EU gets the means to defend itself against coercion

"Europe supports open global trade which is our greatest source of prosperity. But where non-EU countries try to weaponise trade for political purposes, we must have the means and be ready to effectively defend ourselves. This is the purpose of the Anti-Coercion Instrument", said Christophe Hansen MEP and Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou MEP, commenting on the adoption of the EU's Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI) in the European Parliament’s plenary 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 engaging 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 if there is no other way to solve the dispute.

"The Anti Coercion Instrument is a valid and necessary response to the changing nature of global trade. The rules we once took for granted in a globalised trading environment are no longer universally respected", said Asimakopoulou, who negotiated the ACI for the EPP Group in the European Parliament. "I’ve advocated that the ACI be predictable and proportionate, yet at the same time be visibly potent. I think we’ve struck the right balance but overall, the ACI gives us little to celebrate. In fact, in an ideal world, we wouldn’t need an ACI at all."

"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 are 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."