Written explanations of vote - 9th parliamentary term Matt CARTHY

. – I voted to abstain on this file because it is a structural adjustment programme not humanitarian support. Despite my groups attempts to amend the agreement, the EUR 500 million is entirely in the form of loans not grants. In order to receive these loans the Jordanian government had to agree to adhere to IMF structural reforms that have damaged so many economies since they began being imposed on the global south since the 1980s. I abstained because I disagree with the terms on which the money is being made available to Jordan. I support supporting Jordan, particularly as a country that hosts 1.3 million refugees but completely oppose the use of crises to impose structural adjustment programmes on third countries.

. – I abstained on this report. On the island of Ireland, cross-border cooperation is vitally important, particularly in terms of encouraging cross-border cooperation between the Gardaí and PSNI. Significantly however, this report relates directly to the so-called ‘Prum’ decision, and is a marker of particular concern for Sinn Féin. Sinn Féin does not support the ‘Prum’ decision as the unilateral collection of data is a disproportional mechanism and disregards a person’s right to protection of personal data and privacy. I therefore opted to abstain.

. – I abstained on this report. On the island of Ireland, cross-border cooperation is vitally important, particularly in terms of encouraging cross-border cooperation between the Gardaí and PSNI. Significantly however, this report relates directly to the so-called ‘Prum’ decision, and is a marker of particular concern for Sinn Féin. Sinn Féin does not support the ‘Prum’ decision as the unilateral collection of data is a disproportional mechanism and disregards a person’s right to protection of personal data and privacy. I therefore opted to abstain.

. – I voted against this report. Sinn Féin was opposed to the recast of the Eurodac Regulation in 2013 due to our significant concerns that law enforcement agencies would have unparalleled access to the Eurodac database and would be able to utilise this data to combat so-called ‘irregular asylum’. This regulation is another facet of the cruel Fortress Europe approach to prevent vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers from seeking sanctuary in the EU. It is for this reason that I voted against.

. – I voted against the Solomon joining The interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) in June 2018.
The Solomon Island will soon cease to be Least Developed Country meaning they lose their preferential non-reciprocal tariff and quota free market access to the EU. In order to maintain its free market access, Solomon Island have to join the regional Interim Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and the Pacific states (Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Samoa). However, since the EPAs are essentially free trade agreements, Solomon Island will be required to gradually liberalise its trade with the EU in return for its market access to the EU. Not only will the EPA pit local fledgling industries in direct competition with the EU export economy, the liberalisation of financial tariffs on imports (EU goods) and exports (raw materials for European companies) will result in revenue. For these reasons I voted against.

. – I voted in favour of this report. It relates to the mandatory transmission of information between Member States’ tax authorities in order to combat VAT fraud in the area of e-commerce. This proposal relates to the intermediaries (banks, PayPal, etc.) used to purchase goods online from another member state, and sets down rules for the standardised collection of information. This parliament report endorse the Commission proposals and adds more background information, emphasises the role of organised crime in VAT fraud, including carousel fraud, and aims to strengthen some of the measures (e.g. inserting additional requirements for information to be included in annual reports of the authorities), as well as stating that the Data Supervisor must be consulted on the future regulations stemming from this legislation.

. – I voted in favour of this report. It relates to the mandatory transmission of information between Member States’ tax authorities in order to combat VAT fraud in the area of e—commerce. This report sets down rules on the collection, transmission and retention of information on e-commerce by VAT authorities in the Member States. This parliament report endorse the Commission proposals and adds more background information, emphasises the role of organised crime in VAT fraud, including carousel fraud, and aims to strengthen some of the measures (e.g. inserting additional requirements for information to be included in annual reports of the authorities), as well as stating that the Data Supervisor must be consulted on the future regulations stemming from this legislation.

. – I voted in favour of this technical decision, already foreseen by the association agreement with the Overseas Territories.
The objective of the proposal is to amend a Council Decision on the association of the overseas countries and territories (OCTs) with the European Union – the Overseas Association Decision (OAD). The amendment is required for the application of the registered exporters (REX) system for origin certification. The OCTs were not ready as of 1 January 2017 to apply the REX system as provided for in Annex VI of the OAD. Therefore, all OCTs requested a derogation of three years. On 29 November 2016, the Commission adopted Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/2093 postponing the date to establish the REX system for the OCTs to 1 January 2020.

. – I abstained on this agreement and resolution because I believe it must be renegotiated. The present agreement has not had the desired effect of reducing tensions, evidenced by the existing airbus dispute. It also fails to include any ban on the importation of beef produced using antibiotics as a growth promoter.
I do not have an issue with the USA receiving the designated portion of the tariff for hormone free beef, as this will not lead to any increase of beef imported into the EU but the aforementioned failures of the agreement must be addressed to make the agreement fit for purpose. As AMR prevalence increases, it is not appropriate to wait until 2022 to being to insert such bans into new legislation.

. – I abstained on this agreement and resolution because I believe it must be renegotiated. The present agreement has not had the desired effect of reducing tensions, evidenced by the existing airbus dispute. It also fails to include any ban on the importation of beef produced using antibiotics as a growth promoter.
I do not have an issue with the USA receiving the designated portion of the tariff for hormone-free beef, as this will not lead to any increase of beef imported into the EU, but the aforementioned failures of the agreement must be addressed to make the agreement fit for purpose. As AMR prevalence increases, it is not appropriate to wait until 2022 to insert such bans into new legislation.

. – This resolution is an inaccurate misrepresentation of the political situation in Bolivia, where a racist, fascistic military coup toppled the government of president Evo Morales shortly after he won re-election on October 20. The official tally showed that Morales obtained 47.08%, and his main opponent, Carlos Mesa, 36.51%, but the right-wing opposition refused to accept these results. Morales called fresh elections to defuse the violence, but the military and police forced him from power in a US-backed coup d’état. Since then, security forces have attacked pro-democracy protests, killing dozens.
The resolution repeats the arguments of the coup-mongers, providing cover for an attack on democratic norms in Bolivia, and the violent repression and murders of pro-Morales, indigenous and pro-democracy demonstrators. It also repeats unproven claims of electoral fraud, insinuates blame on pro-Morales protesters for the social turmoil and deaths, ignores the role of the military and police in carrying out a violent coup, recognises the unconstitutionally self-declared far-right ‘president’ Añez, and welcomes new elections that would exclude Morales from running.
I therefore voted against.

. – I voted in favour of this resolution as it is obvious that we are facing a climate and environmental emergency.
This is corroborated by verifiable scientific evidence, such as the recent findings by the World Meteorological Organization which has predicated a temperature increase of up to 5 degrees Celsius within the next 80 years. As long as the signatories to the Paris Agreement who pledged to implement measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions continue with empty promises and pledges, then this will become a reality.
Global emissions have shown no signs of slowing, which is demonstrated by record—breaking temperatures year after year, at great human and ecological cost. For these reasons I supported this resolution.

. – I voted in favour of this resolution as it essential to create a just transition to tackle climate change. I also believe that combatting climate change along with social inequality and poverty all need to be at the forefront of the UN’s agenda.
It is important that people are not left behind in the fight against climate change, and in establishing an economy that no longer relies on fossil fuels. Ordinary people must not bear the brunt of the fight to tackle climate change, when multinational corporations and the fossil fuel industry are ultimately responsible for the destruction of our planet. I note that this resolution encourages the use of nuclear power as an alternative fuel, however I strongly oppose the advancement of nuclear energy.
Not enough is being done by the Irish government, or internationally by the signatories of the Paris Agreement, which is why I supported this resolution calling for further action.

. – I voted in favour of this resolution as it called on the Council to urgently conclude the EU ratification of the Istanbul Convention and calls on the seven Member States that have signed up to the convention, but have not yet ratified it, to do so without delay. The resolution highlights that the convention remains the key international tool to eradicate gender-based violence.

. – I voted in favour of this resolution.
The issue in this resolution dates back to 13 January 1991, where a confrontation between independence demonstrators and Soviet troops took place at Vilnius’s television tower, during which 14 civilians were killed and 702 were injured.
In March 2019, the Vilnius Regional Court qualified the events of January 1991 as an act of aggression by the Soviet Union against Lithuania and found Dmitry Yazov, former Soviet defence minister, as well as more than 60 other former Soviet officers guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity for their involvement on 13 January 1991.
In 2018, the Investigation Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case against the Lithuanian prosecutors who investigated the 13th January case. This year, a criminal case has been brought against the Lithuanian judges who conducted the trial of this case. I believe the Soviet authorities behind the events in 1991 should be condemned and that any attempt to interfere in an ongoing judicial procedure should be denounced, and therefore I voted in favour of this resolution.

. – I voted against this joint motion for resolution. The resolution fails to address that this type of dispute is the core problem with an export—driven agriculture policy. As long as this policy is continued, farmers will pay the price for world trade disagreements, even when they are not related to agricultural products.
This resolution sees free trade and open markets as a panacea and that this type of issue can be avoided by pouring more money into promotion in other countries. This resolution should have been about the need to boost farm incomes for trade within the EU, giving priority to short supply chains and helping farmers diversify. I am very disappointed this resolution was orientated in such a way that the difficulties created by a dispute of this nature will likely continue for European farmers.

. – We voted to abstain on this file on the WTO appellate body because it presented the undemocratic and opaque appellate body, and the WTO in general, in an uncritical manner. The file calls for ending the issue of vacancies on the appellate body of the WTO. In December, terms of two of the three remaining members of the seven-member tribunal will end, causing the Appellate Body to go dormant due to lack of a quorum. We oppose the US approach to the WTO. However, we could not vote in favour of a text that presents the WTO and its dispute settlement body as some kind of guarantee for democratic multilateralism, economic inclusion, and sound rules-based global governance.

. – I voted in favour of this resolution that deals with the ongoing cooperation between the EU and its former colonies in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific covering development aid, trade and economic inclusion and political cooperation. I supported the resolution because it contained a number of positive aspects particularly from a development perspective.

. – The proposed Commission represents continuity with the same failed policies of the Juncker Commission. It is clearly unwilling and unable to address the fundamental reforms that the EU needs. For this reason, I voted against the proposed Commission.

. – I voted in favour of releasing funding under the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Greece because the natural disaster in Greece clearly meets all of the criteria for mobilising the Solidarity Fund.