The MEPs responsible for monitoring trade policy will continue their work on the most urgent dossiers, starting with the new regulation on exports of medical protective equipment.
The European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) is preparing a letter to Commissioner Phil Hogan setting out its position on the regulation requiring authorisation for all exports of personal protective equipment (see EUROPE 12451/7, 12447/7), EUROPE has learned from parliamentary sources.
In the draft letter seen by EUROPE, while MEPs recognise the need for these measures, they are warning the Commission about the risk of opening a Pandora’s box. These measures should be kept to the strict minimum necessary, apply only for a limited period of time and in accordance with streamlined procedures.
MEPs also urge the Commission to closely monitor the export bans applied by Member States.
Finally, MEPs are recalling the EU’s moral responsibility, urging it to ensure that equipment reaches those who need it most - developing countries first - and not the highest bidders.
Extraordinary meetings
The regular meetings of the INTA committee scheduled until the summer break will be replaced by shorter extraordinary meetings, the first of which will take place in April, EUROPE also learned.
These meetings should enable the MEPs responsible for monitoring trade policy to deal with priority dossiers, which will be identified by the political group coordinators.
A first online meeting between coordinators took place on Wednesday 1 April in order to identify these priorities and to put the less important dossiers on hold; they are expected to continue on a regular basis. (Original version in French by Hermine Donceel)