Denis Redonnet, the European Commission’s Deputy Director General for DG Trade and Chief Trade Enforcement Officer (CTEO), reiterated, during a webinar on Wednesday 9 December, that reform of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Appellate Body is necessary regardless of how the US position will evolve in the coming months under the Biden Administration.
During these discussions organised by the European Policy Centre think tank, Mr Redonnet was questioned on the relevance and necessity of reforming the WTO Appellate Body at a time when the US administration seems to want to end the blockage. He stressed that the EU should in any case equip itself effectively, whether bilaterally or in the WTO.
“We need instruments that are proportionate to the problems we face. These instruments will be calibrated. But, logically, we cannot base our policy on the expectations that a foreign administration will move in this or that direction”, considered the EU official.
Denis Redonnet's post as CTEO was created earlier this year to improve the implementation of EU trade policy and to increase the protection of European businesses against unfair practices (see EUROPE 12535/22). (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)