EU: Trade with China

BRUSSELS, Belgium (Oct 14) European Parliament is calling for rapid action by China to address the many concerns of EU industry, especially Intellectual Property Rights enforcements, national treatment, transparency and environmental, social and health standards. The call comes in an own-initiative report drawn up by Caroline Lucas (Greens/EFA, UK) and adopted on Thursday by 567 votes in favour to 19 against with 49 abstentions. While welcoming China's implementation of some of its WTO obligations, members of European Parliament want the Commission to offer effective backing to European companies regarding the "numerous cases of inadequate implementation or application by China" of other WTO obligations. Parliament calls for measures to protect the intellectual property of EU firms. It calls on China not to put up bureaucratic barriers to trade, and to award public contracts in a transparent and fair manner. Looking ahead, they say the challenges currently being faced by the textile, clothing and footwear sectors will soon be experienced by others, such as the bicycle, automobile and iron and steel industries, and that these are systemic in nature, requiring a longer term strategy for the EU's international trade policy. Parliament calls on the Commission to monitor and regularly report on the extent to which Chinese competition is affecting EU industry, as well as on trends in outsourcing. It asks the Commission to investigate the introduction of a European labelling scheme that would indicate country of origin, as well as social and environmental standards. (EU Parliament Statement)