The European Commission’s Chief Trade Enforcement Officer (CTEO), Denis Redonnet, on Wednesday 24 February, reassured the members of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) about the Commission’s follow-up to the trade dispute between the European Union and South Korea. He also answered their questions about the new single entry point that receives complaints about trade barriers or sustainable development in trade.
On the first issue, Mr Redonnet announced that the South Korean Parliament was expected to vote in principle to ratify three of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) core conventions on Friday 26 February. These relate to the right of collective bargaining for workers, freedom of association and forced labour. Convention 105, which clearly mentions the abolition of forced labour, is not on the agenda.
This vote comes after the judgement of the Court of Arbitration provided for in the agreement with the EU on 20 January. The Court confirmed that South Korea was under an obligation to make sustained efforts to achieve ratification of these Conventions, but also to comply with respect for fundamental workers’ rights, even without having ratified them (see EUROPE 12643/11).
For Denis Redonnet, this is an important clarification: “The findings will apply in situations where we have equivalent levels of commitments”.
Single Entry Point. MEPs also questioned Mr Redonnet on the operation of the new single entry point for filing complaints, launched last November by the Commission (see EUROPE 12602/24).
Some members of the INTA Committee expressed concern about the accessibility and transparency of this system. “How will the European Commission ensure that SMEs are able to use the tool themselves, that the system is available to all?”, asked Margarida Marques (S&D, Portugal). “We will make particular efforts to be available through Commission services for pre-complaint for stakeholders who have less means”, replied Mr Redonnet.
Vaccine export regime. Finally, a majority of MEPs expressed serious doubts about the effectiveness and legitimacy of the vaccine export authorisation regime.
“Is this instrument the proper reaction of a problem with a single company?”, asked INTA Committee Chairman Bernd Lange (S&D, Germany).
MEPs consider that this mechanism set up by the Commission on 31 January is detrimental to the distribution of vaccines, without solving the problem of late deliveries in the EU.
The CTEO defended the mechanism: “We received 112 requests for exports. All have been approved. So it has not slowed down exports of vaccines”. However, he was unable to provide more information on the applications and referred to a public report to be published shortly by the Commission. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)