Brussels, 07/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - During a speech in Prague on Tuesday at the conference on the retail trade (Retail Summit), Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson felt an open Union economy should be defended against “protectionist populism”. He congratulated the Czech Republic in its successful liberalisation and support for free trade. Urging Europe to raise the commercial challenges of globalisation, Mandelson felt that it must judge “issues on the basis of transparent economic criteria and not get carried away by the emotions of economic nationalism and self defence of vested interest”. Promising that he would be “robust” in defending Europe's interests from unfair trade (dumping, etc.), Mandelson nonetheless sounded a note of caution saying: “We must be careful not to allow a legitimate need to provide safeguards and to create balance and time to adjust to become a concession to protectionist populism that will simply do Europe economic damage in the long run”.