Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-05-22-Speech-2-542-000"
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"en.20120522.21.2-542-000"2
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"Mr President, I would like to answer a couple of questions that have been raised in this very interesting debate on a most interesting report.
With regard to solar panels, we have already had contacts with the industry on this and when we receive a justified complaint – and we have not yet received one – we will consider appropriate action.
Secondly, several Members of Parliament have raised the issue of a level playing field. We all agree that there should be a level playing field, but the question is how do you get there? Is it by taking action when appropriate but also keeping your own markets open, or is it by closing your own markets? And what would be the result of these differing strategies? I am very clearly in favour of having open markets, but also being tough when necessary.
That leads me to the market economy status. In fact, when you look at the conclusions of the latest EU-China summit, you will see there is a very clear link made between market economy status and export credits. What we are, in effect, saying is that we should make progress on both issues and China will have to move forward on export credits. They have promised that they will reach a multilateral agreement by 2014. I am greatly looking forward that. Qualifying for market economy status is a matter of meeting criteria, and if we want to be serious with this, we have to recognise they have not yet met these criteria.
Market economy status is not something that you can grant all of a sudden; this is a matter entailing a codecision procedure in which the European Parliament will also have its say if a conclusion is ever reached.
The investment agreement was also discussed at the latest summit, and we – China and ourselves – agreed to open negotiations. For the first time ever, China has recognised that negotiations should concern not only investment protection, but also market access. We at the European Commission are preparing negotiating directives, and we hope and expect that the Chinese will do the same when approaching their state council.
One last point on trade. Because people always focus on imports coming from China, I would like to make two remarks. First, there are also a lot of exports going to China; China is a very important market for us. Second, we should not forget that a large part of these imports are beneficial for our own economy because they concern products that we then re-export. We therefore have to import a lot to re-export afterwards, and a big part of these semi-finished products come from China.
In summary: a very interesting report; a very fruitful debate; a very complicated country but also with a lot of prospects."@en1
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