Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-03-12-Speech-1-100"
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"en.20010312.7.1-100"2
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"Mr President, I find the report by our fellow Member, Mr Schwaiger to be generally positive. Indeed, it follows on from the great efforts made by the Directorate of the Commission to redefine our trade policy and to ensure that trade serves the objectives of sustainable development.
Having said that, I have four comments to make. The first is that, while undertaking a new round of talks on the basis of a wider agenda is still more than ever a fine objective, the mandates granted by the Council cannot be said to be satisfactory as they stand. In this instance it is not a matter of bartering trade concessions in return for environmental or social clauses, but rather of taking a different tack in negotiating on trade in order to ensure that it is in better accord with the societal models and state regulation requirements.
In this respect, the talks scheduled in the Built-In Agenda are a test, which brings me to my second point. The agriculture line is not without its grey areas. There is, admittedly, an increased awareness that trade in agricultural products must be compatible with independence in terms of food supply, public health and land use, yet we are at a disadvantage due to the postponement of reform in the common agricultural policy until after 2006. Indeed, the report speaks of the need to safeguard the model, though it is more a case of the need to change the model. Regarding trade, while it is essential to reduce export subsidies, we reject the calls to bring them into line with world prices, as this is a blatantly productivist move.
Thirdly, the line on services is not satisfactory. There is talk of ‘further progressive liberalisation’. That is a unilateral objective. The Commission, moreover, states that trade policy is not a goal in itself, but it must help support the social model. Yet, in our social model there are services of general interest, and in developing countries such general interest services have yet to be formed.
I shall, therefore, endorse the development of trade compatible with, or contributing to, the promotion of services of general interest. The European Union wishes to keep some sectors, such as, education and culture outside the domain of free trade. That is not enough. We have to work in the context of universal public assets. Indeed, it would be marvellous if the Directorate could provide us with a communication on the ways in which free trade and services of general interest may be complementary and compatible.
There is one last point I should like to raise on a major problem of governance. We must work with civil society as we do with the developing countries and allow a frank exchange of views. This is something the Directorate does, but not the States, and Parliament is lagging behind.
It is the responsibility of every single one of us. This is an approach that is critical in ensuring the success of the organisation of world trade."@en1
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