On Wednesday 5 July, as part of preparations for the Commission’s working programme for 2018, the European Parliament argued that serious political initiatives are necessary to face various crises and realistic reforms must be undertaken in order to restore confidence.
In its adoption of a joint resolution by the EPP, ALDE and ECR groups, Parliament stresses that if it is to work, the European migration policy needs a fair and effective distribution mechanism for asylum seekers. In its adoption of amendments tabled by the S&D group, Parliament calls for efforts to be stepped up to agree on a reform of the Dublin system, in order to implement a true common European asylum policy. Parliament also argues that all member states should comply with the obligations upon them for the relocation of asylum seekers currently in Greece and Italy. The Commission is called upon to present a legislative proposal on humanitarian visas (available to asylum seekers).
Climate. Parliament calls in particular for measures accompanying a seamless transition to a low-carbon economy, to attenuate the systematic economic risks associated with financial assets in high-carbon industries.
Trade. The Commission is invited to speed up and finalise the negotiations underway and to continue to examine all possibilities to conclude new free-trade agreements. Parliament considers that the conclusion of a balanced trade and investment agreement with the United States is in the EU’s interests and calls upon the Commission to continue negotiations in order to achieve concrete results. In its adoption of an S&D group amendment, Parliament calls for: - a rapid agreement on updating the EU trade defence instruments; - measures to reduce global steel overcapacity; - new measures to set in place a multilateral investment legal system, to replace private arbitration to resolve investor/state disputes.
Budget. The Commission is called upon to present legislative proposals on new resources, alongside those on the post-2020 multi-annual financial framework, to ensure that negotiations can take place on both dossiers in parallel.
On transport, Parliament calls for a legislative proposal on the deployment of connected and automated driving.
It also requests: - a further increase in funding for the EU Solidarity Fund; -a proposed revision of the European citizens’ initiative; - a new and ambitious 2016-2020 strategy to protect animal welfare and biodiversity.
Taxation. In its adoption of an S&D amendment, Parliament calls for action to step up the fight against tax fraud: requirements upon multinationals to publish country-by-country reports, creation of a common consolidated corporate tax base, public registers of beneficial owners (to fight money laundering), a list of high-risk jurisdictions taking insufficient measures to fight money laundering and an EU blacklist of tax havens. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)