Ausführliche Sitzungsberichte

Mittwoch, 4. Oktober 2023 - Straßburg

19. Schema allgemeiner Zollpräferenzen (kurze Darstellung)

  President. – The next item is the short presentation of the report by Heidi Hautala, on behalf of the Committee on International Trade, on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 732/2008 (COM(2023)0426 – C9-0226/2023 – 2023/0252(COD)) (A9-0267/2023).

  Heidi Hautala, rapporteur. – Mr President, Commissioner, this report that we will vote tomorrow is a prolongation of the current GSP Regulation – the generalised system of preferences – which originates from 2012.

By dealing swiftly and efficiently with this prolongation and rollover, the Parliament underlines that it will not let beneficiaries down. The INTA Committee has adopted the proposal unanimously with no amendments.

The 2012 regulation expires at the end of this year. Thus, it was necessary to prolong its validity in order to avoid significant socioeconomic disruptions for the beneficiary countries and, as well, for the companies. The proposal is to prolong the 2012 regulation for another four years until the end of 2027. However, this rollover is an unfortunate consequence of not being able to reach an agreement between the Council and Parliament on the ongoing review of the GSP Regulation. The trilogues are currently on hold since June as after seven rounds of trilogues two outstanding disputed issues remain.

Firstly, the European Council imposed to the Commission’s legislative proposal a link between the tariff preferences and the obligation to readmission of beneficiary countries’ own nationals. The European Parliament’s position is against the inclusion of this type of migration policy measures because this is a trade and development policy instrument which benefits two billion people in the developing world.

Secondly, the question remains unresolved to date on how to provide sufficient safeguards to European rice producers against market distortions, on one hand, and how, on the other hand, to avoid putting excessive barriers to raise imports from some of the poorest countries.

The trilogues will continue and it is vital to conclude them as soon as possible, as soon as acceptable compromises on these two outstanding issues have been achieved.

The GSP has been the EU’s preferential trade arrangement with developing countries since 1971. It covers more than 60 countries – LDCs and lower-middle income countries – and indeed it benefits approximately two billion people, as I already said. Hence, it is an absolutely important instrument to promote sustainable development in partnership with developing countries, and it is also an instrument which significantly improves the implementation of international human rights and environmental standards in exchange to the tariff benefits.

So, a lot has already been achieved in the trilogue negotiations. Recently, FORUM-ASIA, speaking in the name of 85 member organisations across 23 Asian countries, has very much encouraged the European institutions to secure this reform before the end of this legislature because it crucially enhances the role of civil society and prevents democratic backsliding in the region.

Now it is very important that the parliament and the Spanish Presidency go the extra mile and make this review a reality. This will require, however, a change in the approach by the Council on the question of readmissions. We need to preserve the GSP as a development tool and we should not let already agreed improvements in the trilogue negotiations go to waste.

Therefore, I ask you to vote in favour of the prolongation tomorrow and I hope that I can also soon bring to you a deal on the revised, modernised and improved GSP Regulation as well.

Catch-the-eye procedure

  Jordi Cañas (Renew). – Señor presidente, estamos hoy aquí haciendo lo necesario, que es prorrogar el sistema de preferencias arancelarias generalizadas. Pero estamos aquí por la inflexibilidad del Consejo y por la complicidad de la Comisión en contra de este Parlamento. Este Parlamento ha pedido muy pocas cosas y ha sido muy flexible. Ha sido muy dialogante. Ha intentado aproximar posiciones. La respuesta del Consejo y de la Comisión, insisto, ha sido de inflexibilidad absoluta.

Les voy a decir una cosa: supongo que ustedes esperarán a que se agote esta legislatura e intentarán aprobar un nuevo sistema de preferencias en la próxima. Pero los derechos de los ciudadanos europeos, los derechos de los arroceros europeos, los derechos de los agricultores europeos volverán a estar encima de la mesa: porque el sistema de preferencias arancelarias generalizadas no se puede construir contra los derechos de sectores importantes de nuestra agricultura. No lo van ustedes a lograr. Yo les recomiendo que intenten convencer a la Presidencia española de que inicie un nuevo diálogo tripartito y sean capaces de acercar posiciones, porque realmente el sistema de preferencias arancelarias generalizadas es necesario, pero no lo van a conseguir contra este Parlamento.

(End of catch-the-eye procedure)

  Johannes Hahn, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, let me first thank all the Members of Parliament still present at this time of the day and showing their interest and support on this highly consensual top. I would therefore like to thank Parliament for putting on the agenda today the Commission’s proposal to extend the generalised scheme of preferences, the so-called GSP. I would like also to thank the rapporteur and the shadow rapporteurs for the fast review of the Commission’s proposal and adoption of the report at committee level without amendments.

The GSP is one of Union’s key instruments to assist developing countries to integrate in the world economy through trade, reduce poverty and support sustainable development through the promotion of core human labour rights, environmental protection and good governance. The current scheme applies until the end of this year.

On 22 September 2021, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a new regulation to apply from 2024 to 2033. The ordinary legislative procedure is ongoing, but has not been concluded, and there is a risk that it will not be concluded in time. It’s necessary to ensure continuity in the operation of the scheme beyond the end of this year while the ordinary legislative procedure continues.

The discontinuation of the GSP would lead to significant economic shocks for companies in the Union and in beneficiary countries; it would also significantly weaken our political ties with a large number of developing countries. For these reasons, the Commission has put forward a proposal to extend the validity of the current GSP until the end of 2027. This will create a window for the successor regulation to be prepared, agreed and adopted with sufficient notice for economic operators and beneficiary countries to prepare for any changes made.

This proposal amends only the date of application of the regulation currently in force. All other elements continue as before. Again, we count on the European Parliament’s support for this important proposal.

I can agree with the Speaker that it should have been possible to find an agreement in due time, but unfortunately this was not the case. I would say this is the second best solution, but for the sake of having legal certainty, it is necessary. I therefore thank you for your support.

  President. – Thank you, Commissioner Hahn, for having stayed with us all evening. The debate is closed and the vote will be held tomorrow.