Kumpaniji żgħar u medji jeħtieġu appoġġ biex jikkonformaw mal-liġijiet kummerċjali kumplessi

Is-swieq globali huma sors ta’ negozju għall-kumpaniji żgħar u medji iżda, skond Alfred Sant, l-interess tagħhom fil-kummerċ internazzjonali ma jiġix ikkunsidrat biżżejjed meta jitfasslu ftehimiet kummerċjali.

Il-Parlament Ewropew iddiskuta t-tnedija tar-reviżjoni tal-politika kummerċjali tal-UE fl-2020 li għandha l-għan li toħloq sinerġiji bejn il-politika kummerċjali Ewropea u l-politika interna f’oqsma bħal dawk industrijali, diġitali, ambjentali u soċjali kif ukoll biex tinkorpora l-politika kummerċjali fil-politika esterna tal-UE.

Ir-rapport, appoġġjat minn Alfred Sant, jilqa’ wkoll id-dibattitu dwar il-kunċett uniku tal-UE dwar l-‘awtonomija strateġika miftuħa’, u jistieden lill-Kummissjoni biex tipprovdi aktar dettalji dwar il-kontenut tiegħu.

Il-pandemija COVID-19 tfixkel il-provvista ekonomika u kixfet id-dipendenza tal-UE fuq sorsi li mhumiex tal-UE. Il-blokk kummerċjali tal-UE kellu jgħaddi minn test mdaqqas waqt li t-tensjonijiet maċ-Ċina u l-Istati Uniti jistgħu jittaffew minħabba l-bidla fl-amministrazzjoni iżda mhux ser jitilqu malajr.

“F’nofs din l-inċertezza, l-UE ma tistax sempliċement tagħmel damage control”, iddikjara Alfred Sant.

Li tipprovdi għal inklużjoni sħiħa u trasparenti tas-soċjetà ċivili u t-trejdjunjins, sistema kummerċjali multilaterali li tiffunzjona tajjeb, flimkien ma’ ftehimiet kummerċjali, hi mod effettiv biex mhux biss tiżgura sorsi differenti ta’ manifattura iżda wkoll biex tippromwovi ir-rwol tal-munita ewro.

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SMEs need support to comply with complex trade legislation

The European Commission should address the issue of the cost for SMEs to comply with increasingly complex trade legislation, Alfred Sant said during a plenary session of the European Parliament.

Global markets are a source of business for SMEs but, according to Alfred Sant, their interest in international trade is not taken sufficiently into account when trade agreements are drawn up.

The European Parliament discussed the launch of the review of the EU’s trade policy in 2020 that aims to create synergies between European trade policy and internal policies such as industrial, digital, environmental and social as well as to incorporate trade policy into the EU’s broader external policy.

The report, supported by Alfred Sant, also welcomes the debate on the unique EU concept of ‘open strategic autonomy’, and invites the Commission to provide further details on its content.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted supply chains and exposed the EU dependency on non-EU sources. The EU trading bloc has been more than put to the test while tensions with China and the US could be eased given the change of administration but are not likely to go away overnight.

“In the middle of this uncertainty, the EU cannot simply do damage control”, Alfred Sant stated.

Providing for a full and transparent inclusion of civil society and trade unions, a functioning multilateral trading system, paired with trade agreements, has proved up to this date to be an effective way to not only ensure multiple sources of manufacturing but also to promote the international role of the euro.