Trade Defence Instruments 2.0: protecting EU industry without being protectionist

"This proposal is necessary to prevent a major and unnecessary trade conflict with China, but it is long overdue. Now we have to make sure that the new anti-dumping regulation is 100 percent WTO-proof and takes recent case law into account," says Christopher Fjellner MEP, the European Parliament's Rapporteur on the European Commission's earlier proposal for the modernisation of the Union's trade defence instruments.

The European Commission today proposed a modernisation of Trade Defence Instruments to defend EU producers against unfairly-traded or subsidised imports, insofar as these are harmful to the EU economy. An earlier proposal for reform had been blocked in the Council.

"Our current rules are a downright invitation for other countries to use unfair competition. Therefore we need to enforce new trade defence instruments to improve transparency and enable the EU to act quickly in defence of our industry and employees," says Daniel Caspary MEP, EPP Group Spokesperson in the Committee on International Trade.

The steel sector is a key manufacturing industry in Europe that supports the jobs of 350,000 people. The EPP Group demands immediate action to ensure that European steel has a bright future, especially in competition with China. "Trade is of key importance for jobs and growth. We have to keep the motor running smoothly to protect our industry," concluded Caspary.

Caspary hopes that the new proposal will be adopted swiftly: "If you want too much, you end up with empty hands. This is the bottom line of the countless amendments from various factions in the European Parliament to the earlier proposal, which triggered the blockade in the Council. I am optimistic that we can avoid this with the new proposal,", added Caspary.