In Osaka, European leaders are promoting a European "third way", free trade, based on values - without being "naïve". This was the main message of the joint press conference held from the Far East on Friday 28 June by the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission, Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker.
Promotion of the European vision
Both have praised the merits and successes of the Union.
"Despite economic uncertainties, the European economy continues to grow in a stable and sustainable way (...) we are now in the seventh consecutive year of economic growth", Mr Juncker said with satisfaction.
Highlighting the signing on Sunday 30 June of a new free trade agreement with Vietnam (see EUROPE 12282/11), he stressed that the EU was the leading trading partner of 80 countries, promoting European values, but also defending its interests.
In this respect, Mr Juncker once again called on the EU Member States to take action to finally adopt an International Procurement Instrument ('IPI'), which aims to ensure better reciprocity in access to these markets abroad: "this proves that we defend ourselves if others do not respect the rules" (see EUROPE 12220/1, 12212/20).
Reforming the WTO
The President of the European Commission called on the G20 to work in a "cooperative" way to support World Trade Organization (WTO) reform, with the United States, China and Japan in particular, to ensure a more equitable multilateral trading environment against non-market economies (see other WTO article).
"The world stage cannot become an arena where the strongest dictate their conditions to the weakest, where selfishness prevails over solidarity and nationalist emotions prevail over common sense", President Tusk warned. We must understand that we have a responsibility, not only for our own interests, but above all for peace and a safe and just world order".
Jean-Claude Juncker also reminded the press of Europe's commitments to climate change and sustainable finance in the coming decades. Finally, President Tusk took the lead in defending liberalism: "I strongly disagree with President Putin that liberalism is obsolete. What I find really obsolete is authoritarianism, personality cults, and the rule of oligarchs", he said in response to recent remarks by the Russian president.
A declaration under pressure again
In Osaka, since Tuesday, European negotiators have resumed their mission to obtain a declaration from the summit that meets a criterion that preserves the achievements of the previous summit in Buenos Aires in November 2018 (see EUROPE 12151/17, 12150/16).
On Friday 28 June, the latest version seemed close to meeting these expectations, although there were still many uncertainties, on climate (see other article), trade, migration and steel, according to European sources. (Original version in French by Hermine Donceel)