On Thursday 25 October, the European Parliament failed to propose a strong and harmonised response to the European Commission's initiatives on the commercial aspects of the European actions designed to get mobilisation more under control.
Under the aegis of Joachim Schuster (S&D, Germany), the own-initiative report adopted by MEPs aimed to respond to a Commission reflection launched in May 2017 (see EUROPE 11785) and actions launched in September of the same year (see EUROPE 11862).
The report looks at ways of meeting the challenges of globalisation, both inside the European Union and outside it. It stresses the concerns of ordinary and disadvantaged citizens at the loss of their social and economic status, leading to protectionism and nationalism, and threatening democracy within the EU. Internationally, the challenges include climate and migration. They also involve the regulation of international trade.
The MEPs call for actions to tackle fiscal, social and environmental dumping through responses at various levels.
Internally, this can be done by better redistributing the benefits of globalisation through society and doing more to support small and medium-sized enterprises and the least-favoured regions.
Addressing the European Parliament before the vote, Schuster said: “we need far-reaching reforms, and the strengthening of the global adjustment fund as well, we need to strengthen policies to boost competitiveness in innovation, with particular focus on SMEs, support for jobs through further training and target investment screening as well”.
At international level, meeting the UN sustainable development goals must remain a priority, the German Social Democrat reiterated. Trade should, for instance, improve working conditions, with the major ILO conventions, which should be a precondition for trade deals to be signed with us, he added.
Some MEPs will certainly make the case for this condition when discussing the trade deal with Vietnam (see EUROPE 12115).
No sanctions in the sustainable development chapters
During the vote on the resolution in plenary, a group of left-wing MEPs re-tabled an amendment to include binding provisions, based on sanctions, in the chapters on trade and sustainable development of the free-trade agreements negotiated by the EU.
Jude Kirton-Darling (S&D, UK), said: “our trade and sustainable development chapters need teeth”. “The Commission's opposition to trade sanctions for labour and environment laws means serious violators fear no economic costs of human rights abuses”, she argued.
The amendment, which was rejected for the first time by the parliamentary committee on international trade, was also dismissed by the plenary vote.
Most left-wing MEPs ended up abstaining during the vote on this resolution, which was ultimately more or less consensual – with 131 abstentions. The resolution was approved by 115 MEPs, mainly from the EPP and ALDE groups, and rejected by 42. (Original version in French by Hermine Donceel)