In Strasbourg on Tuesday 15 January, members of the European Parliament broadly supported the interinstitutional agreement on the regulation implementing bilateral safeguard clauses that allow for the temporary withdrawal of trade preferences.
Meeting in plenary session, the MEPs approved, by 544 votes in favour to 58 against, with 94 abstentions, the agreement reached during negotiations between representatives of the European Parliament and the Council at the end of November 2018 on the regulation implementing bilateral safeguard clauses that allow for the temporary withdrawal of trade preferences granted in free trade agreements (FTAs) signed by the EU (see EUROPE 12149).
This proposal for a horizontal regulation optimises the implementation of safeguard measures or similar mechanisms, which have so far been negotiated in parallel with most of the EU's trade agreements (see EUROPE 12124).
The text is the result of negotiations between the Parliament and the Council, with additional provisions aimed mainly at strengthening the protection of the most remote areas, which are particularly vulnerable to the effects of imports, but also aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises.
"Thankful for large support for my report on the safeguard regulation today. They're a tool to liberalise trade in FTAs while keeping options open for worst-case scenarios", wrote Swedish rapporteur Christopher Fjellner (EPP) in English on Twitter after the vote.
Once it has been adopted, the regulation will apply to all future trade agreements.
To consult the document, go to: https://bit.ly/2QMFMbn. (Original version in French by Hermine Donceel)