Policies

Committee on International Trade

With the Lisbon Treaty entering into force from 2010 the Parliament has gained co-legislative responsibilities regarding all proposals in the framework of implementing the Common Commercial Policy (CCP) - both its policy and technical aspects. These newly gained powers entail more responsibility for the committee of International Trade.

Therefore the EPP Group sets the following topics as priorities:

Strengthening the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is of fundamental importance for sustainable global prosperity and helps to defuse conflicts based on diverse national economic interests. A successful conclusion of the Doha Development Round (DDR) negotiations with the contribution of developed and advanced developing partners is necessary in order to achieve an ambitious, comprehensive and balanced agreement. The completion of the Doha Development Agenda will remain a high priority as the best ways to bring new market opportunities to EU businesses, in order to foster development worldwide. Nevertheless a post Doha reflection should be conducted in order to make WTO more effective. Therefore the functioning of WTO should be improved, it should tackle the new challenges of globalization and take into account decisions adopted by other international organisations. .

In addition to the multilateral approach - as a second best solution - a particular importance shall be given to the Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) as a complementary tool of multilateral framework. These agreements should permit the EU industry to have a better access into third markets. EPP Group is expecting the entry into force of the Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with South Korea, the initialling of the EU-Andean Community multiparty Free Trade Agreement with Peru and Colombia, and a positive conclusion of Association Agreement with Central American states in 2010.

Our group also fully supports the ongoing FTA negotiations with Canada, India, Vietnam, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (on the pipeline), it also supports the establishment of the Free Trade Area in the Mediterranean which should be finalized in the coming years.

EPP welcomes the decision to re-launch negotiations with the Mercosur countries, which could pave the way to the largest bloc to bloc regional agreement.

In line with EPP enlargement policy, our group supports the extension of autonomous trade preferences for Western Balkans until 2015. Continued access to the market of the European Union is crucial for the economic recovery and economic growth of the whole region.

The development of the EU commercial relationship with key trade partners such as US, Japan and the emerging/emerged countries China, Russia Brazil and India is a crucial target for our Group. Deepening transatlantic economic cooperation by overcoming differences between regulatory systems and standards is also one of our Group's priorities

In our vision the EU needs sustainable, free and fair trade, the application of the European Union's trade rules in world trade through WTO and bilateral/regional free trade agreements, the promotion of a duty-free quota-free market access, the elimination of trade and non-trade barriers, the promotion of Millennium Goals (including the policy of aid for trade, Economic Partnership Agreements - EPAs, everything but arms-policy - EBA).

The removal of trade and non-trade barriers and enhanced market access worldwide should be accompanied by strengthened efforts for more effective international regulatory cooperation.

The importance of foreign direct investments (FDI) in international trade and the world economy.

Better protection of intellectual property rights (IPRs) and fight against piracy and counterfeiting are crucial priorities for the EPP Group. In this respect EPP supports the ongoing ACTA negotiations.

Strategy for access to raw materials by reducing the EU's consumption of raw materials, increasing the availability of raw materials sourced within the EU and promoting the sustainable supply of raw materials from third countries.

Inclusion of human rights, social and environmental standards in international trade agreements - without overloading trade policy with other topics.

Putting the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on equal footing with other international organisations should help to shape global trade and to spread benefits from it to the most vulnerable people and countries.

The use of Trade Defence Instruments (TDIs) when it is necessary.

Continuing to work towards reducing trade barriers to international flows on trade and investments and enforce for trade opening initiatives for sectors of the future (environment, high-tech products and services and on international standardization).

Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) must remain a key objective for the European Union. Our group stresses the importance of the efforts to facilitate the integration of developing countries into the world economy. We fully welcome the already existing initiatives in the area of trade with developing countries at the EU and WTO levels, in particular Everything But Arms initiative, GSP, SSP + and Aid for Trade. We believe that such initiatives should be consolidated by the European Union, nevertheless considers that such measures and initiatives can be completely successful only if they are accompanied by a complementary internal strategy in the developing countries, good governance and an efficient aid implementation.

EPP considers EPAs with ACP countries an important trade instrument to promote development in these countries. Therefore EPP supports the Commission policy for their consolidation in the coming years.