Parltrack

OBJECTIF : conclure un accord établissant une association entre l’Union européenne et ses États membres, d’une part, et l’Amérique centrale, d’autre part.

ACTE PROPOSÉ : Décision du Conseil.

CONTEXTE : lors du sommet Union européenne – Amérique latine et Caraïbes, qui s’est tenu à Vienne les 12 et 13 mai 2006, les chefs d’État ou de gouvernement de l’Union européenne et de certaines républiques d’Amérique centrale ont décidé de lancer des négociations en vue de la conclusion d’un accord d’association entre les deux régions, avec l’établissement d’un accord de libre échange. Les négociations ont été officiellement ouvertes en octobre 2007 et ont été conclues avec succès en mai 2010.

Le texte de l’accord a été paraphé le 22 mars 2011.

Conformément à une décision du Conseil, l'accord a été signé au nom de l'Union sous réserve de sa conclusion, et sa partie IV appliquée à titre provisoire.

Il convient maintenant de conclure l’accord au nom de l’Union européenne.

Á noter que l'accord ne porte pas atteinte aux droits qu'ont les investisseurs des États membres de bénéficier de tout traitement plus favorable prévu dans tout accord relatif à l'investissement auquel un État membre et une république signataire d'Amérique centrale sont parties.

ANALYSE D’IMPACT : aucune analyse d'impact n'a été réalisée.

BASE JURIDIQUE : article 217, en liaison avec article 218, par. 6, point a) du traité sur le fonctionnement de l’Union européenne (TFUE).

CONTENU : avec la présente proposition de décision, il est proposé de conclure, au nom de l’Union européenne, un accord entre l’UE et ses États membres, d’une part, et l’Amérique centrale, d’autre part. D’une manière générale, l’accord pérennisera et encouragera –au-delà des dispositions découlant du cadre de l’OMC– les politiques d’ouverture et de respect des règles internationales et des meilleures pratiques au niveau interne, tout en assurant un environnement transparent, non discriminatoire et prévisible pour les investisseurs et les opérateurs de l’UE présents dans la région.

Ses principales dispositions peuvent se résumer comme suit :

Dialogue politique : l’accord comprend l’ensemble des clauses de nature politique en tant que volet essentiel reflétant les valeurs de l’UE. Le dialogue politique vise principalement à :

• mettre en place un partenariat politique privilégié fondé sur des valeurs, des principes et des objectifs communs ;
• renforcer les droits de l’homme ;
• prévenir les conflits ;
• assurer la bonne gouvernance ;
• renforcer l’intégration régionale ;
• réduire la pauvreté ;
• lutter contre les inégalités ;
• assurer un développement durable.

Renforcement de la coopération : la coopération se traduira par des actions concrètes dans tous les aspects d’intérêt commun, y compris le développement économique, la cohésion sociale, les ressources naturelles, la culture, la justice et les sciences.

Volet commercial : la partie commerciale de l’accord entre l’UE et l’Amérique centrale définit les conditions dans lesquelles les opérateurs économiques de l’UE peuvent exploiter pleinement les possibilités commerciales et les complémentarités émergentes entre les économies concernées. Au cours de sa mise en œuvre, l’accord libérera pleinement les exportateurs européens de produits industriels et de produits de la pêche destinés à l’Amérique centrale du paiement de droits de douane. Il répond aux critères de l’article XXIV du GATT concernant l’élimination des droits de douane et d’autres réglementations restrictives du commerce pour l’essentiel des échanges commerciaux entre les parties. En outre, il réduira la possibilité, pour l’Amérique centrale, d’adopter des obstacles non tarifaires dans des domaines importants, tels que celui des exigences d’étiquetage des produits textiles. L’Amérique centrale, pour sa part, bénéficiera de nouveaux accès substantiels aux marchés de l’UE, en particulier pour ses principales exportations agricoles: bananes, sucre, viande bovine et rhum, alors que l’UE accordera 100% de franchise de droit aux produits industriels et aux produits de la pêche originaires d’Amérique centrale au moment de l’entrée en vigueur de l’accord.

Dans le domaine des services et de la liberté d’établissement, les engagements obtenus des républiques d’Amérique centrale dépassent ceux qu’elles ont souscrits dans le cadre du GATS (accord général sur le commerce des services) et correspondent à des intérêts essentiels de l’UE dans des secteurs importants (notamment, dans les services de télécommunications, les services dans le domaine de l’environnement et les services maritimes, ainsi que dans d’autres services de transport), tout en respectant les sensibilités de l’UE, par exemple quant à la présence temporaire de personnes physiques à des fins professionnelles.

En ce qui concerne certains secteurs, les engagements pris par les républiques d’Amérique centrale sont équivalents à ceux d’autres accords conclus par l’Amérique centrale, tels que l’accord de libre-échange de l’Amérique centrale (ALEAC), ou vont même au-delà dans des domaines comme l’accès au marché pour les secteurs autres que les secteurs de services ou dans les services de transport maritime.

En ce qui concerne les marchés publics, les accords conclus avec l’Amérique centrale ouvrent un accès important à la fois au niveau des autorités centrales et à des niveaux inférieurs (y compris par exemple les marchés publics liés au canal de Panama).

L’accord établit en outre un ensemble de normes qui vont au-delà de ce qui a été convenu dans le cadre multilatéral, notamment en ce qui concerne :

• la propriété intellectuelle (par exemple, protection de 224 indications géographiques de l’UE et clarification des conditions de la protection des données),
• le développement durable (l’accord est équivalent au SPG+ ou va au-delà de celui-ci sur les questions d’emploi et d’environnement et comporte des engagements spécifiques sur la pêche durable),
• la concurrence (normes concernant les monopoles, obligations de transparence en ce qui concerne les subventions),
• les obstacles techniques au commerce (surveillance des marchés, transparence des procédures de réglementation et normes d’étiquetage et de marquage),
• les mesures sanitaires et phytosanitaires (mesures OMC+ sur le bien-être des animaux, régionalisation, agrément des établissements d’exportation, inspections sur site et contrôles à l’importation), etc.

Á noter que l'accord ne pourra être interprété comme conférant des droits ou imposant des obligations susceptibles d'être invoqués directement devant les juridictions de l'Union ou des États membres.

Cadre institutionnel : l’accord crée un cadre institutionnel efficace pour sa mise en œuvre, comprenant un conseil d’association ainsi qu’un comité d’association, soutenus par un ensemble de sous comités, qui seront consultés et travailleront dans les différents domaines couverts dans la partie commerciale de l’accord, ainsi qu’un mécanisme de règlement bilatéral des litiges.

Des dispositions sont également prévues pour autoriser la Commission à approuver les modifications de la liste des indications géographiques prévues à l’accord, pour approbation par le conseil d'association. Une procédure spécifique est prévue à cet effet.

Mise en œuvre provisoire : les États membres de l’UE étant également parties à l’accord en raison de certains engagements inscrits dans le protocole relatif à la coopération dans le domaine culturel, ils doivent aussi le ratifier selon leurs procédures internes, ce qui peut prendre un temps considérable. Afin de garantir une application rapide de la partie commerciale de l’accord dans l’attente de sa ratification pleine et entière par les États membres, l’accord sera appliqué à titre provisoire anticipativement (dès 2012).

Le Parlement européen devra exprimer sa position sur l’accord.

INCIDENCE BUDGÉTAIRE : la proposition n'a pas d'incidence sur le budget de l'UE.

PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement establishing an Association between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America on the other

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision

BACKGROUND: at the European Union - Latin America and Caribbean Summit held in Vienna on 12 - 13 May 2006, the Heads of State and Government of the European Union and of certain Central American Republics decided to open negotiations on an Association Agreement between the two regions, including the establishment of a Free Trade Agreement. Negotiations were formally launched in October 2007 and were successfully concluded in May 2010.

The text of the agreement was initialled on 22 March 2011.

The proposal aims to conclude the Agreement on behalf of the European Union.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: no impact assessment was undertaken.

LEGAL BASIS: Article217 in conjunction with Article 218(6)(a) TFEU.

CONTENT: the Commission proposal aims to conclude the Agreement between the EU and its Member States, of the one part, and Central America, of the other, is hereby approved on behalf of the European Overall the Agreement will lock-in and promote - above and beyond WTO rules - policies of openness and respect at the domestic level for internationally agreed rules and best practices while securing a transparent, non-discriminatory and predictable environment for EU operators and investors in the region.

Its main provisions are as follows:

Political Dialogue: the Agreement includes all the political clauses as an essential element which reflects EU values. The main objective of the Political Dialogue is:

• to develop a privileged political partnership based on values, principles and common objectives;
• to reinforce human rights;
• conflict prevention;
• good governance;
• regional integration;
• poverty reduction;
• the fight against inequality;
• sustainable development.

Strengthening cooperation: cooperation should be manifested in concrete actions in every aspect of common interest, including economic development, social cohesion, natural resources, culture, justice and the sciences.

Trade: the trade part of the Agreement between the EU and Central America establishes the conditions for EU economic operators to take full advantage of the opportunities and the emerging complementarities between their respective economies. Over the course of its implementation, the Agreement will fully relieve EU exporters of industrial and fisheries products to Central America from paying customs duties. It satisfies Article XXIV of the GATT criteria to eliminate duties and other restrictive regulations of commerce with respect to substantially all trade between the parties. In addition, it will reduce the scope for Central America to adopt non-tariff barriers in important areas, for example in the field of labelling requirements for textiles. Central America will benefit from substantial new access to the EU market in particular for their key agriculture exports: bananas, sugar, beef and rum while the EU will grant 100% duty-free coverage for industrial products and fisheries of Central America origin at entry into force of the Agreement.

On services and establishment, commitments obtained from Central American Republics go beyond their commitments under the GATS (General Agreement on Trade in Services) and match key EU interests in relevant sectors (notably in telecom services, environmental services and maritime services as well as in other transport services) while respecting EU sensitivities, e.g. in terms of temporary presence of natural persons for business purposes.

With regard to certain sectors, the commitments offered by Central American Republics reach effective parity with other agreements concluded by Central America such as the CAFTA or even go beyond in areas such as market access in non-services sectors or maritime transport services.

In procurement, the deals concluded with Central America provide important access both on the level of central government and below (including for example procurement related to the Panama Canal).

The Agreement also establishes a set of disciplines which go beyond those agreed in the multilateral framework notably on:

• intellectual property (e.g. 224 EU geographical indications protected, data protection conditions clarified);
• sustainable development (the Agreement is GSP+ equivalent or above on labour and environmental issues and contains specific commitments on sustainable fisheries);
• competition (disciplines on monopolies - transparency obligations on subsidies);
• technical barriers to trade (market surveillance, transparency in regulation procedures and disciplines on labelling and marking);
• sanitary and phytosanitary measures (WTO+ measures on animal welfare, regionalisation, approval of export establishments, on-the-spot inspections, import check) among others.

Institutional framework: the Agreement establishes an effective institutional framework for its implementation including both an Association Council as well as an Association Committee supported by a set of sub-committees to allow for work and consultations on the various areas covered in the trade part of the Agreement and a bilateral dispute settlement mechanism.

Provisional application: Member States of the EU will also be Party to this Agreement because of certain commitments in the Protocol on Cultural Co-operation. Accordingly, the Agreement needs to be ratified by them according to their internal procedures. This could take a considerable period of time. In order to ensure prompt application of the trade part of the Agreement pending full ratification by the Member States, the Commission therefore proposes to provisionally apply the trade part. In light of the significance of the Agreement, the Commission considers that the Council should send the notifications referred to in Articles 353(2), 353(3) and 353(4) only after a certain lapse of time so as to allow the European Parliament to express its views on the Agreement. The Commission is ready to work with the Council and the European Parliament so that the trade part of the Agreement can be provisionally applied in 2012.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the proposal has no implications for the EU budget.

PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement establishing an Association between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America on the other

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision

BACKGROUND: at the European Union - Latin America and Caribbean Summit held in Vienna on 12 - 13 May 2006, the Heads of State and Government of the European Union and of certain Central American Republics decided to open negotiations on an Association Agreement between the two regions, including the establishment of a Free Trade Agreement. Negotiations were formally launched in October 2007 and were successfully concluded in May 2010.

The text of the agreement was initialled on 22 March 2011.

In accordance with a Council Decision, the Agreement was signed on behalf of the Union, subject to its conclusion, and Part IV thereof applied on a provisional basis.

The proposal aims to conclude the Agreement on behalf of the European Union.

It should be noted that the Agreement does not affect the rights of investors of the Member States to benefit from any more favourable treatment provided for in any agreement related to investment to which a Member State and a signatory Central American Republic are Parties.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: no impact assessment was undertaken.

LEGAL BASIS: Article 217 in conjunction with Article 218(6)(a) TFEU.

CONTENT: this proposal aims to conclude the Agreement between the EU and its Member States, of the one part, and Central America, of the other, is hereby approved on behalf of the European Union.

Overall the Agreement will lock-in and promote – above and beyond WTO rules – policies of openness and respect at the domestic level for internationally agreed rules and best practices while securing a transparent, non-discriminatory and predictable environment for EU operators and investors in the region.

Its main provisions are as follows:

Political Dialogue: the Agreement includes all the political clauses as an essential element which reflects EU values. The main objective of the Political Dialogue is:

·        to develop a privileged political partnership based on values, principles and common objectives;

·        to reinforce human rights;

·        conflict prevention;

·        good governance;

·        regional integration;

·        poverty reduction;

·        the fight against inequality;

·        sustainable development.

Strengthening cooperation: cooperation should be manifested in concrete actions in every aspect of common interest, including economic development, social cohesion, natural resources, culture, justice and the sciences.

Trade: the trade part of the Agreement between the EU and Central America establishes the conditions for EU economic operators to take full advantage of the opportunities and the emerging complementarities between their respective economies. Over the course of its implementation, the Agreement will fully relieve EU exporters of industrial and fisheries products to Central America from paying customs duties. It satisfies Article XXIV of the GATT criteria to eliminate duties and other restrictive regulations of commerce with respect to substantially all trade between the parties. In addition, it will reduce the scope for Central America to adopt non-tariff barriers in important areas, for example in the field of labelling requirements for textiles. Central America will benefit from substantial new access to the EU market in particular for their key agriculture exports: bananas, sugar, beef and rum while the EU will grant 100% duty-free coverage for industrial products and fisheries of Central America origin at entry into force of the Agreement.

On services and establishment, commitments obtained from Central American Republics go beyond their commitments under the GATS (General Agreement on Trade in Services) and match key EU interests in relevant sectors (notably in telecom services, environmental services and maritime services as well as in other transport services) while respecting EU sensitivities, e.g. in terms of temporary presence of natural persons for business purposes.

With regard to certain sectors, the commitments offered by Central American Republics reach effective parity with other agreements concluded by Central America such as the CAFTA or even go beyond in areas such as market access in non-services sectors or maritime transport services.

In procurement, the deals concluded with Central America provide important access both on the level of central government and below (including for example procurement related to the Panama Canal).

The Agreement also establishes a set of disciplines which go beyond those agreed in the multilateral framework notably on:

• intellectual property (e.g. 224 EU geographical indications protected, data protection conditions clarified);
• sustainable development (the Agreement is GSP+ equivalent or above on labour and environmental issues and contains specific commitments on sustainable fisheries);
• competition (disciplines on monopolies – transparency obligations on subsidies);
• technical barriers to trade (market surveillance, transparency in regulation procedures and disciplines on labelling and marking);
• sanitary and phytosanitary measures (WTO+ measures on animal welfare, regionalisation, approval of export establishments, on-the-spot inspections, import check) among others.

The Agreement shall not be construed as conferring rights or imposing obligations which can be directly invoked before Union or Member State courts and tribunals.

Institutional framework: the Agreement establishes an effective institutional framework for its implementation including both an Association Council as well as an Association Committee supported by a set of sub-committees to allow for work and consultations on the various areas covered in the trade part of the Agreement and a bilateral dispute settlement mechanism.

Provisions are made to authorise the Commission to approve modifications to the list of geographical indications recommended by the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property to the Association Committee for approval by the Association Council.

Provisional application: Member States of the EU will also be Party to this Agreement because of certain commitments in the Protocol on Cultural Co-operation. Accordingly, the Agreement needs to be ratified by them according to their internal procedures. This could take a considerable period of time.

Parliament to express its views on the Agreement.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the proposal has no implications for the EU budget.

PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement establishing an Association between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America on the other

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision

BACKGROUND: at the European Union - Latin America and Caribbean Summit held in Vienna on 12 - 13 May 2006, the Heads of State and Government of the European Union and of certain Central American Republics decided to open negotiations on an Association Agreement between the two regions, including the establishment of a Free Trade Agreement. Negotiations were formally launched in October 2007 and were successfully concluded in May 2010.

The text of the agreement was initialled on 22 March 2011.

In accordance with a Council Decision, the Agreement was signed on behalf of the Union, subject to its conclusion, and Part IV thereof applied on a provisional basis.

The proposal aims to conclude the Agreement on behalf of the European Union.

It should be noted that the Agreement does not affect the rights of investors of the Member States to benefit from any more favourable treatment provided for in any agreement related to investment to which a Member State and a signatory Central American Republic are Parties.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: no impact assessment was undertaken.

LEGAL BASIS: Article 217 in conjunction with Article 218(6)(a) TFEU.

CONTENT: this proposal aims to conclude the Agreement between the EU and its Member States, of the one part, and Central America, of the other, is hereby approved on behalf of the European Union.

Overall the Agreement will lock-in and promote – above and beyond WTO rules – policies of openness and respect at the domestic level for internationally agreed rules and best practices while securing a transparent, non-discriminatory and predictable environment for EU operators and investors in the region.

Its main provisions are as follows:

Political Dialogue: the Agreement includes all the political clauses as an essential element which reflects EU values. The main objective of the Political Dialogue is:

·        to develop a privileged political partnership based on values, principles and common objectives;

·        to reinforce human rights;

·        conflict prevention;

·        good governance;

·        regional integration;

·        poverty reduction;

·        the fight against inequality;

·        sustainable development.

Strengthening cooperation: cooperation should be manifested in concrete actions in every aspect of common interest, including economic development, social cohesion, natural resources, culture, justice and the sciences.

Trade: the trade part of the Agreement between the EU and Central America establishes the conditions for EU economic operators to take full advantage of the opportunities and the emerging complementarities between their respective economies. Over the course of its implementation, the Agreement will fully relieve EU exporters of industrial and fisheries products to Central America from paying customs duties. It satisfies Article XXIV of the GATT criteria to eliminate duties and other restrictive regulations of commerce with respect to substantially all trade between the parties. In addition, it will reduce the scope for Central America to adopt non-tariff barriers in important areas, for example in the field of labelling requirements for textiles. Central America will benefit from substantial new access to the EU market in particular for their key agriculture exports: bananas, sugar, beef and rum while the EU will grant 100% duty-free coverage for industrial products and fisheries of Central America origin at entry into force of the Agreement.

On services and establishment, commitments obtained from Central American Republics go beyond their commitments under the GATS (General Agreement on Trade in Services) and match key EU interests in relevant sectors (notably in telecom services, environmental services and maritime services as well as in other transport services) while respecting EU sensitivities, e.g. in terms of temporary presence of natural persons for business purposes.

With regard to certain sectors, the commitments offered by Central American Republics reach effective parity with other agreements concluded by Central America such as the CAFTA or even go beyond in areas such as market access in non-services sectors or maritime transport services.

In procurement, the deals concluded with Central America provide important access both on the level of central government and below (including for example procurement related to the Panama Canal).

The Agreement also establishes a set of disciplines which go beyond those agreed in the multilateral framework notably on:

• intellectual property (e.g. 224 EU geographical indications protected, data protection conditions clarified);
• sustainable development (the Agreement is GSP+ equivalent or above on labour and environmental issues and contains specific commitments on sustainable fisheries);
• competition (disciplines on monopolies – transparency obligations on subsidies);
• technical barriers to trade (market surveillance, transparency in regulation procedures and disciplines on labelling and marking);
• sanitary and phytosanitary measures (WTO+ measures on animal welfare, regionalisation, approval of export establishments, on-the-spot inspections, import check) among others.

The Agreement shall not be construed as conferring rights or imposing obligations which can be directly invoked before Union or Member State courts and tribunals.

Institutional framework: the Agreement establishes an effective institutional framework for its implementation including both an Association Council as well as an Association Committee supported by a set of sub-committees to allow for work and consultations on the various areas covered in the trade part of the Agreement and a bilateral dispute settlement mechanism.

Provisions are made to authorise the Commission to approve modifications to the list of geographical indications recommended by the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property to the Association Committee for approval by the Association Council.

Provisional application: Member States of the EU will also be Party to this Agreement because of certain commitments in the Protocol on Cultural Co-operation. Accordingly, the Agreement needs to be ratified by them according to their internal procedures. This could take a considerable period of time.

Parliament to express its views on the Agreement.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the proposal has no implications for the EU budget.

The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted the report by José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA (EPP, ES), recommending that the European Parliament gives its consent to the conclusion of the Agreement establishing an Association between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America, on the other.

The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted an interim report by José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA (EPP, ES) on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement establishing an Association between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America, on the other.

The report contains a motion for a resolution on the draft Council decision concerning the agreement in question.

Strategic importance of the Association Agreement (AA): Members recall that the Association Agreement (AA) between the EU and Central America (CA) sets a major precedent by being the first bi-regional AA signed by the EU since the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon. This last presents a mutual interest and advantages for all the Members States of the Union. It implies a political and economic association between the EU and the region as formed by its different countries and will extend, on a qualitative and quantitative basis, the range of goods and services that will benefit from a free trade area. It will contribute to greater regional integration and stability in Central America (CA) by reinforcing legal security, an increase in trade and investment flows, and by offering an opportunity for diversification and for attracting long-term productive investments.

At the same time, Members address a series of recommendations to the Council and to the Commission in connection with the adoption of the agreement.

Members recall that the AA, concluded in May 2010, is composed of three pillars: political dialogue, cooperation and trade.

1) Political dialogue: Members recall that this comprehensive partnership between regions is the result of the EU’s unbending political will and marks a decisive step forward in the integration of CA, going far beyond mere questions of free trade. Underlining the extraordinary new impetus given by the political dialogue enshrined in the new AA, Members stress the parliamentary dimension of the AA with the establishment of a Parliamentary Association Committee involving the European Parliament.

Members point out that the AA refers to respect for democratic principles, fundamental human rights and the principle of the rule of law as “essential elements” of the agreement. They underline that non-observation of the rules could eventually lead to the suspension of the agreement. In this context, Members call on the Commission carry out an annual report for the European Parliament, to monitor the AA in its entirety.

More generally, Members welcome:

·        the commitment to multilateralism underpinned by the unstinting defence of common values, principles and objectives;

·        interesting possibilities for dialogue on the fight against drug trafficking and organised crime, drug trafficking, money laundering, terrorist financing, as well as organised crime and corruption;

·        proper participation by civil society in both the EU and CA.

2) Cooperation in the fight against poverty and the fostering of social cohesion: Members stress that social cohesion is a priority objective of regional cooperation policy. They highlight the opportunities that this AA offers in terms of improving social cohesion and sustainable development, but also in the field of the environment, management of natural disasters, the fight against climate change, deforestation and combating desertification.

They expect that the agreement will contribute to the revitalisation and strengthening of economic and trade relations and the integration of the productive fabric of both regions. They call particularly for the promotion of cooperation in fields as diverse as science and technology, institutional capacity-building, harmonisation of standards, customs procedures and statistics, intellectual property, provision of services, government procurement, industrial development, sustainable resource management, sanitary and phytosanitary standards, support to SMEs, etc. They also demand the organisation of trade fairs as well as the establishment of regional trade academies both in Latin American regions and across EU Member States.

Conclusions: in general, Members consider that the current trade provisions, which are of a provisional nature and based on a unilateral system of generalised preferences, will gradually give way to a reciprocal, negotiated structure for the gradual liberalisation of trade in goods and services and of public procurement, as well as for action to encourage investment. They point out that the AA with CA makes a meaningful contribution to regional, social and political integration efforts and to achieving the ultimate objective of the Bi-regional Strategic Partnership between the EU and Latin America. Lastly, they urge the Association Council to carry out an overall evaluation of the AA five years after its implementation and to conduct, if necessary, a review of the AA on the basis of the findings and the impact noted in the abovementioned evaluation.

The European Parliament adopted by 564 votes to 100, with 16 abstentions, a resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement establishing an Association between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America, on the other.

Strategic importance of the Association Agreement (AA): Parliament recalls that the Association Agreement (AA) between the EU and Central America (CA) sets a major precedent by being the first bi-regional AA signed by the EU since the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon. The Agreement presents a mutual interest and advantages for all the Members States of the Union. It implies a political and economic association between the EU and the region as formed by its different countries and will extend, on a qualitative and quantitative basis, the range of goods and services that will benefit from a free trade area. It will contribute to greater regional integration and stability in Central America (CA) by reinforcing legal security, an increase in trade and investment flows, and by offering an opportunity for diversification and for attracting long-term productive investments.

It takes into account the asymmetries and inequalities which exist between the two regions and among the various Central American countries. There is asymmetry in the trade part of the AA, indicated inter alia by the graduation and the establishment of different transitional periods for both regions, enabling productive structures to be adapted to new economic and commercial realities resulting from its implementation.

Recalling that the AA, concluded in May 2010, contains three main pillars: political dialogue, cooperation and trade, Parliament addresses a series of recommendations to the Council and the Commission as regards the adoption of the Agreement.

Political dialogue: Parliament recalls that this comprehensive partnership between regions is the result of the EU’s unbending political will and marks a decisive step forward in the integration of CA, going far beyond mere questions of free trade. Underlining the extraordinary new impetus given by the political dialogue enshrined in the new AA, Members stress the parliamentary dimension of the AA with the establishment of a Parliamentary Association Committee involving the European Parliament.

Parliament points out that the AA refers to respect for democratic principles, fundamental human rights and the principle of the rule of law as “essential elements” of the agreement. It underlines that non-observation of the rules could eventually lead to the suspension of the agreement. In this context, Members call on the Commission to prepare an annual report for the European Parliament, to monitor the AA in its entirety.

More generally, Parliament welcomes:

• the commitment to multilateralism underpinned by the unstinting defence of common values, principles and objectives;
• interesting possibilities for dialogue on the fight against drug trafficking and organised crime, drug trafficking, money laundering, terrorist financing, as well as organised crime and corruption;
• proper participation by civil society in both the EU and CA.

Cooperation in the fight against poverty and the fostering of social cohesion: Parliament stresses that social cohesion is a priority objective of regional cooperation policy. It highlights the opportunities that this AA offers in terms of improving social cohesion and sustainable development, but also in the field of the environment, management of natural disasters, the fight against climate change, deforestation and combating desertification.

It also welcomes the various commitments to coordinate efforts to combat drug trafficking, money laundering, terrorist financing, organised crime and corruption.

Parliament expects that the agreement will contribute to the revitalisation and strengthening of economic and trade relations and the integration of the productive fabric of both regions. It calls particularly for the promotion of cooperation in fields as diverse as science and technology, institutional capacity-building, harmonisation of standards, customs procedures and statistics, intellectual property, provision of services, government procurement, industrial development, sustainable resource management, sanitary and phytosanitary standards, support to SMEs, etc. It also demands the organisation of trade fairs, as well as the establishment of regional trade academies both in Latin American regions and across EU Member States, aimed at building capacity among SMEs.

Conclusions: overall, Parliament considers that the current trade provisions, which are of a provisional nature and based on a unilateral system of generalised preferences, will gradually give way to a reciprocal, negotiated structure for the gradual liberalisation of trade in goods and services and of public procurement, as well as for action to encourage investment. It stresses that social cohesion is a priority objective of regional cooperation policy, and that the overriding aim is the reduction of poverty, inequality, social exclusion and any form of discrimination. It points out that the AA with CA makes a meaningful contribution to regional, social and political integration efforts and to achieving the ultimate objective of the Bi-regional Strategic Partnership between the EU and Latin America.

Lastly, Parliament urges the Association Council to carry out an overall evaluation of the AA five years after its implementation and to conduct, if necessary, a review of the AA on the basis of the findings and the impact noted in the abovementioned evaluation.

The European Parliament adopted by 557 votes to 100, with 21 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement establishing an Association between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and Central America, on the other.

Parliament consented to the conclusion of the agreement.