CALD Internship Report

Name of Intern: Tee Yen Yen

Country: Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia

Internship period: 2 October 2006 – 29 October 2006
 

I would like to record my sincere thanks and appreciation to the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) and Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia for giving me the opportunity to take part in this meaningful internship programme. My special thanks to the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) Brussels for inviting me to participate in their dialogue programme with the Latin America during my internship in Brussels.

 

I would like to say this internship programme has been a very rewarding experience to me throughout the month in the European Parliament (EP), I have exposed myself to the works of parliament and get to know how the EP law making process through attending the meetings held in the EP at Brussels and Strasbourg.

 

In the EP, there are a total of 17 committees dealt with the internal policies and a total of 3 committees dealt with external policies, 2 sub committees, 1 committee of Inquiry and 7 temporary committees. For myself, I have been assigned to the International Trade Committee and my administrator is Barbara Melis of which she has been assisted by Sevenants Jillian. The main function of the International Trade Committee is to be responsible for the matters relating to the establishment and implementation of the Union’s commercial policy and its external economic relations, in particular:

 

● financial, economic and trade relations with third countries and regional organizations;

 

● measures of technical harmonization or standardization in fields covered by instruments of international law;

 

● relations with the relevant international organizations and with organizations regional economic and commercial integration outside the Union;

 

●  relations with the WTO, including its parliamentary dimension.

 

During my three weeks attachment in the EP at Brussels, I have attended the meetings, conference and programme as follows:

 

›  Committee on International Trade Meetings

 

›  The ALDE group meetings

 

› The ALDE group internal administrators’ meeting chaired by the group deputy   secretary general, Mr Niccolo Rinaldi

 

›  DLA Piper Trade Conference held in Hotel Conrad Brussels

 

› Information programme for Central and Latin American trade experts organized by Friedrich Naumann Stiftung at Brussels

 

›  Plenary sessions in Brussels and Strasbourg

 

Committee on International Trade meeting

 

On my second day at the EP, I had the opportunity to attend the International Trade committee meeting with the presence of the Council and the European Commission. From the meeting, I had observed the process of the committee in proposing laws:

 

1. consideration of draft opinion by the committee members

2. first exchanged of views

3. deadline for tabling amendments

4. adoptions of coordinators’ recommendations

5. voting

6. adoption of an oral question and of a draft resolution

 

The issues discussed in the meeting include:

 

● Community customs code - which some new amendments have been made to the existing article. The committee emphasised on the use of electronic system in relation to the trade transaction between the traders and customs instead of the conventional physical documentation for the security purpose;

 

● Promoting decent work for all - The committee discussed on the issues of children workers, basic rights and humanity from the political perspective, the better pay and workplace in the global scale. In addition, the committee also discussed on the promotion of working standard and job security internationally through communication, define the objective, focus on the social rights and practising good governance.

 

● Construction of the Euro-Mediterranean free trade area – The committee discussed on the importance of the use of new trade defence instruments. The committee also emphasised on the technology transferred in particular the potassium chloride, plastic bags and footwear cases.

 

● The economic partnership agreements - discussed the issues on cooperation and the importance of negotiations.

 

Besides this meeting, I am glad that I have also attended the ‘communication’ chaired by the international trade commissioner, Mr Peter Mandelson on the topic of “Global Europe: Competing in the world”. The main purpose of this communication is to set out the contribution of trade policy to stimulate growth and creating jobs in Europe.

 

The communication stressed the need to adapt the tools of EU trade policy to new challenges, to engage new partners, to ensure Europe remains open to the world and other markets open to Europe. The communication at the same time addressed some links between the policies that Europe pursue both at home base (discussed on competitiveness markets, openness and social justice) and abroad (discussed on non-tariff barriers, access to resources and new areas of growth).

 

At the end of the communication, the proposals raised by the commission were, inter-alia

 

Ø   To ensure the internal policy proposals fit with the global competitiveness challenges.

Ø   To ensure the benefits of trade opening will pass on to citizens by monitoring the development in import and consumer prices.

Ø   Maintain Europe commitment to the Doha Trade Round and the WTO as the best way of opening and managing world trade.

Ø   Make proposals on priorities in trade and investment relations with China as part of a broad strategy to build a beneficial and equal partnership.

 

I wish to further make a remark that it was an excellent presentation from Mr Peter Mandelson with all the detailed analysis. Despite some critics have been asked by the committee members, he has responded in a very polite, professional and frank manner.

 

DLA Piper Trade Conference

 

DLA Piper is a global legal services organization with offices across Europe, Asia and the US. The organization has 3,100 lawyers across more than 60 offices and 23 countries provide a broad range of legal services through their global practice groups. That was the first conference organized by the organization and the speakers invited include Mr. Peter Mandelson, EU Trade Commisioner European Parliament (keynote address) and Mr Graham Watson (MEP), the ALDE group leader to speak on the topic ‘Is there life after Doha?’.

 

The agenda of the conference includes: State of trade – is there life after Doha?, the China-EU trade relations – the Chinese perspective, trade compliance and security measures, the state of anti-dumping investigations and the US trade developments.

 

Prior to the conference, I have assisted the secretary of ALDE group leader in sourcing the information on Doha’s issues, compiling the facts from the relevant studies and statistics on Doha. From the compilation, I gained a better understanding on the concept of Doha, the roles of International Trade Commission and World Trade Organization (WTO) to strengthen and review Doha Development Agenda which launched in 2001.

 

Free Trade versus Regional Economic Integration

 

This was the information programme organized by the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung, Brussels for Central and Latin American trade experts. With pleasure, Ms Susanne Hartig, Director Programmes has invited me to attend for the programme. I have taken part in two sessions as follows:

 

● The collapse of the Doha trade round and its implications to Latin America - the session was presented by Mr Philipp Dupuis from the Negotiation and Management of External Trade, European Commission.

In this session, the speaker explained on the level of development in Latin America, structure of import & export of the countries and the structure of liberalisation. 

 

 ● Decision making in the area of trade within European Union – the session was presented by Mr Hiddo Houben, the member of cabinet Peter Mandelson, European Commission.

The speaker has provided information on procedure and analogy on how the EU made policy and explained the Commission act as the most powerful negotiator for 25 countries in EU on the trade policies, treaties as well as agreements.

 

Plenary sessions

 

Brussels

 

I am glad that I have the chance to observe the plenary sessions held in EP at Brussels on the issues of “Footwear from China and Vietnam” and “Third country anti-dumping, anti subsidy and safeguard action”. The sessions were started off with the statements from the Council and Commission. The sessions then continued with the report from the respective committees & followed by the joint debates before the voting process commenced.

 

Strasbourg

 

On my first day in the EP at Strasbourg, I was assigned to assist the Parliament’s secretariat in the office works: arranging and binding the documentation for the plenary sessions. On the following days, I have attended the plenary on the issue of “Breast Cancer”. The session was initiated with the statements from the European Parliament President, Mr. Josep Borrell Fontelles and Political Group Presidents on Commemoration of the 1956 Hungarian uprising.

 

Thereafter, during the question time, the first oral question raised by the committee of Employment and Social Affairs on:

1. Reintegration of breast cancer patients into the job market and,
2. The use of social funds for training of health professionals in the field of breast cancer.

The second oral question raised by the committee of the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. The said committee is concerning on the early detection and treatment of breast cancer in the European Union.

 

It was then followed by the question from the committee of Women’s rights and gender equality on breast cancer.

 

After the question time, a joint debate was held on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) before the voting take place.

 

In conjunction with the commemoration, an exhibition on Hungarian uprising in 1956 has been set up in the Parliament to create public awareness. Flyers and bookmarks were distributed on the day. 

 

Apart from these, I have also taken part in the secretariat meetings of International Trade Committee on the:

1. Delegation of the European Parliament to the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO to be held on 1-2 Dec 2006 in Geneva.

2. The fixing of the programmes of hearings and delegations in 2007.

Besides, I had the opportunity to attend the launching of the ALDE group’s new website www.alde.eu and comic on “Operation Red Dragon” at Strasbourg on 25 Oct 2006.

 

On my last day in the EP at Strasbourg, we (myself and other two interns from Germany and France) have the honour of being invited to have lunch with the ALDE Deputy Secretary General, Mr Niccolo Rinaldi for the comments and feedbacks during our stayed with the ALDE.

Observations & Impressions >>