Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

Added52. Welcomes the request of Angola to join the EU-SADC EPA; hopes, in this context, that the negotiation process will commence without further delay; considers that if Angola joins the EU-SADC EPA or any other separate binding and enforceable international instrument between the EU and SADC States, the EU-Angola SIFA should be adapted accordingly;

Added53. Recalls that according to the Commission’s impact assessment, Angola faces capacity issues in implementing the EPA effectively; calls on the Commission to assist Angola in capacity building;

Raw materials

Change 18

Changed17.54. Calls on the Commission and the SADC EPA States to strengthen cooperation through formal forumsforums, as well as critical raw materials strategic partnerships and implementation roadmaps, in order to ensure a diversified and sustainable supply of key raw materials for the greengreen, digital and digitaljust transformation,transitions, improve recycling of natural resources and waste management, support domestic industries to move up the value chain from the extraction to the processing of raw materials and promote responsible mining practices;practices, notably by recognising and applying the free prior and informed consent of the local population affected by mining projects and by bringing benefits along the entire supply and production chain; is convinced that raw materials extraction needs to occur with respect for environmental standards, labour and human rights, including the rights of indigenous peoples; calls for the continuous and broad participation of all relevant stakeholders;stakeholders, including local and indigenous communities; advocates policy reforms addressing land and mine ownership, labour rights and social justice in order to mitigate conflicts and encourage sustainable investment; is concerned about cases of violations of human rights and the high level of environmental damage caused by some mining companies;

Change 19

Added55. Welcomes the Strategic Partnership with Namibia, which aims to build renewable hydrogen development and critical raw material value chains; recalls the need for developing necessary infrastructure, such as renewable energy facilities, transportation networks and research centres, to facilitate the production and distribution of renewable hydrogen;

Added56. Calls, in this context, for the establishment of knowledge-sharing platforms and research networks in order to facilitate the exchange of best practices, experience and innovative solutions between Member States; considers it useful to extend technological cooperation to other fields;

Added57. Stresses that the EU’s request to ban export taxes on raw materials has been a long-standing stumbling block in the negotiation process on EPAs, given that export taxes and duties are not prohibited under the WTO regime; recalls the right of African countries to regulate raw materials in their public interest; calls, accordingly, for the EU to refrain from adopting a trade policy that prohibits, as a general rule, developing countries from levying export taxes on raw materials, insofar as this is WTO-compatible;

TRIPS waiver

Change 20

Changed18.58. Notes that the initial EU policy in connection with theoriginal demandproposal by,of, inter alia, India and South Africa for thea removalTrade-Related Aspects of patentIntellectual protectionProperty Rights (TRIPS) waiver for COVID vaccines haswas ledmet towith considerabledifferent disagreementreactions within Souththe Africa;beginning stressesand thatwas thislater formsupported ofby cooperationthe doesEU; notstresses meetthat in the requirementsfuture, ofequal anpartnership equalshould partnership;involve more dialogue; calls for the EU and its Member States and on the WTO Members to worktake towardsforward anthe agreementlong overdue discussions in the WTO on the extension of the 12th Ministerial Conference TRIPS decision to extend the waiveragreed flexibilities at WTO level to therapeutics and diagnostics; in this context, invites the Commission to put in place a clear policy framework to ensure that the future EU compulsory licencing system is in line with the agreed TRIPS flexibilities; calls for stronger equal cooperation with the SADC EPA States in this context;

Change 21

Added59. Welcomes the efforts made within the EU-South Africa Strategic Partnership to build a vaccine production infrastructure; stresses that this infrastructure must include the production of COVID-19 vaccines;

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Change 22

Changed19.60. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the SADCSouthern EPAAfrican Development Community Economic Partnership Agreement States.

Change 23

Added29.11.2023