Bernd Lange

+33 (0)3 88 17 55 55

S&D press contact: Silvia Pelz on + 32 478 75 07 12

 

“In the run-up to the ending of the EU exemption from US tariffs from steel and aluminium on 1st of June, the European Parliament will next Tuesday debate the state of EU-US trade relations. The Socialists and Democrats’ position has been clear from the start: negotiations under pressure are not acceptable. The US measures are in breach of international law and intended to undermine our rules-based trade order. Unfair trade can only be combatted within the WTO and not through unilateral measures. We Europeans stand for the rule of law, not the law of the jungle.”

 

 

David Martin

+33 (0)3 88 17 55 39

S&D press contact: Silvia Pelz on + 32 478 75 07 12

 

“Next Wednesday, the European Parliament will vote on modernising the EU’s trade defence instruments to protect European workers and industries from unfair trade practices. After five years since the Commission’s proposal, the European Parliament finally managed to overcome the resistance of the Council and succeeded in improving the existing rules. According to the draft law higher tariffs can be imposed on dumped and subsidised imports. Euro MPs also ensured that investigations into anti-dumping cases would be shorter and more transparent; an SMEs help-desk will help SMEs in dealing with complaints and investigative proceedings; trade unions will be involved in these investigations and also in assessing duties. The Socialists and Democrats especially pushed for, and obtained that, costs linked to companies’ compliance with the EU’s high environmental and labour standards will be taken into account when calculating anti-dumping duties. The new rules certainly represent a step forward when compared to the current system. However the Socialists and Democrats would have preferred stronger provisions to protect European jobs and industries.”

 

Agnes Jongerius

+33 (0)3 88 17 56 99 

S&D press contact: Silvia Pelz on + 32 478 75 07 12

 

"The S&D Group has been calling for the revision of the Posting of Workers Directive for years. Too many posted workers are paid lower salaries and enjoy less protection than the local workforce; some of them live and work under shocking conditions. With the new rules we will endorse next week, we want to put an end to the exploitation of posted workers and ensure equal pay for equal work at the same place as of day one. This is essential to better protect the two million posted workers in Europe and safeguard fair competition for companies in the internal market."

 

Antonio Panzeri

 +33 (0)3 88 17 53 49

S&D press contact: Jan Bernas on + 32 471 64 87 77

 

“The situation in Libya is highly fragile and the country is facing a number of complex, interrelated challenges regarding migration and the refugee crisis, political stability, and economic development. These have an enormous impact on the people of Libya and also affect the whole region and the EU, and it is therefore crucial to ensure political stability in Libya, as a fundamental prerequisite for improving the country’s economic and social situation. The migration and refugee crisis remains a central concern for the S&D Group. We strongly condemn the serious human-rights violations against migrants in Libya, as a real crime against humanity, and urge the international community to intervene to close the detention centres. In this context it is crucial to reflect on the crisis in Libya in a wider, regional and pan-African context. Libya is key to the stability of North Africa, the Sahel, and the Mediterranean.”

 

 

Birgit Sippel

+33 (0)3 88 17 55 59 

S&D press contact: Tim Allan on + 32 475 63 56 73

 

“In one form or another 13 EU countries offer some form of golden visa – granting permanent residence or citizenship to individuals who invest a large sum of money in their country. This type of cash-for passport or residency scheme has consequences for the whole EU – as these new citizens or residents gain the right of freedom of movement. As various scandals over the last few years show, often there is little scrutiny of the origin of beneficiaries’ wealth. There is also an irony that countries like Hungary, who have been the most vocally anti-migrant have been some of the largest users of these golden visa schemes, creating the sense there is one rule for the rich and a different one for everyone else. The S&D Group is pushing the European Commission to monitor better these schemes and ensure proper oversight.”

 

Elena Valenciano Martínez

+33 (0)3 88 17 58 46

S&D press contact: Inga Czerny-Grimmon on + 32 474 62 28 84

 

“We condemn in the strongest terms the loss of Palestinian lives in the Gaza Strip where 62 Palestinians were killed and more than two thousand injured amid clashes with Israeli forces on the border with Israel.  The right of Israel to exist within secure borders and to defend its territory, as well as the right of Palestinians to self-determination through a sovereign state, are unquestionable. But Israel cannot achieve security by occupation. We continue to support the two-state solution with the state of Israel and the state of Palestine living side by side in peace and security along the 1967 borders, with mutually agreed land swaps and Jerusalem as the capital of both states.”

 

Ismail Ertug

+33 (0)3 88 17 55 47 

S&D press contact: Victoria Martín De La Torre on + 32 473 23 41 73

 

“Manipulating the instrument that measures the distance travelled by cars is a widespread phenomenon. This poses a serious threat to road safety and undermines faith in the automobile market. It imposes an unfair additional cost that is felt by consumers, insurers, second-hand car dealers, leasing companies and also manufacturers. Estimates show that between 5 and 12% of cars are affected in national markets but this rises to as much as 30 to 50% of all cars in cross border trade. Consequently, trust in the second-hand car market is the lowest among all goods markets in the EU. It also has serious impact on road safety, with cars with incorrect mileage following wrong maintenance and inspection plans. The S&D Group is pushing the European Commission so that a proper response at EU level is given to this wide-spread phenomenon.”