Plenary focus - February

The TiSA Agreement currently negotiated outside the WTO structures by 52 WTO Members, including the EU on behalf of the 28 EU member states, is aiming to further liberalise services beyond GATS rules. The European Parliament will adopt its recommendations for the EU Commission to negotiate within the plurilateral TiSA negotiations, which the GUE/NGL opposes. According to the current mandate, TiSA will boost the liberalisation of services; open an opportunity to undermine the right of states to regulate; limit equal chances for mutual market access of SMEs under local and regional authorities; and call into question the quality of jobs. Our demands include: to limit the scope of TiSA; the exclusion of any standstill and ratchet clauses; social rights for development; protection of the environment; data protection and right to privacy; and an equal multilateral negotiated status for all WTO Member States with their legitimate interests to be included and guaranteed.

The Commission cannot claim to lead the international fight against corporate tax dodging. This package will not bite against the profit shifting business. On transparency, there is nothing new and the proposed anti-BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) measures are largely disappointing. Even the OECD recommended stricter rules. In particular the EU’s own gigantic tax havens will be able to continue with business as usual.

It is scandalous that the European Commission is rejecting the EP’s and Council’s demand for a new gender equality strategy (2016-2020) aimed at creating equality and ending all kinds of discrimination. A staff working document can never replace a serious and political strategy at EU level that would set concrete objectives and ask commitments from the member states to combat gender inequalities in all areas.