Text tabled : B7-0028/2011

  Raül Romeva i Rueda (Verts/ALE), in writing. – After a thorough scrutiny together with several NGOs, we have decided to support the signature of the two VPAs. Greens’ recommendations were unanimously adopted in committee. However, we demanded in our explanatory statement that the Commission explains some details more in depth. Thus, to raise some additional concerns, an oral question with debate has been tabled, with the support of all political groups, underlining the need for the Commission to make sure some criteria are guaranteed, not only during the signature phase, but also during the most crucial implementation phase of the agreements. For example, we ask the Commission to present, within six months of the entry into force of any VPA, a report on the measures undertaken to ensure that the dialogue between the stakeholders and civil society, including the local and indigenous population, continues and is maintained during the implementation phase. Underlined in the text are the risk of large-scale exploitation of forests, and both the direct and indirect impact of commercial logging on wildlife, biodiversity, deforestation, degradation of forests, and local populations and indigenous people. We have also tried to raise the crucial need to ensure freedom of speech and respect for human rights, so that any complaints are heard in any country concerned by VPAs.