Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats
Strasbourg : Plenary session from 22 October 2012 to 26 October 2012
Trade and economic relations with the United States
Monday 22 October 2012
The report supports the ongoing discussions between the EU and the US on how to co-operate better to ensure long-term prosperity and employment.
The report stresses that a comprehensive agreement should include ambitious reciprocal liberalisation of markets in goods, services and investment, and address the challenges of modernising trade rules and enhancing the compatibility of regulatory regimes.
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Budget 2013 Section III Commission
Monday 22 October 2012
In the light of economic and budgetary constraints, the European Parliament should show budgetary responsibility and self-restraint. By freezing allowances for MEPs and staff, limiting travel expenditure, scrutinising the areas for possible savings and reorganising its working methods, the Parliament contributes to maintaining budgetary discipline and keeps the Parliament's budget for 2013 under the forecast inflation rate.
According to the vote in the budget committee on the 2013 budget:
- administrative expenditure represents 5.6% of the general EU budget
- the Parliament's budget represents 1.15 % of the overall EU budget (20.57% of the administrative expenditure)
- MEPs' expenditure represents 0.13% of the EU budget and 11.88% of the Parliament's budget (decreasing since 2010)
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GARDIAZÁBAL RUBIAL Eider+ 33 3 88 17 53 33
+ 32 2 284 53 33
eider.gardiazabalrubial@europarl.europa.eu
Parliament's position on the 2013 draft budget as modified by the Council - other sections
Monday 22 October 2012
The budget committee vote set the level of the 2013 European Parliament budget at €1,750,463,939.
The rapporteur's objective of keeping the general levels of increase for the institutions' budgets under the forecast inflation rate of 1.9% – including the costs of enlargement to welcome Croatia – has been reached. Exceptions apply to the EEAS (European External Action Service), European Court of Justice and the European Ombudsman where – given the specific situation of these institutions – the budget committee voted in favour of a higher increase (4.9%, 3% and 3.5% respectively).
From the S&D point of view the committee vote was very positive. Consequently, the Group does not plan to table amendments to the plenary vote.
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Passenger rights in all transport modes
Monday 22 October 2012
"Passenger rights are in the core of the S&D transport policy. The Report addresses the state of play of the current rules for the protection of passenger rights and sends clear messages to the Member States and stakeholders, with a particular request to improve them in the context of future legislation in all transport modes. S&D priorities are successfully included in the report, especially regarding the rights of passengers with reduced mobility, the untouchable right for safety, better access to information in a transparent form, more effective enforcement, liability in the case of insolvency, bankruptcy and collective redress."
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Discharge 2010: European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
Tuesday 23 October 2012
In the May plenary the Parliament decided to postpone its decision on granting discharge to the European Food Safety Authority to October 2012. The main reservations expressed by the Parliament concerned the potential conflict of interests between the agency and its links to the food production industry.
In response to the Parliament's observations in the May discharge resolution, the EFSA provided a number of replies with substantial and thorough information on all actions taken and/or implemented.
The S&Ds fully support the EFSA as it has a vital role in making our food safer. The S&Ds also acknowledge that the agency has taken important steps to address the issue of conflicts of interest. Therefore, the EFSA's budget for 2010 should be approved.
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Discharge 2010: EU general budget - Council
Tuesday 23 October 2012
The S&D rapporteur has tried to find a constructive way through this issue and to prompt a more open dialogue between the Council and the Parliament over how the discharge of the Council budget should be carried out. The hearing showed that the current texts do not adequately reflect the practice of recent years and the fact that the different institutions now have separate budgets. All but the Council have accepted separate discharge processes. The Parliament will continue to bring to light as much information as possible on the way all institutions – including the Council – implement their budgets, but at this stage insufficient information has been provided to allow an informed budget discharge for 2010.
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Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the years 2014-2020
Tuesday 23 October 2012
The draft interim report insists that the institutional prerogatives of the European Parliament must be respected. The negotiations in the European Council must not prejudge the content of the multi-annual programmes under co-decision procedure and fully fledged negotiations between the Parliament and the Council must be started if the European Council reaches a political agreement on the MFF which does not satisfy the Parliament.
If no MFF regulation has been adopted by the end of 2013 (if no agreement is reached), the draft report underlines that the ceilings for 2013 will be extended, in line with the provisions of the Treaty, and makes it clear that the Parliament would be ready to reach a swift agreement with the Commission and Council to adopt the necessary legal provisions for this to take place.
The content of the draft interim report is fully in-line with the S&D position paper on the MFF and own resources adopted by the Group on 3 October 2012.
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Community regime for the control of exports, transfer, brokering and transit of dual-use items
Tuesday 23 October 2012
Dual-use items are products and technologies that can be used for both peaceful and military purposes. This regulation sets up the conditions under which these items are exported. More transparency is needed on the export authorisations for these goods and therefore we favour a system of ex-ante controls.
Since we are giving the Commission responsibility for dealing with these annexes, our shadow rapporteur Jörg Leichtfried believes we should use the opportunity of amending the legislation in order to re-introduce the so-called 'ex-ante control mechanisms' rather than the current 'ex-post controls'. This will make exports of these items to sensitive countries more transparent. These issues were raised in amendments he tabled in 2011 when he was dealing with the base regulation and were only lost in plenary by a very narrow margin.
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EU-Russia trade relations following Russia's accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
Thursday 25 October 2012
The EU is one of Russia's strategic trade partners, ranking as its first source of imports, its main export destination and a key investment partner. On the other side, Russia has become the EU's second source of imports (with a value of €158.6 billion) and its fourth destination for exports (€86.1 billion).
This resolution therefore welcomes Russia's admission as a member of the WTO and underlines how it can facilitate trade flows between the EU and Russia, while stimulating economic growth and job creation on both sides. It also underlines the potential for concluding a new partnership and co-operation agreement as a further opportunity to contribute to an enhanced partnership. Another important element outlined is the implementation of the so-called 'common steps towards visa-free travel' as an element of EU-Russia trade and investment relations.
The text does however warn against restrictive measures. These have included a ban on imports of live animals from the EU, legislation favouring domestic producers in public procurement, decisions establishing seasonal import duties and new legislation imposed by Russia concerning a recycling scheme for vehicles.
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Elections in Belarus
Friday 26 October 2012
None of the parliamentary or presidential elections held in Belarus since 1995 have been recognised as being free and fair by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and international observers. Human rights and political freedoms continue to be trampled on and political opponents harassed.
The parliamentary elections held in Belarus on 23 September once again failed to meet international standards for free and fair elections. Reports of irregularities seriously undermined the validity of the elections' outcome and the legitimacy of the parliamentarians elected.
The S&D Group demands the unconditional and immediate release and rehabilitation of all political prisoners. The EU should continue to support all initiatives aimed at developing a democratic and active civil society in Belarus, which could result in increasing political participation and rising awareness of the need for change.
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