financial levy on commercial premises

Mr. Gary Reardon, Division of Federal Policy, St. John's Board of Trade: I would certainly agree on the commercial side, where businesses have an input tax credit, that there will be a reduced cost of commercial construction.

You'll notice that we're also concerned about a number of other things on that list, things such as special taxes, taxes that aren't generally applicable to the private sector in this country, or things such as the land leases that airports are currently paying to the government that, in our view, are not based on sound commercial principles.

16. Urges the Commission to ensure that all commitments in existing and future trade negotiations and agreements are effectively fulfilled; calls on the Commission to make use of Community Trade Defence Instruments in accordance with WTO rules and resort, if necessary, to the dispute-settlement mechanism in order to preserve the EU automobile industry and to fight back unfair trade practices against EU interests, such as special taxes on imported cars;

to ensure that TTIP includes a specific chapter on SME’s in TTIP based on the joint commitment of both negotiating parties and aims at creating new opportunities in the US for European SMEs (including micro enterprises), on the basis of SME exporters’ actual reported experience, for instance by eliminating double certification requirements, by establishing a web-based information system about the different regulations and best practices, by facilitating access to support schemes for SME, by introducing ‘fast-track’ procedures at the border or by eliminating specific tariff peaks that continue to exist; it should establish mechanisms for both sides to work t ...[+++]ogether to facilitate SMEs’ participation in transatlantic trade and investment, for instance through a common SME ‘one-stop shop’ with SMEs stakeholders playing a key role in its establishment, which would provide specific information they need to export to, import from or invest in the US, including on customs duties, on taxes, on regulations, on custom procedures and on market opportunities;