Next Step towards Fairer Trade

The European Union is arming itself with new rules to fight more efficiently against dumping by its trade partners, including against social and environmental dumping. In case of a serious distortion in an exporting country, the European Commission will be able to resort to a method that better safeguards European interests, based on real reference prices, and opposed to distorted prices. Viviane Reding welcomes the agreement:

“This is excellent news for our industry and our jobs! Unfair trading practices cannot be left unchecked. They need to be met with sanctions, in line with international law and European interests. This reform is a response to dumping, politically strong, legally solid and economically protective.

I fought, together with my colleagues from the EPP-Group, not only for all types of distortions of competition to be taken into account, but also the international social and environmental standards as well as the concerns of SMEs and the opinion of trade unions. We have been heard.

The strategic orientation of the Union’s trade policies has changed. Our anti-dumping instruments are a token of this new approach, both legally and practically. Never before have we seen so many anti-dumping measures and so many investigations in so many sectors.

Let us use this window of opportunity to finalise other reforms to make our legislative arsenal even more reactive and more dissuasive, as well as the reforms that aim to secure a more reciprocal and more transparent market access to public procurement in third countries.”