EU trade policy is where the European parliament exercises its "greatest power", says Bernd Lange. As chair of the international trade (INTA) committee, Lange points to MEPs' role of having "the final say in the ratification of any EU trade agreement". "And we have made use of our ability to vote down agreements," said the German deputy, "as the examples of the anti-counterfeiting trade agreement and Swift have demonstrated." For Lange, parliament plays a key role in the ratification process, acting as "the democratic conscience of Europe's common trade policy".
"It is not surprising," stresses Lange, "when I say that TTIP will be one of the top priorities for the INTA committee in this legislature. Whether we will ratify it in the next five years is a different story. But there are other agreements which are at a much more advanced stage in the negotiation cycle, such as Canada, Singapore and Vietnam. I expect their ratification procedures to appear on the agenda of the committee in the foreseeable future."
"It is not surprising when I say that TTIP will be one of the top priorities for the INTA committee in this legislature"
"Without a doubt, a priority legislative file will be the trade defence modernisation package. We have made clear in the past that we expect the guidelines to advance hand-in-hand with the legislative proposal, on which we will hopefully see movement in the council soon."
For Lange, it was crucial to "recognise that trade policy in the 21st century is about much more than its traditional perception. EU trade policy should not only be a tool to advance the interests of big business, but should also serve to help improve the situation of workers, consumers and the environment. I firmly believe that trade must not only be free, but fair, and my committee colleagues and I will work towards that goal."
Lange warned that the European commission is "facing a crisis of trust, and will have to work hard to rebuild what has been lost". He urged the incoming commission to "make a genuine fresh start in terms of transparency", adding, "this means listening to all parties concerned and taking those concerns on board in our ongoing and future negotiations". "I expect a close working relationship with the new commission, which will mean welcoming the new commissioner for trade and representatives of DG trade to our committee on a very regular basis," he concluded.
Bernd Lange is chair of parliament's international trade committee