Brussels, 25/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - The 6,000 participants in the counter-consultation launched by a transnational and trans-partisan group of MEPs in mid-March (see EUROPE 11513) have massively rejected China being granted market economy status (MES) by the EU, according to the counter-consultation results presented by Edouard Martin (S&D, France), Emmanuel Maurel (S&D, France) and David Borrelli (EFDD, Italy).
On the European level, 91% of respondents to the consultation launched by the MES Action Group oppose granting China MES, 8% are in favour of granting China MES along with strengthening the EU's trade defence instruments, and only 1% say they support granting China MES unconditionally, according to the results of this counter-consultation. “If there was a referendum in Europe tomorrow, I don't think the results would be much different from these. We are bringing the word of the citizens, who are very concerned”, Maurel stated.
The massive opposition to granting China MES is trans-sectoral. Around 90% of the citizens and unions consulted, and 97% of the industrial representations consulted, are opposed. Furthermore, the rejection is crushing in the 19 countries from where the responses emanate - Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom - since at least 70% of respondents (90% in Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK) oppose granting MES to China.
The added value of this counter-consultation is that it has enabled opinions to be gathered that highlight four recurrent themes: - the inability of stakeholders to understand why China might be granted MES when it does not respect the required criteria; - a relative exasperation at the EU's naivety at not protecting itself against unfair trade from China, when other continents do; - the desire for a Europe that is more strategic, diplomatic and strong towards China; - the desire for a Europe that protects and is capable of preserving its social and environmental model.
“Just like these results, the parliamentary debate has also shown near unanimity that the EU must not be the idiot of the global village, but must protect its industry, its consumers and its workers”, Martin stated. “The stakeholders are asking those they have elected to stop importing pollution, to refuse MES for China, to strengthen our trade defence instruments, and to impose the same social and environmental standards on China”, he said.
The MES Action Group will present its results to the European Commission in the hope that this institution will integrate the findings in its own consultation. “For the moment, the Commission is still quite reserved and not objective enough”, Borelli stated. “I have the impression that the Commission is doing the work that the member states are not because many have specific interests with China. Europe needs to stay united on a decision that will impact on all 28 member states”, Martin concluded. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)