Marie-Pierre VEDRENNE

Policy topics Marie-Pierre VEDRENNE is active on

What Marie-Pierre VEDRENNE has said (17)

• 2025-02-17 “E-000716/2025 Answer given by Mr Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission The safeguard provision in the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement is an effective tool to protect any EU sector affected by the Agreement in case it suffers serious injury due to increased imports. Under this provision, the Parties can suspend preferences for up to two years. A request for a safeguard investigation could be made by one or several Member States on behalf of the EU sector or at the request of the domestic industry. The Commission will make proposals for the signature and conclusion of the agreement in accordance with the Treaties. In that context, the Commission will present its proposal for the legal basis and architecture of the deal. Any food product placed on the EU market, being domestically produced or imported from Mercosur countries, must comply with EU’s sanitary requirements. These requirements are not negotiable and apply regardless of trade agreements concluded with third countries. Official controls at EU borders are intended to verify whether EU food safety rules are respected. These controls are performed by the competent authorities of the Member States. The Commission carries out audits in third countries to ensure that their control systems provide enough guarantees as to ensure that exports to the EU take place in conformity with EU safety standards. In case of non-compliances, trade-restrictive measures may be imposed, both by the trade partner or the EU. In the framework of the Communication on ‘A Vision for Agriculture and Food Shaping together an attractive farming and agri-food sector for future generations’ 1 , the Commission announced a dedicated task force to be established, which will pull expertise and forces from the Commission and Member States together to further strengthen the control on imports. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025DC0075”
  Trade relations with Mercosur · Import of agri-food products in the EU
• “Thank you. Thank you very much indeed, chairman. And Mr. Executive vice president. Stefan welcome to our entire committee. You know where the various political groups stand. And you know what the position is of my political group in our committee. We defend the multicultural the multilateral context. We want to avoid any confrontation. We're against protectionism. There is no such thing as smart protectionism. And Trump proves that every day we want stability, and we want trade to be based on rules and rules based trade approach and the rules that are respected by everyone. Now, you said that trade is a translation of industrial policy. It's how we go about achieving sustainability and other objectives. So could I just come back to these structural reforms that you have mentioned in particular customs? We can have economic protection, but also public health protection and consumer protection. So how are you going to go about customs reform then? And how about doing away with de minimis rules in particular vis a vis China? It's going to be a lengthy exercise to implement all of this. So how can you speed all of this work up and better protect our internal market then just. Steal for a moment. Again, the US conduct has caused problems. Is the European Commission willing to develop a specific instrument to deal with excess capacity? Capacity? Thank you.”
  Trade relations with China
• “Merci. Monsieur. President. Thank you. Chair. I'll speak on behalf of Benoit Cassar, who is a shadow on behalf of our political group, and I'll read the note that he gave me. Colleagues, this proposal of a proposal for an agreement based on exchange of letters takes into account the ruling from the 4th of October. The court validated the trade agreement between the EU and Morocco as a key tool for the Sahrawi people. They need to have a verifiable benefit from this by the use of resources in Western Sahara, in light of the texts that have been submitted to us. We have to say that Western Sahara products will be labelled, and they should benefit from the same preference given to other Moroccan products on the EU market. Sahrawi people benefit from a proportionate benefit there when it comes to exporting their products. They will benefit from the tariff extension and those based in the camp will receive humanitarian aid, and those who have been displaced will benefit from training programs. This agreement provides stability and security for economic stakeholders and strengthens our agricultural agreement. We need a clear framework. We need to extend tariff preferences for products coming from Western Sahara, taking into account proper labelling of Western Saharan products and noticing that this provides a benefit to the Western Saharan people. Personally speaking, I need to say that it would be timely for the Commission not to overlook the Parliament's role in trade agreements. And by the way, I'm quite happy to see that French colleagues want to strengthen trade agreements and I hope that they can apply this elsewhere.”
  Trade relations with Morocco
• “Vice president, colleagues. The shock that we saw with the Covid pandemic could have broken our cohesion, but we put together a solidarity based tool, something unprecedented, a massive recovery plan funded by common loans. And that has enabled us to release over €600 billion. However, there have been obstacles in the way this solidarity mechanism cannot be just an aside. It needs to become a foundation of a fairer Europe. We should have equal access to investments. Whether you are a farmer in Poland, an artist in Spain, a nurse in France, it should be greener. We should be funding buildings, renewable nuclear energy or sustainable transport, more competitive, supporting SMEs so that they can innovate and create jobs. To do this, we need to simplify the formalities. We need to ensure that any small business or association can apply without too much administrative burden. We also need to follow up carefully on the impact of this, because if were to protect people, we need to have an impact on people's everyday lives. If we were to invest, we need to be visible when it comes to classrooms or healthcare or when it comes to new local businesses, this is what people expect. Thank you.”
  Conditions to access EU budget
• “Commissioner. Colleagues, all of the signals coming from the Trump administration are clear. Pressure is growing. Imposing tariffs is a type of blackmail that aims at destabilizing. And it can seem beguiling, but it's actually an impasse. This would be a conflict where nobody would win. There will be no winners and no benefits. No one will win. States, companies or citizens in Europe or in the United States. But let's be clear. The true question for Europeans is not to know whether Trump will actually carry out his threats, but when and how. And faced with this hour, we should not be our own worst enemy. We need to need to respond strongly by remaining strong and determined. We Europeans have a way to react. We can use our anti coercion instrument. We can appeal to the WTO. We can impose our own tariffs. Nothing should be off the table.”
  EU-US trade relations
• “Thank you very much. Chair. Director general, Mr. O'Donnell, thank you very much for being here with us today. And thank you for all of the work that you've done for you and your team. I can only echo what my colleagues have said, and you pointed this out yourself. Ultimately, the political direction that was adopted in the previous mandate aimed at reinforcing our toolbox, so to speak, was more than necessary. And it's even more necessary now given with given our historic partner. In other words, America. It means that we have to. We cannot continue as we did before. We have to reinvent some things. So I welcome the work that has been done. And as my socialist colleague, I think that you also need to bolster your teams as well. We're counting on you. It's up to you to be able to meet these challenges head on. And I do have one question, because you were speaking about excessive capacity and what we can do to make progress because we see just how difficult it is and where our shortcomings are with the current toolbox. There was one question that you mentioned Pigmeat, etc.. Um, there are a number of measures which are legitimate, and we see that once we impose tariffs on our side, they're always in proportion. They're always with full respect for international law and the measures that are put in place. On the other hand, do not fall within that description. So how are you going to ensure there is better protection for these sectors? Because in some areas there's a significant impact. And I can only agree with what my colleague said about steel and aluminium more generally, given the context as it is, how can we make more progress beyond what has already been achieved?”
  EU-US trade relations
• “President, Minister. Commissioner, there is almost no country that's been spared, no sector that's been spared. Ideology is stalking the corridors of the Trump White House. Brutal protectionism without rules. Without limits. Some here actually have problems in hiding their satisfaction. We the reality project that's been applied with zeal by the US administration. Well, what should we be doing? Should we be raising our barriers and escalating? The European Union, strong and united, has chosen another path to come up with a targeted and proportionate response. And at the moment this has been paused so as to show we're not opposed to dialogue. Commissioner, as long as you are clearly and firmly defending international prosperity and European interests, I will support you. And while you are also prepared to use all of the tools that we have built together, this is an opportunity to deepen our industrial policy in Europe with massive investment, but also to reinforce our partnerships, to diversify our alliances so that we can build a stable, fair, sustainable trade order.”
  EU-US trade relations
• “Thank you. Thank you. Chair. Thank you to the commission for the presentation and congratulations for this outcome. It's an important outcome for the EU. It shows once again that improving the multilateral system needs to remain one of our priorities. So I'll pick up on what you said about the US. It's obviously disappointing that the US has not supported this agreement when we have made certain concessions specifically for them. Uh, obviously they still need to show their support for this. So what impact will there be if the US does not join this agreement? What share of the market do they represent? As Mr. Warburton highlighted, obviously there is a tangible, um, possible for progress if we have the US involved now on China. Um, could you say a bit more about the role of the China has played, especially when the US stepped away? Generally speaking, can we draw any conclusions from the fact that China may be more involved? Will they show a different style of leadership on certain points and, and the other countries that are reluctant to join this? Could you say who specifically it is, and will this have other, um, impacts on other negotiations? I think about Thailand, for example. Now privacy. Well, this is a major success for us. Do you? The commission. Could you give us a bit more detail on the points that you're happy with on this, and which countries were allies on issues around privacy and also an echo, Mr. Walburn, in relation to data flows? Could you give us a bit more detail about what that means for our European businesses? Thank you.”
  International data transfers
• “Thank you very much. Chair. Thank you. Director general. You started by taking stock of the world, which is not very joyful, particularly in the area of trade with regard to the United States. You discussed that and also talked about China, and it would be unfortunate if Uh, we were to open a front on the Mercosur, and, uh, we hear that trade policy is protection of our internal policy, and this needs consistency. And I understood that with Mercosur, there has been the legitimate doubts have been heard that have been expressed with regard to safeguard clauses. When we went on our recent mission to Brazil, we looked at conformity, um, and um, um, sanitary and phytosanitary measures. And how do you see this evolving? Can we go further in terms of customs reform? We need to clean up things at home and not just blame others. And with regard to stepping up controls, um, together with DG DJ Santi and other DJs. I think that's really how we're going to respond to the challenges internally, and also in terms of credibility with respect to these other players and on the doctrine and economic security. I share the need to move forward in that direction. We're working on the investment aspects, for example, and we saw what happened with the United States in terms of the resolve to use or not instruments on economic coercion. We need to move ahead on the doctrine. But there is a weakness in the negotiations, and there's a major weakness in the use in each country, ultimately has to put pressure on its industry with its I mean, we're experiencing a pressure from industry, from farmers or from ports, etc. so we have to deal with that. So how do you see the development of solidarity instruments and instruments in order to react externally and within sectors. Thank you.”
  Trade relations with Mercosur
• “Thank you. I expected this question, especially with the type of lies that you tend to throw at me. And I'm and I'd like to see what your collaborators will do with this. I stand behind everything I said. We need to defend European interests, and we need to work with the EU Commission for trade deals. We need to protect, uh, competition. And I don't use your logic, which is, oh, let's stop free trade agreements because they are bad. We need to move forward. You're always in a in a position while you propose nothing.”
  Free trade agreements (FTAs)
• “Thank you Chairman and Vice Director General, thank you for being here. And thank you for your presentation on the task force. I share the comments made by colleagues. We are aware of the density and the intensity of your work in this new context, particularly the idea of basing our Decisions on facts and figures is a good approach, because the geo politics of this confrontation is what our companies are facing, and giving some forecast stability to them is essential. So that task force is very much a welcome in that sense. So I agree with colleagues that, uh, in their questions about the criteria and that have been established and also the the involvement of the economic players. All this data needs to be stopped and analysed so that we can take the right decisions. So my question is about the background instruments that you've started to talk about the mobilisation of those instruments, uh, and how they can be made use of uh, to confront these changes in the value change chain and the imports from China despite the American measures and. And how we're going to mobilize those instruments. That's what is being called for by the European Parliament. How are they really going to produce this leverage effect?”
  Trade relations with China
• “Thank you. Chairman. I have to say, I was particularly disappointed by the commission presentation because, in fact, they said nothing apart from to recall the observation all colleagues have been making. Now we can lament the situation. We are all doing that. But that's not the point. The point is, how do we actually respond to the fundamental problem that this sector faces, which is a vital foundation for the EU and feeds a number of other sectors. You talked about the World Forum, but specifically in that Steel World Forum, how are you building alliances to meet the challenges, in particular with the deviation of rules of origin? On the Chinese side, you talked about von der And a press conference. But there again, very specifically when it comes to safeguard measures, what are you going to set up after this? Are you ready to set up a specific instrument on overcapacity? How are we going to collectively meet this challenge rather than simply lament the state of affairs?”
  Trade relations with China
• “Thank you very much. Well, yes, we met at the monitoring group. We had specific talks with speakers from outside on overcapacity. The aim being to come together looking towards the EU China summit. And we heard from think tanks. Lots of colleagues spoke talking about this issue and the need to be strong at European level. And to quote from the rhodium Group and Jacob Gunter from Merrick's spoke. As you know, there is this issue of overcapacity in China because of subsidies, and we're up against that. Their presentations show that this is a structural problem, which has a negative impact on the EU and the rest of the world, and China needs to take note of this. It's not a viable situation for them either. Last week, as we talked about in plenary, we urgently need to reduce our dependency and risks. Otherwise, we will get into issues of negative economic impacts and we need to maintain dialogue with China. Thank you.”
  EU-China relations · Chinese clean tech competition: trade barriers and investment caps vs. open market
• “Thank you, Madam President. Commissioner. German cars against a French agriculture. Some people want to turn the EU Mercosur trade agreement into this equation. To my colleagues, above all my German colleagues, I will not use this way of working. It's a political weakness, which just leads to protectionism. It just leads to, um, bigger divides. This is not a fight between European countries, but it's our credibility to build sustainable partnerships with third countries who we dialogue with and we already trade with. It's not an opposition between different sectors, but it's our commitment to, um, evolve value chains so that they can be sustainable and safe. So we need to move beyond this issue. But the question is, do we, the Europeans, can we control the products which are coming into our market? So let's not leave our sovereignty and our competitiveness to become vague concepts which are not linked to the reality of the sectors of our economy and our citizens protection.”
  Trade relations with Mercosur
• “Thank you, chair, and thank you for the commission on behalf of our shadow. I would like to read these different points today. Congratulations on the successful conclusion of a political agreement with Indonesia in an area marked by geopolitical instability and rising trade tensions. This free trade agreement represents a vital step for European trade diversification. President von der Leyen said that this agreement will improve access to critical raw material. Could you clarify which material are covered under this deal and how exactly access is improved? For example, does this include. Tariff reduction. Regulatory streamlining or preferential access mechanism? What implication does disagreements have for the ongoing WTO dispute between EU and Indonesia regarding the export ban on Nicol, which got strained at WTO appeal? But more broadly, to what extent does this agreement officially reduce the EU exposure to supply chain risk to tie to Beijing and prevent similar export restriction, especially in light of China? Dominant rules in Indonesia. Mining, processing, mining, processing and clean tech sector. And looking beyond Indonesia. How can the EU accelerate trade negotiations more broadly? And what lessons can be drawn to streamline and fast track future agreements? Thank you.”
  Free trade agreements (FTAs)
• “Thank you. Chair. Director general, I can understand your situation and the sensitive position in which you find yourself. And yet we're having these very schizophrenic debates here. At the end of the day, what we what we should, those of us who should have voted in favor of this agreement, or those who are asking for the same policies as Trump at a European level. So a protectionist policy, a policy that hinders bilateral agreements, those are the ones who should be voting in favor of this deal, not us. Those of us who defend a fair framework, a free trade framework, which is based on rules that are respected by all. But of course, in the negotiations, you didn't have all the cards in your hand and or the possibility to put into place instruments that we had created as co-legislators, such as the Economic Coercion Instrument, which was created in order to avoid the sort of blackmail. Because this constant blackmail that we're facing. You yourself said it, ma'am, nostalgia is not a strategy. Well, I tend to say that hope is not a strategy either. And there will be consequences of this. We need to be able to respond. I listen to what you said, but truly the instrument on economic action would have dealt with this. That's what it was built for. And we know that there are partners that do respect the rules based system internationally. We are jeopardizing our credibility by signing up to this. We'll have to see what this means. We need to be credible, not just in our own domestic market, but also with our partners internationally. So please make use of the European Parliament. We know what how many difficulties you're going to face in the Council. Thank you. Saskia.”
  Free trade agreements (FTAs)
• “Mr. president thank you president Vice-President. Every year 2 billion of public procurement orders are placed in Europe and over half of these orders are awarded on the basis of price alone. This is a model which is outdated, but more than that, it is actually positively dangerous. The revision of this directive constitutes a valuable opportunity to mark an about turn, and to make sure that public procurement policy is actually an economic lever which can be harnessed to support industry, in particular SMEs. It can also enhance our supply chains. It can make sure that we have proper, stringent criteria applying to social and innovation and economic policy. We can establish also proper European policy, European preference, which is beneficial nationally, regionally and locally. This is far from a short term vision. Each procurement tender should be a part of the mosaic, completing the single market and constituting a driving force of prosperity and confidence in Europe for our citizens. Thank you. **Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ @Chair: Thank you. Miss Anna Cavazzini, on behalf of the Greens, has the floor.”
  "Buy European" provisions