Verbatim report of proceedings

Thursday, 18 May 2017 - Strasbourg

12.5. Implementation of the EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement (A8-0123/2017 - Adam Szejnfeld)

Mündliche Erklärungen zur Abstimmung

  Michaela Šojdrová (PPE). – Já jsem podpořila tuto zprávu z vlastního podnětu o provádění dohody o volném obchodu mezi EU a Korejskou republikou. Ta dosavadní bilance potvrzuje, že obchodní dohoda je oboustranně velmi výhodná.

Pokud se týká zboží, tak Jižní Korea je 9. největší exportní destinací pro členské země EU, zatímco EU je 3. největším vývozním trhem ze strany Jižní Koreje. Proto vítám fakt, že se podařilo mezi EU a Jižní Koreou úspěšně odstranit téměř všechny celní překážky. Díky této dohodě, navýšení exportu do EU a korejským investicím se v EU vytvořilo 100 000 nových pracovních míst.

Nicméně upozorňuje tato zpráva také na to, že na korejské straně se začaly vyskytovat opatření ochranářského charakteru zavádějící necelní překážky. Jedná se např. o nové technické normy pro stroje dovážené z EU a je třeba, aby Komise na to dohlédla.

  Marian Harkin (ALDE). – Madam President, while there are a number of very positive suggestions in this resolution on the EU-Korea free-trade deal, I still abstained because of the proposals on setting up the special investor courts to replace the old ones. The new system would involve the setting up of special courts, outside the jurisdiction of national courts or the European Court of Justice, where investors could sue governments if they believe that the actions taken or the legislation adopted by those governments would put their investments at risk. Examples of this are where tobacco companies have successfully sued the Uruguay Government over public health legislation or where American waste companies successfully sued the Canadian Government when it tried to ban the export of toxic poly-chlorinated biphenyl (PCB) waste.

I strongly argue that we do not need special courts to protect investors. We do not have special courts to protect citizens’ rights, to protect the environment, or to protect human rights or workers’ rights. This week, the Commission launched a communication on harnessing globalisation and making it work for citizens. Giving the same level of protection to citizens, to workers and to investors would be a great start.

  Sean Kelly (PPE). – As we approach the fifth anniversary of the entry into force of the free-trade agreement (FTA) between the European Union and the Republic of Korea, I find it most timely that we should review its implementation. I therefore welcome this report’s assessment of an agreement that went so much further than previous FTAs in lifting trade barriers with our Asian partners. Notably, the agreement has led to a 47% increase in EU exports to Korea, transforming a EUR 7.6 billion deficit into a EUR 2.5 billion European Union trade surplus and creating 200 000 jobs.

Looking to the future, we should therefore aim to strengthen this trading relationship further, a relationship that we may harness to encourage further economic growth and development for the mutual benefit of the EU and Korean citizens: a ‘win win’!