Brussels, 14/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament does not want the Council to authorise the opening of trade negotiations with Japan until it has made a decision on the Commission's negotiating brief. MEPs are particularly concerned about the car sector.
In a resolution adopted at the Strasbourg plenary on Thursday 17 June by 517 votes in favour, 74 against, with 89 abstentions, the Parliament urged the Council to wait for its proposals, before beginning negotiations on a free trade agreement with Japan, which it is soon due to complete.
During the debate with the commissioner for trade, Karel De Gucht, who announced the end of the scoping exercise on 31 May and is now awaiting a negotiating brief from the Council, MEPs said that they doubt that Japan is prepared to remove non-tariff barriers from its public procurement, pharmaceutical or car markets. MEPs are generally in favour of strengthening trade ties with the third biggest economy in the world but underlined the fact that despite their request for a roadmap on the lifting of non-tariff barriers in Japan, their doubts had not been dissipated by Tokyo's response to European demands.
Daniel Caspary from Germany and Jaros³aw Leszek Wa³êsa from Poland stated in a press release that “Japan must first demonstrate its readiness to open up market”. They also insist that “as long as Japan keeps its market closed and makes life difficult for European businesses, the planned free trade agreement with the EU must be put on hold. Before Europe sits down at the negotiating table, we want to see action on behalf of Japan”, particularly in the public procurement arena. The Conservatives are behind the resolution supported by the Socialists, Greens and Communists.
The Liberals did not support the text and deplored the counter-productive aggressiveness displayed by the Parliament and Council with regard to opening trade negotiations with Japan. In a press release, Bulgarian MEP Metin Kazak said: “We simply cannot miss this opportunity to leap forward in our relations with the world's third largest economy. The potential to remove non-tariff barriers, to slash tariffs and to break down public procurement restrictions would be worth billions to our companies and create the jobs which our citizens so desperately need. Launching negotiations does not mean we must conclude them. A mandate should be given to the Commission but we must make clear that if Japan does not stay true to its word, particularly in the automobile sector and in public procurement, then we should withdraw from further negotiation.” (EH/transl.fl)