Brussels, 08/02/2008 (Agence Europe) - No less than seven EU Commissioners came to the encourage French business leaders to be flexible at the meeting of the Executive Council of the French Confederation of Enterprises (MEDEF) at European Commission headquarters in Brussels on Thursday 7 February. One of them, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, said: 'I welcome MEDEF's consistent support for the priorities set out in the Global Europe strategy,' for EU trade policy, adopted in October 2006 (see EUROPE 9278-9279). 'An ambitious Doha agreement, a shift in policy focus to Asia, the stepping-up of work on market access barriers, the recognition that we have to build trade policy around global supply chains - I believe these all reflect the core interests of French industry,' he told the MEDEF leaders headed by Laurence Paristo. Mandelson also hailed MEDEF's backing for free trade: 'MEDEF are also right to argue that keeping our own markets open is vital.' Announcing the postponing of its own draft revision of the EU's trade defence instruments in January (see EUROPE 9579-9580), MEDEF noted its backing for the opening up of EU trade but welcomed the Trade Commissioner's retreat on the issue, arguing that his decision would help ensure an effective fight against unfair competition from other countries which are not part of the EU. MEDEF commented that trade defence instruments ensure fair and sustainable competition for companies, guaranteeing a healthy economy. The difference of opinion between Peter Mandelson and French employers on the need to reform the EU's anti-dumping measures has not prevented a meeting of minds on the need to liberalise global trade both multilaterally and bilaterally. The EU Commissioner and members of the MEDEF Executive Council agreed that 'in the current uncertain global economic climate, a WTO world trade deal that created new trade opportunities in goods and services was an important priority for the EU.' Mandelson briefed the MEDEF leaders on progress in the EU's ongoing bilateral negotiations with emerging economies and groups of emerging economies in South America and Asia, and its work to remove barriers to trade in important emerging markets. (E.H.)