The European Council on 20-21 October will discuss EU trade policy, which has come in for great criticism and hostility from the public over the free-trade deals with Canada (CETA) and the United States (TTIP) and unfair competition from China.
In general, the Council will look at ways of conducting a robust trade policy which benefits from open markets while paying heed to the concerns of citizens. It is expected to call for rapid agreement on updating trade defence instruments in the face of unfair practices by third countries.
According to the draft conclusions being circulated on Friday 14 October, the European Council will confirm that “EU trade interests include fully protecting and promoting the social, environmental and consumer standards that are central to our European way of life as well as the right of governments to regulate”.
“As the largest trading block in the world and a leading promoter of global standards, the EU will continue to address citizens’ concerns, and to assist member states in accompanying the changes that come with a fast-moving globalised world”, the draft text adds.
In this context, the European Council will stress the need to tackle unfair trade practices “efficiently and robustly” by ensuring the EU’s trade defence instruments are “effective” in the face of global challenges, such as overcapacity in the steel sector. “This requires a rapid agreement by the co-legislators on the modernisation of Trade Defence Instruments, including on the lesser duty rule”, states the draft text.
Speaking at a European Policy Centre conference on Thursday 13 October, European Council President Donald Tusk promised to try to convince European leaders to put a stop to the “endless deliberation” on trade defence. “An EU which does not have the tools to defend itself against trade hooligans will not build support for free trade, which will lead to Europe ultimately dropping out of global competition. Either we demonstrate that we are able to defend our interests, or the political winners will again be the populists and isolationists”, he warned.
The Council president had previously criticised “the emotions and confusion surrounding TTIP and CETA are also a kind of fuel for eurosceptics and radicals”.
Next week the leaders of the 28 member states are expected to approve the decision on signing CETA, it is hoped, at the EU-Canada summit in Brussels on 27 October and provisional implementation, after the European Parliament and the Canadian parliament have given the go-ahead, before the end of 2016 (see other article).
According to the latest draft European Council conclusions on Friday 14 October, the leaders of the member states will welcome the decision to sign and provisionally apply CETA and will call for “the prompt consent of the European Parliament”.
Endorsement of draft Council decisions on the EU’s signing of CETA is still expected at the extraordinary meeting of EU trade ministers in Luxembourg on Tuesday 18 October.
The heads of state and/or government will also determine the path that is to be taken in negotiations on free-trade agreements with the United States (TTIP) and Japan. According to the draft conclusions, the European Council will invite the Commission to “pursue actively” negotiations with Japan “with a view to reaching a political agreement by the end of the year”. Further, it will confirm “the EU’s resolve to conclude as soon as possible an ambitious, balanced and comprehensive free trade agreement with the US”. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)