strengthen their dialogue, in particular on investments, provision of services, intellectual property rights, innovation and technology, sustainable development, standards, public procurement, product safety and access to raw materials;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the importance of the EU- China High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue; calls for the EU and China to meet twice each year to strengthen their dialogue, in particular on investments, provision of services, intellectual property rights, standards, public procurement, product safety, compliance with rules on the registration and use of trademarks and access to raw materials;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2.
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the importance of the EU- China High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue; calls for the EU and China to meet twice each year to strengthen their dialogue, in particular on investments, provision of services, intellectual property rights, standards, public procurement, product safety and access to raw materials; calls on the EU to defend its economic interests within competent international bodies should China breach existing bilateral and multilateral agreements and, if none exist, to endeavour to establish these;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2.
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Highlights the importance of the EU- China High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue; calls for the EU and China to meet twice each year to strengthen their bilateral relationship through dialogue, in particular on investments, provision of services, intellectual property rights, standards, public procurement, product safety and access to raw materials;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Emphasises the need to adopt a balanced approach towards China; calls on the Commission and Member States to build-up extensive cooperation with China in areas of joint research, such as product safety and human health, and to establish further scientific, technological and cultural exchanges;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Insists especially on the need for China to respect WTO rules regarding access to raw materials, as confirmed by the WTO ruling on 5 July 2011, and rare earths;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Regrets that the investment climate in China lacks transparency and that discriminatory requirements still exist;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Regrets that the investment climate in China lacks transparency and that discriminatory requirements still exist; calls for a bilateral investment agreement with China, based on the principles of reciprocity and mutual advantage, aiming at increased market access for investments;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Regrets that the investment climate in China lacks transparency and that discriminatory requirements still exist; calls for a bilateral investment agreement with China, aiming at increased market access for investments; emphasizes the need to facilitate trade and investment among SMEs; highlights the importance of coordination between central and local authorities in China and reduction of red tape for SMEs;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Regrets that the investment climate in China lacks transparency and that discriminatory requirements still exist; calls for a bilateral investment agreement with China, aiming at increased market access for investments, starting with the most restricted sectors;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Highlights the fact that China is the biggest source of imports for the EU and is the EU's second largest export market, with both imports and exports increasing by over 30 per cent between 2009 and 2010;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Is concerned that due to the lack of a freely accessible commercial register there is a shortage of trustworthy information about commercial partners in China; emphasises the importance of reliable information as an essential condition for a good business climate;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Notes that not all Chinese firms are authorised to trade in foreign currency; supports China in taking further steps towards full convertibility of the Chinese yuan;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Is concerned at the high level of counterfeiting and piracy and the low level of IPR enforcement in China; Is of the opinion that the protection of intellectual property rights of international firms by the Chinese authorities is essential for the growth of trade between the EU and China; Considers that the export of high- tech products from the EU could constitute an area of exponential growth facilitated by China’s need for these products and the EU’s ability to manufacture them; Holds that such development and advancement in trade between these two players will only truly materialise if the protection of intellectual property rights is stepped up;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Is concerned about the high level of counterfeiting and piracy and the low level of IPR enforcement in China; welcomes China's efforts to improve the legal framework and the official channels through which companies can protect their IPR; stresses, however, the need to further ameliorate the regulatory environment;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Is con
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Is concerned at the high level of counterfeiting and piracy and the low level of IPR enforcement in China which both hampers innovation in the EU and significantly affects consumer safety;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Stresses that European businesses express great dissatisfaction with bureaucratic red tape, human resource issues, and market access in China; calls on the Commission and Member States to further emphasise these issues within the High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Calls in that respect for close cooperation between European authorities in order to curb imports of pirated goods and ensure a high level of consumer safety; calls also on both the Commission and the Member States to step up discussions with China on the effective enforcement of IPR, including at regional and local level; highlights the discriminatory formal requirements put on foreign enterprises preventing them from effectively defending their rights and patents in China;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Emphasises the need for better access to public markets; is concerned about Chinese policies on public procurement, which openly discriminate; emphasises that the EU must maintain its pressure on China to accede rapidly to the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) so as to obtain the reciprocal opening-up of the Chinese public procurement market, ensure that public procurement procedures comply with international standards and establish predictable conditions for subcontractors;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Emphasises the need for better access to public markets; is concerned about Chinese policies on public procurement, which openly discriminate; emphasises that the EU must maintain its pressure on China to accede rapidly to the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA); supports the Commission’s review of the measures needed to ensure the fairness of access both for EU businesses to procurement procedures in third countries and for third-country businesses to European public procurement procedures, and to strengthen the EU’s position when negotiating access for European businesses to third-country public procurement procedures; stresses, however, that these measures must take such a form that they do not lead to inappropriate new partitioning of the market, which in turn might have negative repercussions on European industry and its global trade relations;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Emphasises the need for better access to public markets; is concerned about Chinese policies and legislation on public procurement,
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6.
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Welcomes the efforts made by China in aligning national standards with international standards; is concerned, however, that ever more specific national standards and certification procedures are being introduced, creating new
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Welcomes the efforts made by China in aligning national standards with international standards; is concerned, however, that ever more specific national standards and certification procedures are being introduced, creating new technical barriers to trade; stresses the need to engage in discussions with China when developing future international standards to avoid different standards being used as de facto barriers to trade;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Is concerned about China’s restrictive policies and dominant position on the market for several raw materials, crucial for the functioning of the European economy; Calls on the Commission to consistently monitor and address on regional, multi- and bilateral levels the gap between supply and demand of CRM and REE and to further engage in a dialog with China on China's use of WTO rules to enforce a quota on REE's which are in fact not endangered natural resources; Stresses the need for a common European strategy, including coordination of the foreign policy of the EU and of the Member States in the field of raw materials, in order to strengthen the political pressure and to ensure companies within the EU equal access to essential resources for their productions;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Calls for the integration of China into the decision making process for global product standards and that a constructively critical working method be adopted;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Emphasises the need for simplification of the procedure for obtaining a mandatory business certificate for European enterprises; is concerned at the risk of disclosure of information and know-how during this procedure; regrets that the procedure is still unclear, untransparent and liable to divergent interpretations;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Recognises the untapped potential of the Chinese market for the provision of services from the EU; notes also that tourism represents an important aspect of mutual relations between the two markets in the service sector; calls therefore for the removal of barriers to the provision of services and for the promotion of tourism;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Highlights a number of reports commissioned by the EU institutions in which partisan and derogatory language is often used to describe China's internal and global economic activity1; stresses the need to adopt a constructively critical dialogue whilst respecting cultural idiosyncrasies and differences in political organisation; __________________ 1 DG EXPO, "China in Africa: A Critique", Policy Briefing, (October 2010), PE 449.518, p. 10 - "The Chinese economic presence has spread through Africa like an oil slick."
source: PE-473.922
2012/02/02
INTA
181 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 10 – having regard to the Commission Communication entitled ‘A Single Market for Intellectual Property Rights’ of 24 May 2011, the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning customs enforcement of intellectual property rights3, the Commission report of 14 July 2011 on EU customs enforcement of intellectual property rights and the European Parliament resolution of 18 December 2008 on the impact of counterfeiting on international trade3, __________________ 3 COM(2011) 285.
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 11 a (new) – having regard to its resolution of 13 December 2011 on trade and investment barriers 6, __________________ 6 Texts Adopted, P7_TA(2011)0565.
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 13 Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 14 Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 14 – having regard to its resolution of 24 April 2008 on ‘Towards a reform of the World Trade Organization’5
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 14 a (new) – having regard to the Commission Communication to the Council and the European Parliament entitled 'EU – China: Closer partners, growing responsibilities' (COM(2006)631) and its accompanying policy paper 'Competition and Partnership - A policy for EU-China trade and investment' (COM(2006)632),
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 15 Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 – having regard to the Chinese Government’s White Paper of 23 December 2010 on China-Africa economic and trade cooperation,
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas China
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas China
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas China's accession to the WTO in 2001 played a large part in making it the world's leading exporter of goods, accounting for 10.36 % of exports in 2010, and the world's second largest economic power;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas the EU is the top destination for Chinese exports, which rose by 39.5 % between 2009 and 2010,
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas the EU is the top destination for Chinese exports, which rose by 39.5 % between 2009 and 2010, and whereas China
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) B a. whereas the EU has replaced Japan as China's largest source of import; whereas growing Chinese imports have been crucial for the recent economic performance of export oriented EU member states like Germany;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas increased development and WTO accession entail, besides substantial benefits, greater responsibility for China to play a full and positive role in the global economic order, in particular in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas bilateral trade relations
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas trade relations between the two regions have developed considerably since the signature of the EU-China cooperation agreement in 1985, and
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas trade relations between the two regions have developed considerably since the signature of the EU-China cooperation agreement in 1985, and the agreement should therefore be renewed, but also brought into line with the new economic situation;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas trade relations between the two regions have developed considerably since the signature of the EU-China cooperation agreement in 1985, and the agreement should therefore be
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas trade between EU and China has been growing rapidly and continuously in the last three decades, reaching a peak amount of total trade of 395 billion euros in 2010, and whereas the imbalance in bilateral trade
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the imbalance in bilateral trade between the EU and China has been in China's favour since 1997, and whereas this trade deficit amounted to 168.8 billion euros in 2010 compared to 49 billion in 2000; while Chinese exports has yet very little value-added where majority of their export is value of components imported from the EU and elsewhere;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the imbalance in bilateral trade between the EU and China has been in China's favour since 1997, and whereas this trade deficit amounted to 168.8 billion euros in 2010 compared to 49 billion in 2000; whereas nearly 85 % of export trade focusing on assembly operations is made by foreign companies settled in China;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) D a. whereas the divergent social, economic, and democratic models in China and in the EU, as well as their respective demographics and natural resources, play a large role in the trade imbalances between the two regions;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas the challenge posed by China is more industrial than commercial, and requires Europe to implement an ambitious Europe-wide industrial policy, given that purely national approaches do not permit a cohesive Community approach towards China;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) D a. whereas the shift of production of numerous consumer goods to China has eliminated many jobs in the European Union; whereas this shift was also accompanied by drastic price reductions which made many of these consumer goods affordable for European Union households with an income, and has contributed to a relatively low inflation environment;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D b (new) D b. whereas the participants of the last United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban did not reach a binding agreement, and that countries' commitments concerning greenhouse gas reduction are not sufficient, given the urgency in terms of climate change to limit the increase in temperatures to two degrees during the 21st century;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas economic growth in Europe is
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas economic growth in Europe is weak at an estimated 0.5 % in 2012, but strong in China at around 9 %; whereas in September 2011, according to the IMF the European Union had a GDP per head of 30,455 Dollar, while China had reached a GDP per head of 8,394 Dollar;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) E a. whereas internal economic imbalances are affecting the European economies, such imbalances are growing also in the Chinese economy, including the real estate and most recently the housing bubble;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) E a. Whereas the impact of the EU Common Commercial Policy is sometimes undermined by the diverging national interests pursued by Member States towards China;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas the social costs of the current economic crisis are high, the employment rate in the EU has dropped by 1.8 % and, consequently, 23 million economically active people are unemployed (9.6% of the total), the youth unemployment rate is 21%, prospects for employment levels to recover remain uncertain, and 17% of EU citizens risk falling into poverty;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas China
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas China is obliged since its accession to the WTO, in 2001, to respect WTO rules by liberalising its trade and opening its market;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas China is obliged since 2001 to respect WTO rules by liberalising its trade and opening its market, but its efforts are not yet satisfactory by any means;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) F a. whereas China's accession to the Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) should be eased by the revision of the GPA's rules and the broadening of its scope agreed on 15th December 2011 during the last WTO Ministerial Conference;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas European businesses struggle to access the Chinese market because of interventionist industrial policies, inadequate protection of intellectual property, a system of rules which is ambiguous in terms of both the substance of the rules and their application, plus other non-tariff and technical barriers to trade;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas the undervaluation of the yuan continues to create
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas the undervaluation of the yuan creates artificial trade advantages for China and whereas G20 member countries have promised to facilitate greater exchange rate flexibility; whereas China allowed its currency to appreciate nearly 20 % against the dollar from 2005 to 2008, halted the rise in 2008 out of concern for the impact of the global downturn on its export-oriented economy, but resumed appreciation since 2010; whereas among Chinese officials the idea of exchange rate policy as a tool against inflation has recently regained momentum;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas in 2010 over 103 million products suspected of infringing intellectual property rights (IPR) of a value totalling 1.11 billion euros were seized at the EU's external borders and China is the country of origin for 85 % of these goods; whereas an important feature of intellectual property protection is the proper enforcement of existing laws and international commitments, including penalties;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas in 2010 over 103 million products suspected of infringing intellectual property rights (IPR) of a value totalling 1.11 billion euros were seized at the EU’s external borders and China is the country of origin for 85 % of these goods; whereas production of these goods frequently takes place in facilities that also produce goods for the regular market and in disregard of both labour law and health and safety requirements, and pose a danger to consumers and, in the case of chemicals, to the wider environment;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution Recital I I. whereas, under its 12th five-year plan, China is to develop the strategic sectors of energy, construction and transport and will have major needs in the field of service development,
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Recital I a (new) Ia. whereas foreign investment by the EU in China in 2012 amounted to EUR 4.9 billion and foreign investment by China in the EU in the same year amounted to EUR 0.9 billion;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Recital I a (new) I a. whereas the implementation of environmental policies in China is still in its infancy and China still relies on high energy intensity production coupled with low efficiency levels; whereas China and the EU could develop strong cooperation on renewable energies;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Recital I a (new) I a. Whereas many goals described in the EU2020 strategy and in the 12th 5 year plan are similar and provide for enhanced co-operation;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 1 Making reciprocity a principle of EU trade policy with China
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 1 Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Calls on the Commission to apply the principle of reciprocity in the EU’s common trade policy with developed and emerging countries such as China, in order to ensure a level playing field
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Calls on the Commission to apply the principle of open reciprocity in the EU's common trade policy with developed and emerging countries such as China, in order to ensure a level playing field where all forms of protectionism are avoided;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Calls on the Commission to apply the principle of reciprocity in the EU's common trade policy with developed and emerging countries such as China, in order to ensure a better level playing field
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Calls on the Commission to apply the principle of reciprocity in the EU's common trade policy with developed and emerging countries such as China, in order to
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Calls on the Commission to apply the principle of reciprocity in the EU's common trade policy with developed and emerging countries such as China, in order to ensure a level playing field where all forms of
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Considers that it is of interest for the European Union to ensure an improved market access for European companies in China, possibly via an ambitious and balanced economic partnership agreement on which negotiations would take into account the commercial requests of both sides, including the recognition by the European Union of China's market economy status;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Welcomes the strengthening of economic relations between the European Union and China; calls on the EU and on China to foster this relation based on partnership and mutual benefits instead of fierce competition and confrontation;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 b (new) 1 b. Welcomes the positive effects of China's membership in the WTO and calls on the Commission to strengthen its co-operation with China in order to establish a more efficient and fair international trade system;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Notes that the Chinese economy does not yet fulfil the criteria of a market economy as defined by the WTO; calls on the Commission to cooperate with the Chinese government in order to eliminate the remaining obstacles standing in the way of market economy status; emphasises that this status should
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Notes that the Chinese economy does not fulfil the criteria of a market economy as defined by the WTO; calls on the Commission to cooperate with the Chinese government in order to eliminate the
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Notes that
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Notes that the Chinese economy does not fulfil the criteria of a market economy as defined by the WTO; calls on the Commission to
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Calls on the Commission to submit a proposal to Parliament by the end of 2012 on the measures to be taken by the Commission if, in line with commitments already entered into, the EU has to recognise China’s market economy status in 2016, though the objective conditions for that are unlikely to be met;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Regrets the existence of numerous tariff and non-tariff barriers to the Chinese market, such as certain forms of discrimination against foreign operators, particularly in the banking, insurance and telecommunications sectors, the complexity of the tariff structure and technical barriers to trade such as the lack of transparency of technical rules and conformity assessment procedures or the Chinese Compulsory Certification System (CCC);
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Regrets the existence of numerous tariff and unjustified non-tariff barriers to the Chinese market, such as certain forms of discrimination against foreign operators, particularly in
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Regrets the existence of numerous tariff and non-tariff barriers to the Chinese market, such as certain forms of discrimination against foreign operators, particularly in the banking, insurance and telecommunications sectors, the complexity of the tariff structure and technical barriers to trade such as the lack of transparency of technical rules and conformity assessment procedures or the Chinese Compulsory Certification System (CCC); notes that China, contrary to the provisions of the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (ASCM), does not systematically give notification of specific subsidies;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Regrets the existence of numerous tariff and several unjustified non-tariff barriers to the Chinese market, such as certain forms of discrimination against foreign operators, particularly in the banking, insurance and telecommunications sectors, the complexity of the tariff structure and technical barriers to trade such as the lack of transparency of technical rules and conformity assessment procedures or the Chinese Compulsory Certification System (CCC); notes that China, contrary to the provisions of the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (ASCM), does not systematically give notification of specific subsidies;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Points out that China has established very considerable trade advantages for itself in relation to the EU through targeted state subsidies, using a great variety of legal constructs; urges China to bring its state subsidy programmes into line with relevant WTO law; further calls on the Commission to reform the anti- subsidy regulation in order to be able to respond effectively to the considerable challenges from China;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Notes that China deplores the existence of trade barriers to the European market such as the EU's significant agricultural subsidies for European farmers, the complex system of agricultural tariffs, technical obstacles to trade, as well as barriers to third country investments in certain Member States;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Notes that new studies established that foreign investors operating in China account for nearly 80 percent of goods imported from China to Europe; calls on the Commission to monitor this situation and not to subsidise relocation of business and production from Europe to China; calls on the Commission to bring forward legislation that is binding European investors in China to respect European environmental and social standards in order to avoid dumping;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Deplores that China is developing discriminatory measures vis a vis foreign companies, namely the "buy Chinese" initiative and "indigenous innovation";
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Is concerned at the unreliability of the judicial system, which fails to enforce contractual obligations, and at the lack of transparency and uniformity in applying the regulatory regime governing investments;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Is concerned at the lack of predictability and publicity in connection with the technical rules and standards applicable to products, particularly in relation to certification, creating significant trade barriers for businesses exporting to China;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 c (new) 3c. Calls on China to adopt international standards for products and services so as to promote trade between China and other countries to a greater extent; welcomes the fact that China is increasing its involvement in international standard- setting bodies and believes that it must be encouraged to do so through reciprocated EU involvement in the bodies which lay down Chinese standard; stresses the importance of compliance by Chinese imports with European standards for food and non-food products;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Is concerned about the problems foreign businesses encounter in accessing Chinese public procurement whereas access to European public procurement is guaranteed; regrets that China has not acceded to the plurilateral Agreement on Government Procurement (AGP) even though it committed to do so in its protocol on accession to the WTO; calls on the Commission to
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Is concerned about the problems foreign businesses encounter in accessing Chinese public procurement whereas access to European public procurement is guaranteed; regrets that China has not acceded to the plurilateral Agreement on Government Procurement (
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Is concerned about the problems foreign businesses encounter in accessing Chinese public procurement whereas access to European public procurement is guaranteed; regrets that China has not acceded to the plurilateral Agreement on Government Procurement (AGP) even though it committed to do so in its protocol on accession to the WTO;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Is concerned about the problems foreign businesses encounter in accessing Chinese public procurement whereas access to European public procurement is guaranteed; regrets that China has not acceded to the plurilateral Agreement on Government Procurement (AGP) even though it committed to do so in its protocol on accession to the WTO; calls on the Commission to make haste in developing a European instrument to ensure better access for European businesses to foreign public procurement markets and to encourage the EU’s trading partners, such as China, to open up their public procurement markets and eliminate protectionist measures; considers it essential to strengthen support instruments in order to incentivise, coordinate and assist the presence of European SMEs in priority markets, such as China;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Is extremely concerned about the problems foreign businesses encounter in accessing Chinese public procurement whereas access to European public procurement is guaranteed; regrets that China has not acceded to the plurilateral Agreement on Government Procurement (AGP) even though it committed to do so in its protocol on accession to the WTO; calls on the Commission to make haste in developing a European instrument to ensure better access for European businesses to foreign public procurement markets and to encourage the EU’s trading partners, such as China, to open up their public procurement markets and eliminate protectionist measures;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Is concerned about the problems
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Calls on the Commission to consider public procurement more generally in terms of its potential role as a tool in a pro-active industrial policy of the EU which, in the long run, could be more advantageous to European interests than the focus on reciprocity in market access, especially with regard to the introduction of new green technologies on a mass scale;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Points to the opening up of European public markets to Chinese businesses; is concerned at the possible resulting unfair competition when Chinese businesses can make markedly better offers than European businesses because of, in particular, disguised state aids;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Notes that the some forms of export credits granted by the Chinese and European Union and Member States' authorities and banks promote trade distortions at large scale; calls therefore on
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Calls on the Commission to uphold the principles of open markets by taking measures against state subsidies that distorts trade between EU and China. Particular significance should be given to new technology sectors where Europe is competitive, sectors of significant value- added and China has identified as its strategic emerging industries. These measures are to be undertaken in accordance with WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures.
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Points out that technology transfer through joint ventures - the main form in which foreign companies are allowed to set up in China
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Points out that the main form in which foreign companies are allowed to set up in China is through joint ventures – a mechanism which is very restrictive and too often associated with strategic technology transfers that may favour the competitive development of China to the detriment of European industry in fields in which the EU is at the forefront; calls therefore on China to move away from the joint venture mechanism and to allow European businesses full freedom of establishment;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Points out that the main form in which foreign companies are allowed to set up in China is through joint ventures – a mechanism which is very restrictive and too often associated with strategic technology transfers that may favour the competitive development of China to the detriment of European industry in fields in which the EU is at the forefront; is convinced that further openness by China on joint venture combined with better IPRs protection will certainly be beneficial for both sides;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Points out that the main form in which foreign companies are allowed to set up in China is through joint ventures – a mechanism
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Points out that the main form in which foreign companies are allowed to set up in China is through joint ventures – a mechanism which is very restrictive and too often associated with strategic technology transfers that may favour the competitive development of China to the detriment of European industry in fields in which the EU is at the forefront; calls for the repeal of certain ‘cross-border measures’ in China that complicate business conditions for European companies;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Calls on the EU to make use, wherever necessary, of trade defence instruments that are consistent with WTO rules, such as anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and safeguard measures, in the event of illegal trade practices by China in order to ensure a level playing field for EU-China trade; at the same time, voices concern at the growing use of anti-dumping measures by China in relation to EU exports, and calls on China to use anti-dumping regulations which are consistent with WTO rules and based on transparent investigation procedures, thereby avoiding retaliatory measures;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Calls on the EU to
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Calls on the
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Calls on the EU to make use, wherever necessary, of trade defence instruments that are consistent with WTO rules, such as anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and safeguard measures, in the event of illegal trade practices by China and to also make greater use of the WTO dispute settlement rules in order to ensure a level playing field for EU-China trade;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Calls on the EU to make use, wherever necessary, of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism, and of trade defence instruments that are consistent with WTO rules, such as anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and safeguard measures, in the event of illegal trade practices by
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Calls on the EU to make use, wherever necessary, of trade defence instruments that are consistent with WTO rules, such as anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and safeguard measures, in the event of illegal trade practices by China in order to ensure a fair and level playing field for EU-China trade;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Calls on the EU to make
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Deplores the inadequate protection of IPR in China and regrets the lack of specific means available to European businesses, and particularly SMEs, to counter IPR infringements effectively; welcomes the Commission's decision to proposer a review of the directive on the enforcement of IPR; calls on the Commission to better defend IPR in all the multilateral organisations of which China is a member (the WTO, the World Health Organisation and the World Intellectual Property Organisation); wants China to continue to transpose current international law on the protection of IPR into its national legislation to close the gap between substantive IPR protection in the EU and in China, and more specifically to combat counterfeiting and piracy, and urges the Chinese authorities to
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Deplores the inadequate protection of IPR in China and regrets the lack of specific means available to European businesses, and particularly SMEs, to counter IPR infringements effectively; welcomes the Commission's decision to proposer a review of the directive on the enforcement of IPR; wants China to continue to transpose current international law on the protection of IPR into its national legislation, and more specifically to combat counterfeiting, and urges the Chinese authorities to apply it correctly; regrets that China
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Deplores the inadequate protection of IPR in China and regrets the lack of specific means available to European businesses, and particularly SMEs, to counter IPR infringements effectively; welcomes the Commission's decision to proposer a review of the directive on the enforcement of IPR; wants China to continue to transpose current international law on the protection of IPR into its national legislation, and more specifically to combat counterfeiting, and urges the Chinese authorities to apply it correctly; regrets that China
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8.
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Deplores the inadequate protection of IPR in China and regrets the lack of specific means available to European businesses, and particularly SMEs, to counter IPR infringements effectively; welcomes the Commission's decision to proposer a review of the directive on the enforcement of IPR; calls on the Commission to better defend IPR in all the multilateral organisations where China is a member (the WTO, the World Health Organisation and the World Intellectual Property Organisation); wants China to continue to transpose current international law on the protection of IPR into its national legislation to close the substantive IPR protection gap between the EU and China, and more specifically to combat counterfeiting, and urges the Chinese authorities to
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Deplores the inadequate protection of IPR in China and regrets the lack of specific means available to European businesses, and particularly SMEs, to counter IPR infringements effectively;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Deplores the inadequate protection of IPR in China and regrets the lack of specific means available to European businesses, and particularly SMEs, to counter IPR infringements effectively; welcomes the Commission’s decision to proposer a review of the directive on the enforcement of IPR; wants China to continue to transpose current international law on the protection of IPR into its national legislation, and more specifically to combat counterfeiting, and urges the Chinese authorities to apply it correctly; regrets that China is not taking part in the negotiations on the next international agreement to combat counterfeiting (ACTA); urges the Commission and the Member States to step up customs cooperation in the EU and with third countries, particularly on the seizure of counterfeit goods, and to simplify customs procedures; is concerned at the scale of production of counterfeit and pirated goods inside China, which remains at an alarmingly high level; calls on the Commission, in cooperation with the Chinese authorities at national and regional level, to continue its fight against counterfeiting;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Deplores the
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8 a. urges China to renew its fight against corruption and to improve its legal system to ensure the correct enforcement of contractual obligations;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Is convinced that better protection of intellectual property rights and effective implementation of related rules in China would greatly promote the EU’s and other foreign investors’ objective of investing, sharing new technological capabilities and updating existing technologies in that country;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Calls on China to increase its efforts to rectify the failure to apply IPRs; stresses the importance of harmonising trade policy and regulation at central and regional level in China and of uniform implementation thereof throughout the country;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 b (new) 8 b. Encourages China to align technical regulations and standards with international standards and avoid "home- grown" standards embodying unique Chinese technologies;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Notes that China produces 97 % of the rare earths used in the world and calls on it to guarantee the fair and sustainable supply of these rare earths to its trading partners; calls on the Commission to pay particular attention to any potential restrictions by China on the export of its raw materials; recalls in this context the WTO ruling of 5 July 2001 against China for having placed restrictions on the export of certain raw materials; calls on the Commission to develop a European strategy for the proper management of raw materials involving increased energy efficiency, recycling, lower use of resources and the development of industrial cooperation in the
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Notes that China produces 97 % of the rare earths used in the world and calls on it to guarantee the fair and sustainable supply of these rare earths to its trading partners; calls on the Commission to pay particular attention to any potential restrictions by China on the export of its raw materials; recalls in this context the WTO ruling of 5 July 2001 against China for having placed restrictions on the export of certain raw materials; calls on the Commission to develop a European strategy for the proper management of raw materials involving increased energy efficiency, recycling,
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Notes that China
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Notes that China produces 97 % of the rare earths used in the world and calls on it to guarantee the fair and sustainable supply of these rare earths to its trading partners; calls on the Commission to pay particular attention to any potential restrictions by China on the export of its raw materials; recalls in this context the WTO ruling of 5 July 20
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Notes that because other mines were closed or exploration not yet concluded, China produces today 97 % of the rare earths used in the world and calls on it to guarantee
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Notes that China produces 97 % of the rare earths used in the world and calls on it to guarantee the fair and sustainable supply of these rare earths to its trading partners; calls on the Commission to pay particular attention to any potential restrictions by China on the export of its raw materials; recalls in this context the WTO ruling of 5 July 2011 against China for having placed restrictions on the export of certain raw materials; calls on the
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Urges the Commission to negotiate an ambitious EU-China investment agreement that seeks to create a better environment for EU investors in China whilst increasing the level of
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10.
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Urges the Commission to negotiate an ambitious EU-China investment agreement
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Urges the Commission to negotiate an ambitious and balanced EU-China investment agreement that seeks to create a better environment
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10.
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10 a. Welcomes the inauguration of the EU Centre for European Union Small and Medium Enterprises (EU SME Centre) in Beijing in November 2010, which opened its door to SMEs in March 2011, with competences on helping European SMEs to overcome challenges they face when operating on the Chinese market, in particular at their early stages of business development; also the Centre highlights areas of opportunities for EU SMEs in China and assists them in doing business in the Chinese regulatory environment;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 b (new) 10 b. Stresses the importance of business- to-business cooperation, setting up partnership between Chinese universities and EU companies in order to enhance innovation in China; calls on the advantages offered by the EU Market Access Database, which contains information for EU businesses on market access conditions, such as import tariffs, product requirements, trade barriers, formalities and documents and statistics; welcomes the activity of the European Chamber of Commerce in China;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Points out that China holds sovereign debt of Member States in the eurozone; stresses that this fact has taken on a new political dimension as a result of the serious debt problems within the eurozone; calls on the Commission to start discussions with the ECB and Member States on the creation of a coordinated system to identify which parties hold sovereign debt;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Points out that China holds sovereign debt of Member States in the eurozone; stresses that this fact has taken on a new political dimension as a result of the serious debt problems within the eurozone; calls on the Commission to start discussions with the ECB and Member States on the creation of a coordinated system to identify which parties hold sovereign debt;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11.
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Points out that China holds sovereign debt of Member States in the eurozone; stresses that this fact has taken on a new political dimension as a result of the serious debt problems within the eurozone; calls on the Commission to
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Points out that China holds sovereign debt of Member States in the eurozone; stresses that this fact has taken on a new political dimension as a result of the serious debt problems within the eurozone; calls on the Commission to start discussions with the ECB and Member States on the creation of a coordinated system to identify which parties hold sovereign debt;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Emphasises that the
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Emphasises that the chronic undervaluation and non-convertibility of the yuan give Chinese exports an unfair competitive advantage, wh
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Emphasises that the chronic undervaluation and non-convertibility of the yuan gives Chinese exports an unfair competitive advantage when China holds one-third of the world’s foreign exchange reserves;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12 a. Calls on the Commission to encourage China to liberalise current account while also call upon the Commission to present evidence of how the fixed exchange rate regime damages EU competitiveness and then consider appropriate priority for action.
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 4 a (new) Towards a new institutional framework of the EU-China trade relations
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Calls on the Member States to
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Calls on the Member States to
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Calls on the Member States to demand that foreign enterprises respect European social and environmental standards and ensure the sustainability of employment when they purchase European businesses or set up subsidiaries in the EU; asks the Commission to set up a body entrusted with the ex ante evaluation of foreign strategic investment, along the lines of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), in order to obtain a clear picture of businesses operating and investing in the territory of the EU and to report to the Parliament on a regular basis;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Calls on the EU to
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Calls on the EU to pro
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Calls on the EU to propose a reform of the rules on the organisation of trade governed by the WTO, including binding social
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14 a. Notes that labour disputes are on the rise in China and regards it as regrettable that minimum-wage increases are failing to compensate for inflation, in particular in the southern provinces; calls on China to enact comprehensive legislation on collective bargaining and to put in place all of the measures required for social dialogue; proposes that the Commission cooperates with the Chinese authorities and Chinese stake-holders in support of such developments;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14 a. Deplores the fragmented and uncoordinated institutional framework of the EU-China trade relations; calls on the Commission to urgently revise the bilateral relation's organisational chart, to pursue better coordination and eliminate the redundancies at the level of the countless working groups, dialogues and other formal - and informal - bodies; calls on the Member States, individual regions and municipalities to coordinate better their own China policies, making urgent steps towards an operational consensus aiming the realisation of the common EU objectives;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Asks the EU to develop a strategy
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Demands strict compliance with European rules and standards by all goods in circulation on the internal market
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Demands strict compliance with European
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Demands strict compliance with European rules and standards by all goods in circulation on the internal market, and calls on the Commission
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Is concerned at the lack of unity in Europe on relations with China; calls on the Commission to rationalise the number of institutions responsible for EU-China relations and calls on the Council to agree on a genuine strategy for relations with China; proposes that an annual report be published on assessing compliance by China with its WTO commitments;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Emphasises China's growing influence in the theatre of international trade; calls on the EU therefore to remain vigilant concerning the economic, social and environmental impact of increasing Chinese investment in developing countries, particularly in Latin America and in Africa;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Emphasises China's growing influence in the theatre of international trade; calls on the EU therefore to remain vigilant
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Emphasises China's growing influence in the theatre of international trade; calls on the EU therefore to
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Emphasises China’s growing influence in the theatre of international trade and trade at regional level, given that China is the main trading partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ; calls on the EU therefore to remain vigilant concerning the economic, social and environmental impact of increasing Chinese investment in developing countries, particularly in Africa and in the rest of Asia;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17 a. Reaffirms the need for Chinese investments in Latin America and in Africa, particularly in Special Economic Zones (SEZ), to contribute to economic development and to the development of local production chains by using the local labour force;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17 a. Considers that if social rights are taken into account in trade relations, it can offer opportunities to advance the defence of human rights;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17 a. Deplores that Chinese investment and assistance activities in developing countries are not subject to international standards in environmental and social impact assessment;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 b (new) 17 b. Is concerned that some European companies invest in China mainly because of the low cost of production caused by lower social, environmental and human rights standards; strongly recommends that the Commission and the Member States promote effective corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices by European companies in China and encourage the dissemination and publicity of best practice of CSR initiatives; furthermore, requests that the Commission assesses how CSR provisions could be included in the future EU-China investment agreement;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 b (new) 17 b. Encourages governments of resource rich countries to take advantage of the new competition situation on international markets and to negotiate the best agreements in the interest of their people;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 c (new) 17 c. Is worried by the impact of new Chinese consumption patterns and investment practises along with European and US American bio-fuel policies on food prices in developing countries; calls for an EU-China initiative for regulatory approaches regarding land sales and acquisitions, which currently occur to the detriment of farmers and food security in developing countries;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Draws attention to the fact that China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases; calls on the EU to propose
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Draws attention to the fact that China is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases; calls on the EU to
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Draws attention to the fact that China is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases; calls on the EU to propose that the WTO include ecological and climate change imperatives when laying down effective environmental standards in its rules on the organisation of international trade; points out that already at present the WTO framework makes it possible to distinguish between like-products according to their production and processing methods (PPMs) and to take trade qualification measures if these are necessary, proportionate and do not discriminate against countries in which production conditions are identical;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Draws attention to the fact that China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases; calls on the EU to propose that the WTO include ecological aspects and climate change
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18 a. Considers that the efforts made by the Chinese authorities concerning certain basic rights in China, particularly social and labour rights, do not go far enough; encourages, therefore, the EU and China to develop a closer and more responsible strategic dialogue based on mutual understanding;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18 a. Recognises the engagements made by China to limit the growth of its greenhouse gas emissions; encourages China to make a strong engagement to a binding international legal framework and reduction targets that are consistent with limiting global warming to the 2°C objective to be negotiated by 2015 as agreed in Durban, while calling for EU to also be consistent with its own targets;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Notes the scale of Chinese investment in renewable energies and points out that according to the Renewables 2010 Global Status Report published by the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21), which has the support of the International Energy Agency and the United Nations, China added the most renewable power capacity in 2009, accounting for 37 GW of the worldwide increase of 80 GW;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18 a. Acknowledges that some efforts have been made by the Chinese authorities to promote social and labour rights; encourages them to continue on this path;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 6 Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Calls on the EU to develop an ambitious common industrial policy based on research and innovation
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Calls on the EU to develop an ambitious common industrial policy based on research and innovation that benefits from innovative financing arrangements such as project bonds and supports the development of SMEs, particularly via access to public procurement, in order to maintain its competiveness vis-à-vis new major players in industry and research; calls on the EU to enhance the value of European production, particularly through improvements in ‘made in’ labelling; in strict accordance with principles of the Single Market and an open market economy;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Calls on the
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Calls on the EU to develop a
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Calls on the EU to develop an ambitious common industrial policy based on research and innovation that benefits from innovative financing arrangements such as project bonds
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20 a. As the costs of pursuing negative reciprocity, by denying China market access, would be disproportionately borne by consumers and successful European exporters, calls upon the Commission to present further study on how reciprocity.
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Urges the EU to
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Urges the EU to strengthen its economic, budgetary, fiscal and political governance to give it a credible and imposing voice on the international stage; calls on the Council and the Commission to speak with one voice in order to prevent partnerships and bilateral agreements weakening the EU position; urges the EU to implement a long-term strategy with regard to China, ensuring the operational coordination both between EU institutions and between the EU and the Member States;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Urges the EU to strengthen its economic, budgetary, fiscal and political governance to give it a credible and imposing voice on the international stage; calls on the Council and the Commission to speak with one voice in order to prevent partnerships and bilateral agreements weakening the EU position; urges the EU to implement a long-term strategy with regard to China
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Urges the EU to strengthen its economic, budgetary, fiscal and political governance to give it a credible and imposing voice on the international stage; calls on the Council and the Commission to speak with one voice in order to prevent partnerships and bilateral agreements weakening the EU position; urges on the Member States to work closely with the Commission when defining their commercial policy; asks the EU to implement a long-term strategy with regard to China;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Urges the EU to strengthen its economic, budgetary, fiscal and political governance to give it a credible and imposing voice on the international stage; calls on the Council and the Commission to speak with one voice in order to prevent partnerships and bilateral agreements weakening the EU position; urges the
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Urges the EU to strengthen its economic, budgetary, fiscal, social and political governance to give it a credible
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) source: PE-480.615
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History
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2012-05-22New
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