MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
8.11.2006
pursuant to Rule 103(2) of the Rules of Procedure
by Cristiana Muscardini, Eugenijus Maldeikis, Roberta Angelilli and Mieczysław Edmund Janowski
on behalf of the UEN Group
on the European Union’s Generalised System of Preferences
B6‑0580/2006
European Parliament resolution on the European Union’s Generalised System of Preferences
The European Parliament,
– having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 980/2005[1] of 27 June 2005 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences,
– having regard to Commission Decision 2005/924/EC[2] on the list of the beneficiary countries which qualify for the special incentive arrangements for sustainable development and good governance provided for by Article 26(e) of Council Regulation (EC) No 980/2005 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences,,
– having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas the special incentive arrangements for sustainable development and good governance (GSP+) involve granting preferential access to European markets for goods originating in developing countries implementing certain international standards in human and labour rights, environmental protection, the fight against drugs and good governance,
B. whereas the criteria for obtaining tariff preferences under GSP+ include ratification and effective implementation of core ILO conventions on freedom of association, collective bargaining, non-discrimination in employment and elimination of child and forced labour, as listed in Part A of Annex III of the Regulation,
C. whereas the Commission, in its decision of 21 December 2005, granted special incentive arrangements to Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Sri Lanka, Republic of Moldova, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, El Salvador and Venezuela,
D. whereas all the countries granted GSP+ have ratified the relevant conventions listed in Annex III of the Regulation, including the recent ratification by El Salvador of the two remaining ILO conventions,
E. whereas the effectiveness of the implementation of the relevant UN and ILO conventions should be regularly assessed on the basis of the conclusions of relevant monitoring bodies, including the ILO, and with due regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,
F. whereas, under Article 16 of the GSP Regulation, safeguard clauses and temporary withdrawals must be applied, as a last resort and with due respect for the principle of proportionality, to countries that commit serious and systematic violations of the principles laid down in the international conventions listed in Part A of Annex III of the Regulation,
G. whereas any temporary withdrawal should be applied in accordance with the procedure set out in Articles 18 and 19 of the Regulation,
1. Stresses the importance of the decision taken by the Commission to grant preferences under the GSP+ scheme to the countries listed in Commission Decision 2005/924/EC;
2. Notes that, despite their ratification of the relevant ILO conventions, repeated infringements in relation to workers’ rights have been reported as occurring in many of those countries and that if these infringements are found to constitute serious and systematic violation of the ILO’s core labour rights they could, as laid down in Article 16 of the Regulation, provide grounds for temporary withdrawal of GSP+ preferences;
3. Calls on the Commission to strengthen its commitment to monitoring the implementation of the ILO conventions in the GSP+ beneficiary countries, taking into account the opinion of the beneficiary countries in the regular process of control and monitoring, and, in particular, to carry out its obligations under Article 18 of the Regulation;
4. Stresses particularly the need to effectively in this field with the ILO; requests that the Commission make recommendations to the beneficiary governments concerned that they should achieve effective implementation of ILO conventions, and stresses that their failure to demonstrate relevant progress towards effective implementation could lead to temporary withdrawal of GSP+ privileges in accordance with the procedures contemplated in the GSP Plus Council Regulation;
5. Asks the Commission to keep Parliament regularly informed of the results of its monitoring process concerning the implementation of the UN and ILO conventions and the level of compliance by GSP+ beneficiary countries, as well as at an early stage of any recommendation for a temporary withdrawal of preferences under Article 16 of the Regulation;
6. Insists that a thorough assessment of the effectiveness of implementation of core ILO conventions must be carried out before any renewal of the GSP+ preferences can be granted at the expiry of the current Regulation in 2008; calls on the Commission and the Council to ensure that Parliament’s views on the extension of GSP+ scheme to specific countries are taken into account;
7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.