Case: Policy coherence in general

01-06-2011 Opinion DEVE on the external dimension of social policy

On behalf of the DEVE committee Catherine Grèze (Greens/EFA) wrote an opinion on the report: on the external dimension of social policy, promoting labour and social standards and the European Corporate Social Responsibility by the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL). In this opinion Grèze expresses the disappointment that the social provision of EU preferential trade agreements are presented as objectives to be achieved rather than legal commitments to be enforced; as the core labour standards (CLS) and ILO are essential to achieve the MDGs.
Next to this, Grèze deplores the fact that FTAs contain few references to social standards, and urges the EU to incorporate a social clause into all EU external trade agreements, including those coming from the WTO. Also, MEP Grèze insists that trade negotiations pursued within the WTO must not jeopardise social development.

On this opinion 38 amendments were written, of which most were small adjustments to make the opinion stronger and more clear. Fair Politics welcomes in particular amendment 7 by MEP Catherine Grèze (Greens/EFA) in which she underlines that the lack of enforcement of conditionality undermines the EU ambition of promoting social policy and core labour standards globally and in this way contradicts the principle of Policy Coherence of Development. She says this, because repeated violation of core labour standards have been reported in several countries with a GSP+ status, but did not lead to the suspension of preferences.

Fair Politics welcomes this opinion by MEP Grèze as it indicates the importance of clear trade agreements. Trade agreements have shown often to be jeopardising the EUs development policy. Next to this, the amendment by MEP Grèze indicating the lack of enforcement leading to violation of the PCD principle is very much welcomed by Fair Politics.
For writing this opinion and amendment, MEP Grèze is awarded three points in our monitoring system towards the Fair Politician of the Year award on June 29th.

Monitor fair: Greens/EFA(3)