Minister Asselborn Calls for Modernisation of EU-Africa Economic Partnership Agreements

Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, participated in the Informal meeting of the Trade Ministers of the European Union (EU) in Marseille, France on 13 and 14 February 2022.

On Sunday 13 February 2022, Minister Asselborn took part in a working dinner on the work of the World Trade Organization (WTO), in the presence of WTO Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. The discussions focused on issues related to WTO reform, the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and relations with China.

On the morning of Monday 14 February 2022, the ministers discussed strengthening relations between the EU and the African continent. A few days ahead of the EU-African Union (AU) Summit, which is taking place in Brussels, Belgium from 17 to 18 February 2022, Minister Asselborn emphasised the importance of this meeting as a major step in the redesign of EU-AU relationships for the years to come. Stressing the need to renew and deepen the EU's partnership with African countries, Luxembourg's Foreign Minister called for the modernisation of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) as an integral part of this redesign and in full respect of their vulnerabilities. In order to support Africa in setting up its Continental Free Trade Area project, Minister Asselborn highlighted the importance of maintaining a regional approach in deepening trade and investment relations with Africa. He also stressed the importance of sustainable development and the fight against climate change.

A second working session then allowed the EU ministers to look at trade relations with the United States (US). Minister Asselborn welcomed the opportunity offered by the next meeting of the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) to cooperate with the US on the standards of the future and combat together unfair practices, further stressing that priority should be given to green technologies as well as environmental and social standards. At the same time, he recalled the need to be aware of the limits of this exercise. Minister Asselborn said that he was convinced that high-level political dialogue remained the best way to persuade the US to reconnect with commercial multilateralism. The issue of a concrete US commitment in multilateral fora must therefore be an integral part of the transatlantic dialogue, according to Luxembourg's Foreign Minister.

Finally, a working lunch allowed the ministers to exchange views with Bernd Lange, Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade, particularly on the issue of technological and economic decoupling. Minister Asnelborn pointed out that "the EU must, as a global trading actor, see how to position itself, with the objective of doing our best to safeguard the multilateral trading system and counter the logic of decoupling". He also stressed the need for the EU and its Member States to be more assertive. Minister Asselborn went on to call for the strengthening of the provisions on sustainable development in the context of trade negotiations and the establishment of a legally binding European framework for ensuring respect for human rights by European companies.

On the sidelines of these discussions, Luxembourg's Foreign Minister had an exchange with his Dutch counterpart, Liesje Schreinemachethe, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands, on the need for the European Commission to present its initiative for duty of vigilance as soon as possible. Luxembourg and the Netherlands agreed to engage in an ambitious result during the negotiations.