XL - Eiropas Parlaments - Europa

16-02-2011 129
The world is watching as Europe leads the way in improving trade and economic relations, with partners in every corner of
the world looking at it. I have always said that trade is the real means of development. By removing barriers to trade and
building new bridges we create new opportunities. This particular FTA offers a new approach. Complementary, of course,
to Doha, it will drive Europe’s recovery and growth and the European Parliament will be instrumental in determining the
future of global trade policy.
At this stage I would like to thank Ignacio from the Commission. One of the economists said, Ignacio, that this is probably
the best trade agreement that both parties could ever have agreed. I urge all groups to put aside protectionism and support
this agreement.
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Karel De Gucht, Member of the Commission. − Mr President, I wish to thank the honourable Members for all the efforts
which Parliament in general, and the Committee on International Trade (INTA) in particular, has put into securing prompt
assessment – and, I hope, ratification – of the EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA). This will permit its entry into
force.
This complex task comprised two major processes: finalisation of negotiations on the Korea Safeguard Regulation,
implementing the bilateral safeguard clause of the EU-Korea FTA, and the preparation of consent to this treaty.
I welcome the first-reading agreement between the Council and Parliament on the Safeguard Regulation. The work that
was done has not only secured legislation which will provide necessary protection for EU industry, but it has also
confirmed the joint commitment of Parliament, the Council and the Commission to efficient law making. This was also the
first trade dossier on which Parliament acted as co-legislator under the Lisbon Treaty. The outcome of its involvement is
indeed impressive.
I will not repeat the list of benefits which the EU-Korea FTA is expected to bring to the EU economy: we have thoroughly
debated them here in the past, and Mr Sturdy has just summed them up. Let me instead open a brief parenthesis to place
the agreement with Korea in the wider perspective of the future of EU trade policy, as sketched out by the Commission in
its communication of 9 November 2010, and to recap the basic tenets of our policy line.
First of all, we continue to favour the multilateral channel of the WTO as the first-best way to liberalise trade and lay down
the rules to govern global commerce. Despite the setbacks and the deadlock since mid-2008, we continue to push actively
for the conclusion of the Doha development round, 10 years now after its inception. It is still well worth clinching a deal,
both for the economic gains and in the interests of furthering the WTO. That is why I took the initiative of bringing
together in Davos the trade ministers of the world’s seven most important trading countries to discuss, in concrete terms,
how we can now proceed and enter the end-game, following the impetus given by the G20 in Seoul. I believe our meeting
was a success, and senior officials are now working intensively in an attempt to stage a political breakthrough in the
summer.
However, as we said back in November, the bilateral and the multilateral are not enemies. Indeed, it may well be the case
that liberalisation fuels liberalisation. We have pursued bilateral trade deals that generate genuine value added compared
with what can be achieved through the WTO, and we will keep on doing so because the pace of multilateral progress is
unavoidably slow. This has been, and is, our fundamental motivation for pursuing the FTA with Korea.
I will reiterate today the Commission’s commitments to the European Parliament, which it made in relation to the
implementation of the Korea Safeguard Regulation and the EU-Korea FTA.
As provided for in the Safeguard Regulation, ‘the Commission will present a yearly report to the European Parliament and
Council on the implementation of the EU-Korea FTA and will be ready to discuss with the INTA Committee any issues
arising from the implementation of the Agreement.
‘The Commission will closely monitor the implementation by Korea of its commitments on regulatory issues, including in
particular the commitments relating to technical regulations in the car sector. The monitoring shall include all aspects of
non-tariff barriers and its results shall be documented and reported to the European Parliament and the Council.
‘Particular importance will be attached to the effective implementation of commitments on labour and environment of
Chapter 13: Trade and Sustainable Development of the FTA. In this connection, the Commission will seek the advice of
the Domestic Advisory Group, which will include representatives of business organisations, trade unions and nongovernmental
organisations. The implementation of Chapter 13 of the FTA shall be duly documented and reported to the
European Parliament and the Council.
‘The Commission also agrees on the importance of providing effective protection in the case of sudden surges of imports
in sensitive sectors, including small cars. Monitoring of sensitive sectors shall include cars, textiles and consumer