MEPs voted by 653 votes in favour, 10 against and 30 abstentions on the report by Marie-Pierre Vedrenne (Renew Europe, France) on compliance with trade rules on Tuesday 19 January in plenary session. The report will now include services and intellectual property rights within the scope of the possibilities for retaliatory measures against non-Member States in the event of a blockage in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body.
“The new rules are part of efforts to give the EU better tools to promote compliance with and enforcement of its trade agreements in a changed geopolitical context”, the rapporteur said.
The European Commission’s Chief Trade Enforcement Officer (CTEO), Denis Redonnet, said he was satisfied with the vote: “These changes allow me to do my job better: protecting the interests of EU businesses and workers in markets abroad”.
The Regulation now needs to be formally validated by the EU Council. It will apply 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)