Ahead of the EU Council granting the European Commission negotiating mandates and directives for free trade agreements (FTAs) with Australia and New Zealand, MEPs in the European Parliament's international trade committee adopted draft recommendations (with 30 votes in favour, 5 against and 3 abstentions) on Thursday 12 October in which they underline the need to protect, or even exclude, the most sensitive agricultural sectors.
Among their main demands, MEPs want the two future FTAs to ensure that EU companies benefit from the same degree of market openness in Australia and New Zealand's public procurement as foreign companies do in the EU.
The trade committee MEPs also want the future agreements to boost trade in agricultural and fisheries products, and for special treatment to be given to sensitive products through tariff quotas or transitional periods and a bilateral safeguard clause –or even for the most sensitive sectors to be excluded from the FTAs.
The MEPs underline that the liberalisation of trade in goods and services should not prevent governments from legislating to protect public health and the environment, nor require public services to be privatised. The MEPs also demand that regulatory cooperation and the reduction of non-tariff barriers guarantee the highest level of consumer protection.
In addition, the MEPs want chapters included in the FTAs on trade and sustainable development (including binding arrangements and an effective dispute settlement mechanism) and chapters focusing on SMEs.
Furthermore, for each of the two negotiations with Australia and New Zealand the MEPs advocate concluding two separate agreements – one on trade aspects and the other on investment.
"If our suggestions are built in by the Council, both mandates could protect our high standards, boost growth and contribute to creating new jobs for Europeans. The EU is about to show that it is shaping globalisation and does not leave this opportunity to others", rapporteur Daniel Caspary (EPP, Germany) stated.
On 2 October, the European Parliament's agriculture committee adopted two opinions giving the green light to the opening of trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand on condition the agreements protect sensitive agricultural products (see EUROPE 11875).
At its plenary session in Strasbourg on 23-26 October. the European Parliament will be asked to adopt its recommendations for the opening of talks with Australia and New Zealand.
The Council is expected to adopt the negotiation mandates in November and to pave the way to the launch of the negotiations at the end of the year. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)