UE: Schulz şi Juncker cer suspendarea temporară a negocierilor privind Tratatul de Liber-Schimb Transatlantic cu USA
May 13, 2014
Cei doi principali candidaţi la Preşedinţia Comisiei Europene (CE), Martin Schulz şi Jean-Claude Juncker, au criticat, marţi, continuarea discuţiilor cu privire la viitorul Tratat de Liber-Schimb Transatlantic (TTIP) chiar înainte de desfăşurarea alegerilor europene de la 25 mai.
Mai exact, potrivit Mediafax, cea de a cincea serie de negocieri între europeni şi americani va avea loc săptămâna viitoare, la Bruxelles. Candidatul social-democrat Martin Schulz s-a declarat “preocupat” de faptul că negocierile vor avea loc la 22 şi 23 mai, cu două zile înainte de desfăşurarea alegerilor.
“Fac un apel aici, la Comisie, pentru suspendarea acestor negocieri. Nu se poate negocia într-un moment în care un astfel de proiect este atât de controversat în Europa“, a spus el, în cadrul unei dezbateri la postul de televiziune francez LCI cu principalul său adversar Jean-Claude Juncker (PPE, conservator).
“Este un nou semn de o anumită aroganţă din partea Comisiei”, a adăugat Schulz, criticându-l pe comisarul european pentru Comerţ, Karel de Gucht, care ignoră “această controversă enormă şi continuă să negocieze”.
“Dacă aş deveni preşedintele Comisiei, a declarat la rândul său Juncker, nu aş tine cont de aranjamentele de ultim moment”. Juncker, la rândul său, s-a arătat “puţin surprins” în legătură cu faptul că se negociază chiar în ultimele zile ale campaniei electorale.
Cu toate acestea, fostul ministru luxemburghez este în favoarea încheierii TTIP, “pentru că este atât în interesul Statelor Unite şi al Europei, cât şi în interesul creşterii şi al locurilor de muncă”. “Dar, a adăugat el, nu se poate încheia un tratat cu Statele Unite, fără a se lua în considerare cele mai importante cerinţe europene”. “Avem valori europene de apărat în acest gen de negocieri”, a subliniat Jean-Claude Juncker.
Acordul transatlantic de liber-schimb suscită rezerve, în special din partea parlamentarilor europeni care denunţă opacitatea sa şi se tem că va slăbi normele europene sanitare, de mediu şi sociale.
În opinia lui Martin Schulz, preşedintele Parlementului European, este “în discuţie viitorul relaţiei noaste cu Statele Unite, iar, fără respectarea valorilor noastre, standardelor sociale, de mediu, ecologice, protejării consumatorilor şi datelor, nu va exista un acord cu americanii”. Să ne amintim că în toamna anului trecut, Martin Schulz a cerut cu ocazia summitului Consiliului European, suspendarea negocierilor între UE şi SUA pentru acordul de liber-schimb, în contextul acuzaţiilor privind spionajul practicat de serviciile secrete americane.
TTIP vizează să elimine barierele comerciale între cele două continente şi să reducă obstacolele existente în schimburile de bunuri şi servicii între Uniunea Europeană (UE) şi Statele Unite. UE speră ca negocierile să fie finalizate anul viitor, înainte de încheierea celui de-al doilea mandat al preşedintelui american Barack Obama, mai notează Mediafax. (Ion Gaidău)
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According to the figures provided by the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), in 2017 the UK sold arms to Israel worth 221 million pounds ($294 million), indicating a huge increase from 86 million pounds in 2016 and 20 million pounds in 2015, The Guardian outlet reported. According to the newspaper, the list includes equipment, small arms ammunition, missiles, weapon sights and sniper rifles.
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Mr Ruutu is currently the Deputy National Armaments Director at the Finnish Ministry of Defence and Director of the Materiel Unit at the Resource Policy Department. He chairs the Defence Administration Commercial Board and the Export Control Advisory Group and is also Deputy Chairman of the Defence Materiel Steering Group, as well as a member of the Defence Forces’ Technology Board and the Defence Administration’s Industrial Cooperation Group. Also Mr Ruutu worked at the EDA between 2009 and 2014, in the Strategy and Policy Unit.
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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his country would “never tolerate” such “dangerous provocative action”. South Korea responded within minutes by firing two ballistic missiles into the sea in a simulated strike on the North. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also condemned the launch and the UN Security Council will meet later on Friday, 15 September 2017, in New York at the request of America and Japan.
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