Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Free Trade – A Case for Brussels – Süddeutsche.de

CETA, TTIP, soon the trade talks with the British: the EU has transferred its Community trade for good reason. Whoever does not, undermines the very foundations of the Union.



The debate on FTAs ​​is full half-truths. Critics of the planned agreements with Canada (Ceta) and the United States (TTIP) argue that so that democracy law could be in Europe. From an arrogance of bureaucrats in Brussels there is talk that simply ignore the will of the citizens and wants as quickly as possible by pressing the Agreement. As a storm of indignation swept through the neighborhood, the increasingly directed against Jean-Claude Juncker. Here, the President of the European Commission merely his work.

In the EU’s authority is responsible for the common commercial policy. The Member States have so decided. You have also at their summit meeting in Brussels unanimously to known continue to strive for the two agreements. Juncker has given the public criticism prompted the leaders if they still wanted to – and he offered a breakdown in negotiations. The rejected the Government. Now the EU Member States must however accept that Juncker does not want to vote on Ceta the 28 national parliaments.



Europe States must clarify whether they still want free trade

But there hand it massive resistance. Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) holds Junckers decision “incredibly stupid”. The “dumb Pressing Ceta” will be “explode” all conspiracy theories on the proposed FTA. He is probably right. He is no doubt also. Instead of hitting from election campaign tactics and intraparty reasons on the side of those who “Brussels” accuse a democratic deficit, and Gabriel should acknowledge that there is a democratically elected European Parliament to the vote in any case on the contracts. The EU is not a trade agreement into force, that has not been approved by the European representatives.

Now you can ask anything wrong with an additional decision of the Bundestag, of course? So yes even broader democratic basis would be laid. True, but in trade agreements first deals with a legal question: Just when Ceta also relates to national competence, the national parliaments of all EU countries have to vote. Among lawyers, opinions are divided as to whether the agreement with Canada is such a “mixed agreement”. Juncker himself is the “schnurzegal”. He would just like clear evidence of the mixed contractual nature. In the end it is in any case to each Member State to have such matters resolved by the European Court.

Voters in all EU countries would lead to Ceta will probably never decided. From TTIP to mention. In Belgium one of the four regional parliaments has been set to a “no”. The Luxembourg Parliament called on the government, Ceta initially does not agree. In the Netherlands, there is likely to be a referendum.

As with the referendum on the trade and association agreement with Ukraine, which have rejected the Dutch, is the actual content of the commercial contract for most voters not matter play. It’s like playing Proposed referendum on United Kingdom membership of the European Union referendum in the UK: The cipher EU becomes a projection of all evils – and against the evil one must be naturally

Right now, after the vote by the British, it comes to a question of principle. : Does free trade in the EU at all to be desirable? The internal market, ie the free movement of goods and services, which is not subject to tariff barriers, part of the foundation of the EU. This internal market has to be defended against all those who seek their salvation in the nation state and call for a reversal of European integration. With the new government in London, it will be important to find a way intra-European free trade. That will be hard enough alone.

With Canada and the United States far more is at stake. It is about the role of Europe in a globalized world. Here is the good reason why trade policy in the European Union was declared to be a matter for the Community: trade internationally. Not TTIP or Ceta citizens should be frightening, but the economic power of the PRC about. To compete against the market power of China, Europe must stand together in its trade policy and new alliances – without European standards and values ​​for sale. Exactly which needs “Brussels”.

LikeTweet

No comments:

Post a Comment