madam president during times of economic downturn it is only through the opening-up of markets and the removal of barriers that we can rebuild our industry create jobs and boost development
thank you commissioner for your points of view on the previous debate
eu exporters of consumer goods electronics pharmaceuticals chemicals and medical devices are just some of the sectors which will benefit immensely from the removal of non-tariff barriers
simplification of certification procedures transparency and price predictability are all things that will benefit the consumer
the korean consumer market in turn wants access to speciality european agricultural products such as wines spirits meats cheeses all protected by geographical indicators
however it would be wrong to accept this free trade agreement and we have heard many people speak on it at face value and there are areas which need further clarification by the commission
the inclusion of duty drawback clauses has been a concern for many of us as i mentioned
any free trade agreement must be based on the principle of reciprocity or mutual benefit but the potential burden on european car manufacturers remains unclear and of great concern to us
the commission has assured us that korea is actively liberalising its import regime
the level of duties that korea can refund under the duty drawback are gradually being reduced
the negotiators are convinced that the economic relevance of the duty drawback will therefore diminish over time
what evidence does the commission have to support this argument
if the commission finds itself resorting to repeated or continued use of this safeguard mechanism will it consider reviewing negotiations to extend the transfer period
commissioner i look forward to working closely with you in the new agreement that is coming up
