Doslovný zápis z rozpráv

Pondelok, 4. júla 2011 - Štrasburg

27. Efektívnejší a spravodlivejší obchodno-distribučný trh (stručná prezentácia)

  President. − The next item is the report by Anna Maria Corazza Bildt, on behalf of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, on a more efficient and fairer retail market (2010/2109(INI)) (A7-0217/2011).

  Anna Maria Corazza Bildt, rapporteur. − Mr President, did you know that retail provides almost 20 million jobs and continued to employ throughout the crisis? Our report is about creating more jobs in Europe. The time has come to recognise that retailers are drivers of growth. Did you know, and can you imagine, that if you buy a toy in one Member State for your child, you have to retest it to get additional certification in another Member State? Did you know that you have to repack a cheese to market it on a cross-border basis? What a waste.

Our report is about removing borders and barriers to the free movement of goods and services. This is the backbone of European integration and the single market. For the first time we are putting retail on the map of EU policy-making. This has never been done before. I am very grateful to shadows and colleagues who have made a great contribution in making a cross-political commitment to call for an action plan for retail, based on a long-term and holistic approach.

I am really glad that this has been anchored in the new Single Market Act. We are not shying away from controversial issues: unfair commercial practices, private labels, extra fees, to name but a few, as well as tax and trade laws. I know how many colleagues care about people and consumers with reduced mobility or who live in remote and isolated areas or in town centres. We are calling for action on this as well.

Actually our entire report is a call for action. We are asking Member States to implement and enforce existing internal market legislation and competition law, goods packages, service directives, the Small Business Act and to remove the hidden and hideous new restrictions that have been put up in recent years.

We call on the Commission to take tough measures against breaches of internal market legislation, to crack down on unfair commercial practices, to create a true common European payment area and to remove obstacles, especially for e-commerce. We asked the stakeholders to accept their shared responsibility – with regard to the environment and corporate social responsibility – and to continue to innovate as they are doing. They also have to invest more in skills and competence-building.

I am really grateful that colleagues in committee overwhelmingly trusted my line, based on self-regulation. Measures imposed top-down and parachuted will not yield better results or be more efficient than measures that the retailers throughout the supply chain would themselves adopt, share, shape and own. This will require much more commitment from us in public-private partnerships.

This is my first report. In eight months of consultation it has been a fantastic journey, which has already produced results. We have seen more direct, more intense and more constructive dialogue from people whose relationships used to be solely confrontational. I am very encouraged to see these signs of commitment and shared responsibility from the retail community.

Please, colleagues, let us give voluntary initiative a chance. But we also want to see concrete results. The time for denial is over. That is why, in the report, we gave ourselves an instrument to continue to assess progress and keep all parties engaged with the yearly retail round table. This is a living report.

From the Vikings to Venice, trade has always been a force of progress, economic development and peace. Let us keep up our commitment to putting the real economy at the centre of the political agenda. We should not give in to the wind of protectionism that is blowing throughout Europe. We should keep our commitment and stand up for a truly border-free Europe.

  Malcolm Harbour (ECR). - Mr President, it gives me great pleasure to speak again this evening both as committee chairman and as the shadow rapporteur for this really important report. I want to congratulate Anna Maria Corazza Bildt on the very ambitious and very courageous way in which she tackled this report. She had a clear vision of what she wanted to achieve and she has carried it through, and she has cooperated effectively with everyone involved. That is crucial, and she does not exaggerate the importance of what the committee has achieved.

As she said, we have had visits and representations from people in the retail sector whom we had never seen before and who had never engaged with the European Parliament before. And yet, as she emphasises, retailers of all sizes are absolutely at the cutting edge both of the internal market and in delivering for consumers. That is the first point in many cases where consumer protection has to operate. So this is indeed a landmark report, but it is also one that demonstrates the value of the political initiative. We took up an embryo initiative from the Commission, a working document. The Commission had not decided to proceed to any sort of Green Paper. I now hope that they will take it more seriously. I think they will, as I hope Mrs Malmström will confirm later.

In conclusion, it is a great shame that in this Chamber we now do not have the chance to have a proper debate on really important reports, such as the one we have just heard about from Mrs Rapti and this report from Mrs Corazza Bildt. The procedures of this House need to be changed to allow us to engage with successful rapporteurs and to have really full debates on these issues, instead of these very truncated sessions that we are now forced to live with.

  Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL). - Senhor Presidente, é verdade que o comércio retalhista sofre ataques sérios, sobretudo em países onde este comércio é exercido por micro e pequenas empresas do tipo familiar e onde, nalguns casos, o poder de compra das populações está a diminuir. Em particular, as zonas menos urbanas onde desempenha um papel social importante, vivem momentos de angústia. Estou a falar com base numa experiência, a do meu país, Portugal, onde este comércio retalhista, de tipo familiar, está a ser alvo de ataques sérios, seja pelo comércio desigual, por uma concorrência desleal das grandes superfícies comerciais, seja pelas dificuldades de acesso ao crédito, seja também pela baixa do poder de compra das populações devido ao aumento da pobreza e do desemprego.

Por isso, são estes dados (que já foram aqui trazidos mas que eu queria também acrescentar) a que, creio, a Comissão deve dar a maior atenção.

  Seán Kelly (PPE). - A Uachtaráin, chuir sé ardú meanman orm an méid a dúirt an rapóirtéir Anna Maria Corazza Bildt faoin ábhar tábhachtach seo.

I am pleased to have an opportunity to say a few words about it.

Coming from Ireland where we are in the middle of a difficult recession – IMF bail-out, etc. – I can see exactly where the problems in relation to retail are. One of the real issues here is the survival of businesses – SMEs – in town centres, etc. which are competing against the big multinationals. While we need regulation I am prepared to go along with self-regulation up to a point, but at the same time we have to ensure that the consumer, the processor, the producer and the retailer are all given fair play, and particularly that consumers can have confidence that they are getting fair value for money. I think what we can do at EU level is to give some kind of coherence to that, and certainly this is a start in that regard.

  Cecilia Malmström, membre de la Commission. − Monsieur le Président, Mesdames et Messieurs les députés, le rapport dont nous discutons en ce moment représente une nouvelle étape importante vers la reconnaissance du rôle–clé du secteur du commerce de détail pour le marché intérieur, dans la ligne du rapport de la Commission de juillet 2010 sur l'exercice de surveillance du marché du commerce et de la distribution. Je souhaite, à cet égard, remercier Mme Anna–Maria Corazza Bildt pour son excellent travail et son projet de rapport.

La Commission est elle–même convaincue de la nécessité d'accorder ...

(Le Président interrompt l'oratrice)

une attention particulière à ce secteur, qui est un pilier de l'économie européenne. Elle l'a d'ailleurs déjà démontré dans son rapport sur l'exercice de surveillance du marché du commerce et de la distribution, ainsi que dans l'acte pour le marché unique.

La Commission se réjouit donc de constater que le Parlement approuve l'approche globale proposée dans le rapport de juillet 2010, qui prend en compte, non seulement les performances économiques du secteur de la distribution, mais également l'impact direct pour les citoyens, les consommateurs, les salariés, les agriculteurs, les PME, ou encore pour l'environnement, des pratiques et décisions concernant ce secteur.

La Commission reconnaît également la nécessité de coordonner les différentes politiques et initiatives liées au secteur. À ce titre, nous allons étudier l'idée d'élaborer un plan d'action européen global pour le commerce de détail, qui établirait une stratégie plus explicite et plus cohérente pour le secteur, tout en s'appuyant sur les initiatives déjà développées par la Commission, telles que le forum de haut niveau sur l'amélioration du fonctionnement de la chaîne d'approvisionnement alimentaire ou les initiatives en matière de développement durable.

Par ailleurs, je me réjouis de toutes les initiatives proposées dans le rapport qui sont susceptibles d'améliorer le dialogue entre les institutions et les parties intéressées, comme la table ronde sur le commerce de détail qui sera organisée par le Parlement européen.

J'ai bien pris note de ce que le Parlement souhaite voir accorder une importance particulière au traitement de certains des problèmes identifiés dans notre rapport de juillet dernier. Je relèverai, en particulier, la persistance d'obstacles difficilement justifiables à la libre circulation des biens et des services, et notamment de certaines difficultés persistantes pour les entreprises d'accéder à certains marchés.

Je relèverai aussi, du point de vue des consommateurs, les plus isolés notamment, les problèmes croissants d'accessibilité des commerces et d'accès au commerce électronique. Je relève, à ce sujet, les inquiétudes du Parlement européen face à des règles nationales pouvant restreindre l'établissement d'opérateurs provenant d'autres États membres.

Le manque de loyauté dans les pratiques contractuelles et commerciales entre entreprises est un sujet d'inquiétude commun à nos deux institutions. La Commission a commencé à travailler sur le sujet et prévoit d'adopter dans les prochains mois, conformément à ce que demande le Parlement, une communication sur les législations et instruments nationaux encadrant les pratiques déloyales entre entreprises ainsi que sur les problèmes qui se posent d'un point de vue européen et l'éventuelle opportunité d'agir.

Je citerai, enfin, parmi nos préoccupations communes, la nécessité d'encourager la consommation durable.

En conclusion, Monsieur le Président, la Commission se réjouit de voir attribuer au secteur du commerce la place qui lui revient en raison de son importance tant économique que sociale et sociétale. Elle accordera au traitement des problèmes liés à ce secteur toute l'importance qu'ils méritent, en pleine coopération avec le Parlement européen.

  President. − The debate is closed.

The vote will take place on Tuesday, 5 July 2011.