The ENVI Committee adopted an opinion to the INTA (International Trade) Committee non-legislative report on the ‘Recommendations to the European Commission on the negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)’.

Although in February 314 amendments had been tabled by ENVI MEPs, today the vote was simplified through the presentation of 28 compromise amendments, by the main political groups, and were all adopted.

It is worth noticing that ENVI, in its compromise amendment 19, calls on the European Commission “to consider the following regulatory measures or standards as fundamental that must not be compromised:

- non-approvals of active substances and EU maximum residue levels for pesticides,

- regulatory measures with regard to endocrine disrupters,

- the organisational autonomy in the area of water supply and sanitation,

[…]

- the restrictions of ingredients in cosmetic products and the prohibition of
animal testing with regard to cosmetic ingredients and final products,

- the EU’s policies on renewable energy, green technology, and the achievement of EU climate and energy targets,

- measures to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels, and EU and/or international processes leading to decarbonisation of transport,

- eco-design requirements for energy using products,”.

The ENVI Committee, adopting the CA 23A, called on “the Commission to oppose the inclusion of ISDS in the TTIP as, on the one hand, this mechanism risks to fundamentally undermine the sovereign rights of the EU, its Member States, regional and local authorities to adopt regulations on public health, food safety and the environment, and on the other hand, it should be up to the courts of the EU and/or of the Member States providing effective legal protection based on democratic legitimacy to decide all expectable dispute cases competently,efficiently and in a cost-saving manner”.

The opinion will be transmitted to the INTA Committee that will decide on whether to incorporate some of the ENVI inputs (since other 13 Committees are willing to contribute proposing suggestions). At the moment only in the INTA Committee MEP proposed 898 amendments (!) to the draft non-legislative report of MEP Bernd Lange (S&D, DE).

The INTA Committee will vote on the INI report on 28 May, while the Plenary vote, expressing the European Parliament recommendations to the European Commission on the TTIP negotiations may be voted in June.

Stay tuned to follow the developments!

Carla

Water matters.EU matters.