Often more royal than a monarch, the EU has long been unconcerned about the reality of the competition conditions being practised by its trading partners, in the name of a well-established free trade rhetoric that rejects anything resembling protectionism. However, in recent years it has changed direction, and one which it has undertaken to further by placing greater emphasis on ‘the contribution of trade policy to major global challenges such as climate change, sustainable development and the digital transition’. On 17 June, the EU Commission launched a public consultation to review its trade policy, particularly in the light of this new objective.
One of the challenges of this ‘renewed trade policy’ which is the subject of the consultation that was launched on 17 June and runs until 15 September, is to make it a platform for transformation at the international level. It also goes hand in hand, as stated in the Consultation Note, with ‘improving the conditions of competition and protecting the Union’s businesses and citizens,’ all these challenges having been exacerbated by the current crisis.
International instability is certainly a major
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