REPORT on the EU's Strategy to deliver market access for European companies

7.1.2008 - (2007/2185(INI))

Committee on International Trade
Rapporteur: Ignasi Guardans Cambó

Procedure : 2007/2185(INI)
Document stages in plenary
Document selected :  
A6-0002/2008

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

on the EU's Strategy to deliver market access for European companies

(2007/2185(INI))

The European Parliament,

–   having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions entitled ‘Global Europe: A stronger partnership to deliver market access for European exporters’ (COM(2007)0183),

–   having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions entitled ‘Global Europe: competing in the world. A contribution to the EU’s Growth and Jobs Strategy’ (COM(2006)0567),

–   having regard to the Communication from the Commission entitled ‘Global Europe: Europe’s trade defence instruments in a changing global economy. A Green Paper for public consultation’ (COM(2006)0763),

–   having regard to its resolution of 28 September 2006 on the EU’s economic and trade relations with India[1],

–   having regard to its resolution of 25 October 2006 on the annual report from the Commission to the European Parliament on third country anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and safeguard action against the Community (2004)[2],

–   having regard to its resolution of 4 April 2006 on the assessment of the Doha Round following the WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong[3],

–   having regard to its resolution of 12 October 2006 on economic and trade relations between the EU and Mercosur with a view to the conclusion of an Interregional Association Agreement[4],

   having regard to its resolution of 1 June 2006 on EU-US transatlantic economic relations[5],

–   having regard to its resolution of 13 October 2005 on prospects for trade relations between the EU and China[6],

–   having regard to the Commission staff working document accompanying the Communication from the Commission entitled ‘Economic reforms and competitiveness: key messages from the European Competitiveness Report 2006’ (SEC(2006)1467),

–   having regard to the Communication from the Commission entitled ‘Implementing the Community Lisbon Programme: A policy framework to strengthen EU manufacturing - towards a more integrated approach for industrial policy’ (COM(2005)0474),

–   having regard to the Presidency conclusions of the European Council, held on 23 and 24 March 2006,

–   having regard to its resolution of 15 March 2006 on the input to the Spring 2006 European Council in relation to the Lisbon Strategy[7],

–   having regard to the Communication from the Commission entitled ‘EU − China: Closer Partners, growing responsibilities’ (COM(2006)0631) and the accompanying working document entitled ‘Closer Partners, Growing Responsibilities: A policy paper on EU-China trade and investment: Competition and Partnership’ (COM(2006)0632),

–   having regard to the Communication from the Commission entitled ‘Implementing the Community Lisbon Programme – Modern SME Policy for Growth and Employment’ - (COM(2005)0551),

–   having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

–   having regard to the report of the Committee on International Trade and the opinion of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (A6-0002/2008),

A. whereas the European Union is a key player in world trade and should continue to show leadership in the global economic system in order to make it fairer and more respectful of environmental and social rights,

B.   whereas the European Union is the world's largest exporter and the biggest service provider and has therefore a strong interest in ensuring that new markets for goods, services and investments are opened,

C. whereas the European Union needs to implement more ambitious and forward-looking strategies in order to meet the challenges of globalisation and to confront increased competition from major emerging economies, while preserving the European economic, regional and social model,

D. whereas it agrees that economic openness both at home and abroad is vital for creating jobs and growth as well as for maintaining international competitiveness; and whereas the European Union should therefore, within the framework of the market access strategy, continue its work of opening EU markets as well as encouraging its trading partners to bring down their own barriers, further opening their markets,

E.  whereas adequate access to third-country markets will enable European Union domestic producers to remain leaders in high added-value goods and services, to enhance the innovation of their products, promote creativity, protect intellectual property rights (IPRs) and to achieve significant economies of scale,

F.  whereas developments in international trade make access to third-country markets as important as defending European Union markets from unfair trading practices,

G. whereas trade liberalisation and the increasing volume of trade promote international competition, but also increase the risk of exports being subject to trade barriers, which have a damaging impact on the international competitiveness of European Union firms,

H. whereas the competitiveness of the European Union economy cannot fail to be affected by protectionist behaviour which is not based on World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, whether inside or outside the Community,

I.   whereas the dismantling of trade barriers will certainly enhance Europe's exports of goods and services and guarantee steady growth in the European Union economy,

J.   whereas account should be taken of the ineffective protection of IPRs, including geographical indications and appellations of origin, by the European Union's trading partners globally,

K. whereas it is of the utmost importance to make a distinction between a priori unjustified trade barriers resulting from the incoherent implementation of established bilateral and multilateral trade rules, and trade barriers resulting from the legitimate legislative and administrative activity of public authorities that originates in fields other than trade but has unintended consequences on trade,

L.  whereas burdensome customs procedures for import, export and transit, sanitary and phytosanitary restrictions, not justified within existing WTO rules, the unfair use of trade defence instruments (TDIs) and a poor protection of IPRs are clearly a priori unjustified trade barriers which need to be addressed in order to facilitate market access for European companies,

M. whereas, despite the extreme difficulty of estimating with any accuracy the volume of European Union trade hampered by foreign market restrictions, it seems clear that trade barriers have a significant impact on overall European Union export performance,

N. whereas the European Union's economic presence is generally stronger in industrialised countries where demand is static but significantly weaker in rapidly growing areas and in emerging markets such as China and India,

O. whereas the European Union is generally considered to be a very open and transparent market which seriously tackles anti-competitive behaviours and guarantees fair conditions to all imports irrespective of their origin,

P.  whereas high tariffs still constitute a significant obstacle to trade, especially in relations with major emerging countries,

Q. whereas the WTO, despite the fact that it is the only effective forum for securing market access and achieving fair and equitable trade globally, continues to be insufficiently regulatory and binding; whereas the projection of the European governance model may contribute to the further development of suitable rules and ensure a more stable and more comprehensive regulatory system for world trade,

R.  whereas it is in the Commission's general interest to ensure that the commercial legislation and practices adopted by its partners comply as far as possible with WTO and other international rules,

S.  whereas obstacles to trade and behind-the-border barriers not only damage trade in goods but also significantly affect trade in services and public procurement,

T.  whereas solving problems and being more effective in the defence of industry's legitimate interests and expectations would also be beneficial for the European Union in terms of visibility and credibility,

U. whereas meeting the objectives of the revised Lisbon Agenda requires industries in the European Union to develop and sustain stable competitive positions in the global market,

V. whereas this competitiveness, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), increasingly relies on research, development, innovation and IPRs,

W. whereas two prerequisites of this competitiveness are a safe and secure energy supply on the one hand, and unimpeded access for European Union businesses to state-of-the-art information and communication technologies on the other,

General overview

1.  Stresses that the successful implementation of a revised, more ambitious market access strategy, intended to open new world markets to European products and services, is likely not only to expand the European Union's global role , but also to protect existing jobs and create new jobs in Europe, enhance the European Union's competitiveness and thus substantially contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy;

2.  Recalls that the EU's strategy to deliver market access is intended specifically to address developed and emerging economies;

3.  Stresses that the European Union's performance in exports to both developed and emerging economies is often hindered by a lack of reciprocity as regards market access conditions, an insufficient degree of compliance with international trade rules and the proliferation of unfair trading practices;

4.  Urges the Commission to ensure that the European Union's legitimate trade interests are defended against the abusive or unfair trade practices of third countries; and takes the view that, when third countries unjustifiably restrict access to their markets by European Union companies, the European Union should react rapidly and firmly;

5.  Notes the increasing importance of regulatory issues in international trade; calls for greater consistency between European Union rules and practices and those of its main trading partners; and emphasises that the harmonisation of rules and regulations should not lead to a weakening of health, safety or environmental and social laws in Europe, but instead trigger the adoption of better rules by the European Unions' major trading partners;

6.  Calls on the Commission and the Member States to adopt a long-term approach to structural distortions that, by their nature, are likely to continue or recur even after the Commission has taken steps; urges the Commission not to disregard cases in which there is no likelihood of the early elimination of barriers where their removal is nevertheless needed to restore a level playing-field in key foreign markets;

7.  Calls on the Commission to consider serious and systematic breaches of the WTO agreements and rules and other international trade laws as requiring a prompt remedy, and to ensure that the enforcement of such rules is not subordinated to political and economic considerations other than those relevant to the case in hand;

8.  Urges third countries to lift foreign ownership restrictions on European companies and to remove discriminatory rules;

9.  Welcomes the approach suggested by the Commission to the selection of market access priorities, but urges it also to consider other criteria which would ensure that this new initiative assists the largest possible number of economic operators in the European Union and in particular SMEs, whose survival depends ineluctably on the clear definition and the effective enforcement of IPRs and definitive restrictions on monopoly rents;

10. Stresses that success in the fight against trade barriers will stimulate investment, production and trade in the European Union and worldwide by, inter alia, making market access conditions more transparent, predictable and competitive and establishing or strengthening the link between the European Union and international markets;

11. Believes that Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the European Union’s target countries will be meaningless unless they secure significant market access and real progress in reducing and eventually eliminating non-tariff barriers which, it is worth recalling, are often more trade-distorting than tariff barriers;

The Commission's Communication

12. Welcomes the Commission's initiative to set up a stronger partnership to deliver market access for European exporters, particularly to achieve concrete results for European businesses by improving market access in emergent markets where European businesses encounter new and complex barriers to trade and investment; and welcomes the Commission's initiative to coordinate the objectives and tools of the European Union's trade policy and market access strategy in a way that effectively harnesses the European Union's potential in the fields of international trade and global competitiveness;

13. Welcomes, in particular, the Commission's proposals for establishing a stronger partnership between the Commission, the Member States, and European Union businesses with a view to directly helping economic operators overcome the concrete difficulties they encounter in accessing third-country markets in a manner and time-frame that is compatible with business reality;

14. Takes the view that the Commission can play a significant role in the implementation of the new market access strategy by ensuring an appropriate degree of coordination between actions at national and Community levels, harnessing resources which would otherwise be scattered and securing a more efficient defence of European exporters' rights and interests;

15. Takes the view that the European Union has an irreplaceable role to play in guaranteeing a level playing-field in international trade in close cooperation with the Member States and having regard to the principle of subsidiarity and the balance of existing competencies;

16. Emphasizes the importance of a periodic qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the results of the market access strategy to assess its effectiveness; calls on the Commission to develop an appropriate market access action plan and submit a yearly report on market access to Parliament similar to the one which is already submitted in relation to TDIs;

17. Regrets that several reasonable and experience-based recommendations from the business community have been disregarded in the above mentioned Communication entitled "Global Europe: A stronger partnership to deliver market access for European exporters"; and urges the Commission to take them into consideration when implementing that Communication;

Market access initiatives in the European Union

18. Stresses the need for further cooperation between the Commission and the Member States with a view to sharing information and good practices; calls on the Member States to create networks of national or, if appropriate, regional help-desks to centralise information and claims, with special attention being paid to the interests and needs of SMEs; 

19. Takes the view that the efficacy of such networks would be significantly enhanced if national and local industry associations, chambers of commerce, SME associations and trade promotion agencies participated in the setting-up process;

20. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to enhance the role of the Market Access Advisory Committee (MAAC) and to ensure permanent liaison with the Article 133 Committee, the Trade Barriers Regulation Committee and other relevant committees;

21. Calls on the Commission to set up a system of permanent dialogue enabling Member States and, when appropriate, regions and other European stakeholders to share information and define strategies and priorities;

22. Calls on the Commission to consider the following when implementing its market access strategy:

—   appointing more Brussels-based staff to the unit dealing with market access issues;

—    creating an effective complaints register within DG Trade;

—    developing structured guidelines for dealing with each category of non-tariff barrier;

—    creating a help-desk for Member States and companies (with a section dedicated to SMEs) within DG Trade;

—    revising and enhancing the communication policy relating to market access services provided by the Commission, with particular emphasis on SMEs;

—    increasing the number of potential users by offering basic information (e.g. brochures and leaflets) in all the official languages of the European Union;

—    improving the Market Access Database (MADB) to better meet business needs and make it more user-friendly;

—    improving internal cooperation, coherence and communication among those Commission services which deal with market access issues;

    ensuring the participation of representatives of the business community in the MAAC;

    developing structured guidelines for priorities, including which markets, sectors and barriers should be focused on;

    strengthening its position in international standardisation bodies, such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO);

Market access initiatives in third countries

23. Calls for more structured coordination between the Commission and the Member States in third countries, which would enable a more efficient use to be made of diplomatic and governmental resources dealing with market access issues;

24. Stresses the need for an unambiguous and ambitious mandate to be given to European Union delegations and to the newly created Market Access Teams located in third countries; reiterates that the market access strategy will be successful only if Member States are ready to contribute with their own resources, both human and financial, in proportion to their means, interest and objectives;

25. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to enhance cooperation with European chambers of commerce, trade associations and Member State trade promotion agencies located in third countries, and to ensure the appropriate exchange of information between delegations, Member State embassies, other governmental foreign trade bodies and interested European business associations;

26.Calls on the Commission to reprioritise the deployment and eventually to increase the human resources available for European Union delegations, so that more staff are available to start up and ensure the successful functioning of market access teams, in particular in key delegations such as, inter alia, Beijing, New Delhi, Moscow and Brasilia;

Sectoral issues

27. Supports the setting-up of dedicated initiatives, within the market access strategy framework, to tackle in particular barriers in the fields of services, public procurement, investment and IPRs, State aid and other subsidies, and to establish rules on competition and their adequate implementation in third countries;

28. Urges the Commission and the Member States to ensure that SMEs are able to consistently benefit from the new market access initiatives; calls on the Commission to define ad hoc actions aimed at strengthening the presence of SME products in third-country markets and defending their legitimate rights vis-à-vis one-sided third-country practices;

The multilateral approach

29. Stresses the need to create synergies with the European Union's major trade partners (such as the United States of America, Canada and Japan) with a view to defining a common market access strategy and to paving the way to a much needed multilateral agreement on market access;

30. Reiterates the need to further promote deeper international regulatory cooperation and approximation in order to remove wasteful duplication and reduce costs for consumers, industry and governments; calls on the Commission to promote the progressive approximation of the standards and rules of the European Union and its trading partners, both multilaterally and bilaterally;

31. Urges the Commission to promote dedicated WTO mechanisms allowing faster consideration to address new and emerging non-tariff barriers; in this respect, the Commission should encourage other trade partners to make greater use of the notification procedures under the Agreements on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBTs);

32. Insists on maintaining a clear focus on enforcement and in ensuring compliance by third countries with their WTO obligations, by pursuing this right under the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism;

Looking ahead                                                                                             

33. Takes the view that, unless justified by development concerns, the European Union should deploy its best efforts to obtain concessions from its trading partners that are proportionate to their level of development;

34. Urges the Commission to include in the new generation FTAs and in other agreements having trade implications clear enforcement and dispute settlement provisions, especially designed to tackle 'behind-the-border' barriers;

35. Invites the European Union's trade partners to dismantle any barriers restricting market access for goods and services and instead to optimize mutual commercial opportunities on the basis of reciprocity, including through satisfactory implementation of market opening measures resulting from bilateral, regional and multilateral negotiations;

36. Calls on the Commission to report to Parliament annually on the progress and results of the market access strategy, paying particular attention to the priorities which have been set;

o

o o

37. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, to the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

  • [1]  OJ C 306 E, 15.12.2006, p. 400.
  • [2]  OJ C 313 E, 20.12.2006, p. 276.
  • [3]  OJ C 293 E, 2.12.2006, p. 155.
  • [4]  OJ C 308 E, 16.12.2006, p. 182.
  • [5]  OJ C 298 E, 8.12.2006, p. 235.
  • [6]  OJ C 233 E, 28.9.2006, p. 103.
  • [7]  OJ C 291 E, 30.11.2006, p. 321.

Explanatory statement

The communication entitled ‘Global Europe: a stronger partnership to deliver market access for European exporters’, issued by the Commission on 18 April 2007, unquestionably marks a significant step towards better and more effective protection of Europe’s global trading interests.

EU external trade policy, initially neglected by the ‘Lisbon strategy’, has in recent years, returned conspicuously to the fore as a focus of topical interest. Globalisation has cast doubt on the long-established equilibrium and necessitated a profound rethink of the EU’s aims and priorities, both internal and external.

The competitiveness of European industry certainly needs to be placed at the heart of the Community agenda. If European firms can be made more competitive, it will be possible to create skilled jobs, secure Europe’s economic growth, guarantee the survival of the European welfare system, and ensure that the EU can remain a major trading power in the 21st century.

Over the past few years the Commission has pinned many of its hopes on a satisfactory outcome to the Doha Round negotiations and often underestimated the contribution that commercial policy could make to the success of the Lisbon strategy. The failure of the multilateral negotiations and the rather fruitless European initiatives in the area of competitiveness have lately compelled the EU to revise its approach from top to bottom; the Lisbon strategy was thus altered in 2005, and a communication, ‘Global Europe: competing in the world’, published in 2006.

One of the central aspects of ‘Global Europe’ is undoubtedly market access. The reasons for this are many and varied. The EU is the world’s biggest exporter of goods, the main provider of services, and the leader in the field of public procurement and financial and insurance services. It is, in other words, a great trading power oriented towards exports.

Europe’s competitiveness is due to the quality of its labour force, a tradition of excellence dating back many centuries, and a very largely competition-driven single market on which unfair trading practices are severely punished. The very high degree of openness and transparency on the Community market is not, however, matched by the markets of Europe’s main trading partners.

The problems lie especially in the emerging countries, which are recording the highest economic growth rates and constitute some of the most promising markets for European goods and services. This is a particularly important point, given that the EU’s trading presence is far more substantial in virtually ‘saturated’ industrialised countries such as the United States than in emerging countries like China and India. Better access to foreign markets for high value added European products and services could help halting Europe’s current industrial decline and greatly benefit economic growth and employment.

The multilateral negotiations and the establishment of the WTO have done some good in that they have served to reduce, if not eliminate, the tariff barriers that once hampered the development of world trade.

As far as non-tariff barriers are concerned, however, the picture is not so rosy. On account of baffling customs procedures, discriminatory health or technical regulations, various administrative obstacles, serious infringements of intellectual property rights, and restrictive practices regarding public procurement or foreign investment, access to the markets of certain non-EU countries is an extremely difficult and expensive matter, especially for SMEs with limited funds and resources.

Doing away with non-tariff barriers is easy. But just as the heads of the mythical Hydra kept growing back, so are new obstacles being created every day, and they are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and difficult to remove. In fact non-tariff barriers vary so widely, that their impact on world trade cannot be reliably assessed. But even without accurate figures, it is reasonable to suppose that they have very serious repercussions on Europe’s export performance and must consequently be fought with the utmost determination.

The removal of these restrictions on trade would help not only the more industrialised countries, but also, and above all, the developing countries, which, because of their relative economic weakness and dearth of resources, are to all intents and purposes powerless in the face of abusive practices.

Although your rapporteur – endorses the substance of the communication on market access, he also feels compelled to point out that the Commission could have done more and should have been bolder.

The Commission apparently is not concerned by the number of officials dealing with market access, either in the EU or in non-EU countries (in a large delegation such as the one based in Beijing, for example, commercial counsellors make up just 7% of the staff). Nor does the communication say anything about any funds earmarked with a view to setting up a European information and support system for exporting firms; and it ought, moreover, to have paid greater heed to the proposals from the business world.

Many of the innovations mentioned in the communication require the active participation of the Member States. Unless they participate enthusiastically and without reservations, the new market access strategy outlined by the Commission is doomed to failure. Member States must therefore purposefully shoulder their responsibilities and provide the economic and human resources needed for the initiative to succeed. Those resources are to some extent already available, but they are woefully underused. Pooling national trade resources, exchanging information on a regular basis, and setting up an effective network with all those involved in support to trade (at national or regional level): all those are actions that could help promoting the external competitiveness of Europe as a whole.

The Commission has an important role to play. Europe must speak with one voice and work out a consistent political approach to those trading partners which are reluctant to open up their markets. The Commission should undertake the task of mobilising resources which might otherwise be squandered and organising EU initiatives, without, however, encroaching on roles and duties that should fall to Member States. In addition, a ‘complaints office’ should be set up to receive complaints and pass them on, if need be, to the proper national authorities.

The Commission should also improve its communication policy where market access is concerned by holding seminars and discussion forums in Brussels and Member States, offering better basic services (for example brochures or instructions in all European languages), and organising training for officials and business representatives serving on market access teams in non-EU countries or responsible for market access in Member States. The dialogue with Member States should be carried on through the Market Access Advisory Committee, which should be given greater powers of initiative and guidance.

The Madb (Market Access Database) is a useful tool for measures to combat non-tariff barriers. Its usefulness could, however, be enhanced by making the system more user-friendly and expanding it to include content and information relevant to businesspeople and special sections on services and public procurement.

The Commission should, furthermore, base its action on an accurate assessment of the economic interests at stake, in which the interest of the European economy as a whole should take precedence over the interests – albeit legitimate – of specific individuals and sectors. It would also be highly desirable to strengthen the initiatives aimed at SMEs: otherwise the danger would be that the benefits of the renewed Community commitment to market access might be confined to a small number of strong, influential economic sectors, without extending to those firms which today still account for most of the European economic fabric and are more likely to be hit by the restrictive practices laid down in other quarters.

The EU must not be afraid to defend its legitimate interests, whether through a more coherent and resolute commercial and diplomatic policy or by employing the means afforded by the WTO or provided for under regional or bilateral agreements (the WTO dispute settlement body being an obvious example).

The new generation of trade agreements should include safeguard clauses allowing the EU to remove non-tariff barriers without delay and at the lowest possible cost to business operators and European taxpayers.

A successful outcome to the Doha negotiations could have led to breakthroughs in terms of market access. Without neglecting negotiations on bilateral agreements with Europe’s main trading partners, the Commission should press for a framework agreement whereby specific regulation could be brought to bear on matters related to non-tariff barriers and settlements reached rapidly whenever disputes arose on account of a failure to enforce, or non-compliance with, the agreement.

Some points should have been discussed in more depth, including the obligation for WTO member countries to notify any measures likely to obstruct trade, and the establishment of an ad hoc arbitration body to settle disputes and, where appropriate, authorise retaliatory trade measures.

Another way to lessen the impact of non-tariff barriers is to harmonise the regulations of WTO member countries. The progress achieved in the Transatlantic Regulatory Dialogue with the United States should encourage the Commission to bring other trading partners within the scope of this initiative.

Finally, the efforts to combat barriers to trade depend on better international consultation. Securing competition-driven open markets helps the entire world economy, no matter where producers of goods and services might be based. This principle holds good both within the EU (European societies should cooperate more closely among themselves) and outside, for countries sharing the same trading interests.

Parliament has a key role to play in shaping the EU’s trading priorities. Permanent consultations should be organised with the relevant parliamentary committee; an annual report (along the lines of the arrangement applying to trade defence instruments) should be drawn up on the system implemented by the Commission; and, where appropriate, the EP should be involved in initiatives and high-level missions aimed at settling market access disputes: these would all be desirable steps to take, not least to help prepare for entry into force of the new ‘constitutional’ treaty.

Conclusions and recommendations

The new market access strategy outlined by the Commission marks a significant step forward, but it is not enough. The Commission has had the merit of reopening the market access debate, but, together with the Member States, it has to do more, and above all be bolder, if it intends to make a success of this initiative.

The communication must accordingly be ‘fleshed out’ to encompass new ideas and the new input required in the light both of business needs and of experience on the ground. The market access teams and the Madb in non-EU countries cannot succeed unless they are given the necessary backing by the Commission and national governments and prove capable of offering a real service to European industry. European businesses, especially SMEs, must be put in a position to take advantage of the Commission’s services, and the way to make that happen lies in a more effective information policy and more fully developed national and regional support.

The external aspects of the communication undoubtedly need to be strengthened. In addition to more purposeful use of the means already available, new multilateral or bilateral instruments need to be provided (respectively in the WTO and by concluding free trade or partnership and cooperation agreements) so as to enable non-tariff barriers to be removed and effective action taken to stamp out abuses.

It would also be desirable to work in closer coordination with other industrialised countries, establish regulatory dialogues, and gradually harmonise technical and health regulations, without weakening the protection afforded to European citizens.

OPINION of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (27.11.2007)

for the Committee on International Trade

on the EU's strategy to deliver market access for European companies
(2007/2185(INI))

Draftswoman: Edit Herczog

SUGGESTIONS

The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy calls on the Committee on International Trade, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following suggestions in its motion for a resolution:

-   having regard to its resolution of 22 May 2007 on Global Europe - External aspects of competitiveness[1],

A. whereas meeting the objectives of the revised Lisbon Agenda requires industries in the European Union to develop and sustain stable competitive positions in the global markets,

B.  whereas this competitiveness, especially for SMEs, increasingly relies on research, development, innovation and intellectual property,

C. whereas two prerequisites of this competitiveness are a safe and secure energy supply on the one hand and unimpeded access for EU businesses to state-of-the-art information and communication technologies on the other,

D. whereas the EU, both as an integrated market and as an international organisation, can effectively contribute with its expertise and negotiating power to the efforts of EU businesses to access third country markets,

1.  Welcomes the Commission's initative to coordinate the objectives and tools of the EU's trade policy and market access strategy in a way that effectively harnesses the EU's potential in the fields of international trade and global competitiveness;

2.  Stresses the importance of targeted and thematic (rather than sectoral) prioritisation of the actions to be undertaken to promote the external competitiveness of EU businesses and particularly insists on the need to develop and effectively implement rules on the protection of intellectual property;

3.  Calls on the Member States, business associations and other representative organisations together with the Commission to step up their efforts and to contribute to cooperation, benchmarking and the exchange of know-how and best practices, so that shared EU trade know-how can be better serve the interests of EU businesses, in particular SMEs operating in third country markets.

RESULT OF FINAL VOTE IN COMMITTEE

Date adopted

22.11.2007

Result of final vote

+:

–:

0:

36

0

0

Members present for the final vote

Jan Březina, Jerzy Buzek, Pilar del Castillo Vera, Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, Giles Chichester, Den Dover, Nicole Fontaine, Adam Gierek, Norbert Glante, Umberto Guidoni, András Gyürk, David Hammerstein, Erna Hennicot-Schoepges, Ján Hudacký, Romana Jordan Cizelj, Werner Langen, Anne Laperrouze, Eluned Morgan, Angelika Niebler, Reino Paasilinna, Miloslav Ransdorf, Vladimír Remek, Paul Rübig, Andres Tarand, Britta Thomsen, Radu Ţîrle, Patrizia Toia, Catherine Trautmann, Claude Turmes, Nikolaos Vakalis, Alejo Vidal-Quadras

Substitute(s) present for the final vote

Neena Gill, Lambert van Nistelrooij, Vladimir Urutchev

Substitute(s) under Rule 178(2) present for the final vote

 

Holger Krahmer, Umberto Pirilli

RESULT OF FINAL VOTE IN COMMITTEE

Date adopted

18.12.2007

Result of final vote

+:

–:

0:

22

5

1

Members present for the final vote

Francisco Assis, Graham Booth, Daniel Caspary, Christofer Fjellner, Ignasi Guardans Cambó, Jacky Hénin, Syed Kamall, Sajjad Karim, Alain Lipietz, Caroline Lucas, Marusya Ivanova Lyubcheva, Erika Mann, David Martin, Vural Öger, Georgios Papastamkos, Godelieve Quisthoudt-Rowohl, Peter Šťastný, Robert Sturdy, Gianluca Susta, Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna, Iuliu Winkler, Corien Wortmann-Kool

Substitute(s) present for the final vote

Stavros Arnaoutakis, Jean-Pierre Audy, Jens Holm, Jan Marinus Wiersma,

Substitute(s) under Rule 178(2) present for the final vote

 

Guy Bono, Ulrich Stockmann