Brussels, 23/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - In the conclusions adopted in written procedure on 21 December, the Council gave its support to the common trade policy presented on 9 November by the European Commissioner for trade, Karel De Gucht. In this European Commission document, he highlights the necessity of greater reciprocity from EU trade partners. The EU underlines that, “strategic partnerships with key actors have to go both ways, on the basis of mutual interest and benefits and on the principle that all actors have rights and responsibilities, as well”. Faced with the new challenges in the global economy and the constant changes, borne out by the appearance of new competitors and the increasing complexity of global supply chains, the Council considers that trade policy should remain based on the most important objectives and findings contained in the Global EUROPE 2006 strategy. This underlines the signing of bilateral agreements, greater attention to issues involving market access and regulation, in addition to further efforts to be made for removing restrictive measures introduced during the crisis. The Council reaffirms, nevertheless, the EU's support for multilateral trade as the “number one priority”, as well as the crucial role played by the WTO.
Whilst taking into account the significant amendments introduced by the Lisbon Treaty in the area of the EU's common trade policy, particularly the new competencies acquired by the EU and the strengthened role of the European Parliament in the decision-making process, the Council is encouraging to Commission to pursue its efforts in further opening up the markets, monitoring trade barriers and other restrictive measures, including new forms of protectionism that are having a negative effect on the free movement of goods and services and investments. In this connection, the EU27 welcomes the Commission's intention to present an annual report to the Council on trade and investment barriers. The Council also takes note of the Commission's intention to decide whether it is appropriate to update and modernise the EU's trade defence.
The Council underlines the importance of the EU's trade policy being inclusive towards developing countries. It also highlights the need for it to be sustainable in environmental and climate turns, as well as being smart in so far as it promotes technology and innovation. The Council recommends that the EU's trade policy:
Pursues a pro-active multilateral level negotiating programme in an effort to obtain a fruitful, ambitious, comprehensive and balanced conclusion to the Doha Round 2011;
Makes progress in current regional and bilateral trade negotiations and obtains ambitious and balanced results, which provide added value at a multilateral level and that it continues to conclude bilateral free trade agreements with high-growth emerging economies;
Deepens trade and economic aspects contained in EU strategic partnerships, particularly with the US, China, Russia and Japan;
Pursues initiatives and ongoing negotiations within the Eastern Partnership, the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and EFTA;
Improves access to public procurement markets, in both bilateral agreements and within and the GPA at the WTO. In this connection, the Council notes the Commission's intention to propose a new instrument;
Examine ways of strengthening SME-driven exports;
Ensures greater protection and more effective application of intellectual property rights, including geographical indications, particularly through the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA);
Guarantees sustainable supplies without distorting markets in raw materials;
Promotes global convergence and equivalence of rules, standards and compliance assessment procedures, particularly with the increased use of international standards;
Aims to remove regulatory and non-tariff barriers in non-EU markets. In this regard, it will also be necessary to develop the partnership between member states/companies (market access strategy);
Launches initiatives in the near future to develop a European policy on international investment, which includes a legal framework providing increased legal protection and security to investors;
Continues to strongly defend development goals, particularly by pushing forward negotiations on the conclusion of economic partnership agreements with ACP countries, whilst ensuring that these agreements are compatible with WTO rules and are aimed at promoting regional development and integration by increasing efforts to promote development policy coherency. It also advocates examination of an ambitious legislative proposal to reform the system of generalised preferences (SGP). (E.H.)