Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn was part of the Foreign Affairs Council’s unanimous decision yesterday to support new anti-dumping methodologies as part of the reform of the EU’s trade protection instruments.
The decision reflects the desire to better arm the European industry against unfair competition from third countries while respecting the EU's commitments in the WTO.
Minister Asselborn recalled the importance of this decision for the future of European industry, but also for relations with trading partners and in particular with China, before explaining that "from the point of view of Luxembourg, the challenge is to protect European industries against all forms of unfair competition while fully respecting its commitments within the WTO“.
The Minister continued by welcoming the fact that "the compromise that has been found in the Council is an encouraging and legally stable basis for future negotiations with the European Parliament and the conclusion of the reform of trade protection instruments.” He stressed, in particular, that "this reform is all the more important because it intervenes in a context of rejection of globalisation and the rise of populism and extremes among our European citizens and especially among the most fragile”.
The Council then held a debate on the implementation of free trade agreements. In this context, Minister Asselborn, on behalf of Luxembourg, together with four other member states, supported a letter to Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström proposing concrete actions for the effective implementation of the social and environmental provisions of these agreements.
