While our trade and investment agreements are key for supply diversification, it is high time to look at how we can ensure that the EU simultaneously is a competitive, responsible and leading global player in trade and investment. Our group will therefore look carefully at the new proposals put forward today by the Commission in its Economic Security Strategy.
The Renew Europe Group has been in the forefront in the creation of an assertive trade toolbox to ensure fair competition for our European companies by addressing unfair distortive behaviour while safeguarding an open and investment friendly single market. We believe in rules based, transparent and sustainable open economic and trade relations.
Recent years of a pandemic and Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine have shed light on our supply chains also from another perspective – disruption in supply chains and single source dependencies. We therefore welcome the communication put forward today.
Samira Rafaela (Netherlands, D66), Renew Europe coordinator of the committee on International trade (INTA), declared:
"The European economic security strategy is a welcome tool to ensure our open strategic autonomy. Let us remember that our strength lies in continuously enhancing our trade toolbox, forging stronger partnerships with democratic nations that share our values and standards, and actively diversifying our supply chains’’.
Marie-Pierre Vedrenne (France, MoDem), Renew Europe shadow rapporteur on the anti-coercion instrument, added:
"In a world of confrontation, the European Union has a duty to protect its economy, its industries and their know-how, and to build its "strategic autonomy" more vigorously. That is why our group is actively campaigning for the adoption of a genuine economic security strategy that assures a level-playing field for our infrastructures, our businesses and Europeans, and does not amplify critical dependencies. We therefore welcome the publication of this text, which finally addresses issues such as outbound investment and the protection of our exports. But it must now be the subject of a real debate."
