VII Legislature No. 35 - May 24, 2013 Newsletter of the European Parliament Committee on International Trade This issue's highlights - Opening of negotiations on a Plurilateral Agreement on Services - Jointly with WTO-PC Steering committee - Update on recent developments at the WTO & The Future of Trade: The Challenges of Convergence - INTA discusses 2013-2014 Work Programme with Commissioner De Gucht - Votes on the Interim EPA with Cameroon - Exchange of views with the Ambassador of Singapore to the EU Editorial: Alberto Rodas Gonzalez Coordination: Leon Peijnenburg (tel 2 28 32345), Lenka Dubarre (Tel 2 28 31734) Contributions: INTA secretariat, Chairman’s Office, Policy Department, EP Library, DG Trade Legal disclaimer The content of the newsletter is drafted by the INTA Secretariat and is provided for general information purposes only. The content is only indicative and subject to changes. The Newsletter may contain links to websites that are created and maintained by other organizations. The INTA Secretariat does not necessarily endorse the views expressed on these websites. Content 1. Exchange of views on the Parliament's priorities for the Budget 2014 with Anne E. Jensen, rapporteur in the Committee on Budgets ........................................................................................... 3 2. 2014 Budget - Mandate for the Trilogue ........................................................................................... 3 3. Amendment to the fuel quality directive and the renewable energy directive ................................. 3 4. Exercise of the Union's rights for the application and enforcement of international trade rules ....... 4 5. Reindustrialising Europe to promote competitiveness and sustainability ......................................... 4 6. EU-Mexico Economic and Trade Relations ...................................................................................... 4 7. Delegation to United States (Washington, D.C.), 8-12 April 2013 ................................................... 5 8. State of play of ongoing trilogue negotiations ................................................................................... 5 9. Collective management of copyright s .............................................................................................. 5 10. EU-Malaysia partnership and cooperation agreement ....................................................................... 6 11. First annual report on the activities of Member States' Export Credit Agencies............................... 6 12. Stepping-stone Economic Partnership Agreement between the EC and Central Africa ................... 6 13. State of Play on WTO accessions ...................................................................................................... 7 14. Market surveillance of products ........................................................................................................ 7 15. State of play of negotiations on the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) ....................................... 7 16. Opening of negotiations on a Plurilateral Agreement on Services .................................................... 7 17. Votes .................................................................................................................................................. 8 18. EC-Uzbekistan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement to bilateral trade in textiles ..................... 8 19. FTA negotiations between the EU and Thailand and trade relations ................................................ 9 20. Monitoring Groups Activities ............................................................................................................ 9 21. CARIFORUM - EU Joint Parliamentary Committee Meeting .......................................................... 9 1. EU-Singapore Trade Relations ........................................................................................................ 10 2. Collective management of copyright .............................................................................................. 10 3. Sale of tobacco and related products ............................................................................................... 10 4. Implementation of the Communication on the internationalisation of SMEs ................................. 11 5. Access of third-country goods and services to the Union’s internal market in public procurement 11 6. Trade arrangements to certain goods resulting from the processing of agricultural products ......... 11 7. First annual report on the activities of Member States' Export Credit Agencies............................. 12 8. Stepping-stone Economic Partnership Agreement between the EC and Central Africa ................. 12 9. Amendment of Council Decision 2000/125/EC ('parallel agreement') ........................................... 12 10. Amendment of Decision 97/836/EC ('revised 1958 Agreement') ................................................... 12 11. Opening of negotiations on a Plurilateral Agreement on Services .................................................. 12 12. 2014 Budget - Mandate for the Trilogue ......................................................................................... 12 13. EU-Malaysia partnership and cooperation agreement ..................................................................... 13 14. Consumer product safety ................................................................................................................. 13 15. Agreement between the European Union and the Russian Federation on drug precursors............. 13 16. Amendment to the fuel quality directive and the renewable energy directive ................................ 13 17. Commission Work Programme for 2013 and 2014 (structured dialogue) ...................................... 14 18. Update on recent developments at the WTO ................................................................................... 14 19. The Future of Trade: The Challenges of Convergence ................................................................... 14 1 20. CARS 2020: towards a strong, competitive and sustainable European car industry....................... 14 21. CARIFORUM - EU Joint Parliamentary Committee Meeting ........................................................ 15 22. State of play of ongoing trilogue negotiations ................................................................................. 15 23. Monitoring Groups Activities .......................................................................................................... 15 State-of-play of ongoing negotiations ..................................................................................................... 16 State of play on Trade Defence Instruments ............................................................................................ 16 WTO Dispute settlement ......................................................................................................................... 17 Meetings held during weeks 17-20 .......................................................................................................... 17 Briefing notes & studies by the Policy department ................................................................................. 18 Upcoming workshops .............................................................................................................................. 18 Library briefings ...................................................................................................................................... 18 New books in the Library reading room collection (available for loan) ................................................. 19 Library weekly newsletter on International Trade ................................................................................... 19 Press releases ........................................................................................................................................... 20 Important Meetings and Events ............................................................................................................... 20 Useful links .............................................................................................................................................. 21 Calendar of committee's meetings for 2013 ............................................................................................ 21 2 The previous meetings of the Committee on International Trade took place Wednesday 24 April 2013, 9.00 - 12.30 and 15.00 - 18.30 and on Thursday 25 April 2013, 9.00 - 12.30 in Brussels. The following items were on the agenda. 1. Exchange of views on the Parliament's priorities for the Budget 2014 with Anne E. Jensen, rapporteur in the Committee on Budgets 2. 2014 Budget - Mandate for the Trilogue Joint debate Ms Jensen presented the very particular context of this 2014 Budget: the doubts over the legacy of the last MFF, the agreement on the next MFF which the Parliament wishes to see reopen, and the overall difficult times for the EU economy. On the side of the INTA Members, two points were particularly mentioned: the possibility to reallocate part of the Commission's funding towards trade policy in order to ensure that the ambitious negotiating agenda for the Commission can be fulfilled and the possibility to develop a project fostering EU civil society's involvement in the monitoring of the EU trade policy. PROCEDURE TIMETABLE Rapporteur: