Seven MEPs from the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) have made recommendations for the implementation of the Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) chapters in trade agreements, in a policy paper published on 11 April.
They suggest strengthening the respect for sustainable development in trade, from the negotiations to the post-agreement evaluation. In particular, this means introducing sanctions for non-compliance with TSD chapters. These should be activated as a last resort, in case of significant non-compliance with TSD commitments, violation of core elements such as human rights, non-compliance with the Paris Agreement or breach of the non-regression clause.
As for the commitments made in the TSD chapters, they should be tailor-made and concretely formulated with a clear timetable, according to the MEP, Saskia Bricmont, who initiated the paper.
Furthermore, the MEP says that the impact assessment that precedes the conclusion of agreements should involve civil society to a greater extent.
Trading partners should then make commitments even before the agreement is ratified regarding international standards or agreements on human rights, respect for the environment, etc.
Once the agreements are ratified, monitoring of their implementation should involve more domestic advisory groups (DAGs), the European Chief Trade Enforcement Officer, Denis Redonnet, or EU delegations as well.
See the document: https://aeur.eu/f/1ab (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)