EU must be able to fight back against coercion

"Europe supports open global trade, but where non-EU-countries try to weaponise trade for political purposes, then we must have the means to effectively push back. This is the purpose of the Anti-Coercion Instrument", said Christophe Hansen MEP and Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou MEP ahead of the adoption of the EU's Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI) in the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee today.

The ACI will provide a quicker and more effective Trade Defence Instrument to fight back against economic coercion by non-EU countries. It provides a framework for the EU to engage with countries that are threatening to or engage in economically coercing a Member State or the European Union. The ACI will ultimately empower the EU to impose counter measures against such non-EU countries.

"Economic coercion is an emerging and dangerous threat. It is a way that other countries seek to restrict our ability to make the political decisions that we believe in. The EU must have the means to fight back against this, and the Anti-Coercion Instrument is the way to do it", said Asimakopoulou, who negotiated for the EPP Group in the European Parliament's ACI negotiations. "With the vote in committee today, we see a strong and united position from the Parliament. We now look to the Member States who must find the courage to push forward with this necessary legislation."

"The EU's openness is our greatest source of prosperity. But we cannot allow this openness to be used to blackmail us or to restrict our policy space", said Hansen, EPP Group Spokesman for International Trade Policy. "Nevertheless, we do not want this instrument to open a global trade arms race and strengthen protectionist tendencies. It must remain fully aligned with the rules of the World Trade Organisation. Sufficient safeguards must be built in to avoid mission creep and to ensure that it is only activated as a last resort, when all other avenues are closed and consultations have failed."