European Commission proposes new foreign market strategy
The European Commission has adopted a new strategy for breaking down trade barriers abroad and creating new export opportunities with the Communication Global Europe: A Stronger Partnership to deliver Market Access for European exporters. Part of the Commission's new Global Europe trade policy framework, the proposal involves a new decentralised partnership between the Commission, Member States and businesses in third countries where local expertise makes trade barriers easier to identify and tackle.
Commenting on the strategy, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said, "EU business relies on growing markets abroad to fuel economic growth and jobs at home. We need to ensure that European companies are able to compete fairly in those markets. This renewed strategy focuses on co-ordinating and strengthening the work of the Commission,
The newly-proposed Market Access Partnership will aim to benefit the interests of both larger and smaller EU businesses and Member States. Key elements include closer and more action-oriented co-operation between the European Commission, Member States and business, including the establishment of EU Market Access Teams on the ground in countries outside the EU, both to identify trade barriers before they appear and tackle existing obstacles to trade; better prioritisation of resources, focusing on certain target markets, key sectors or issues such as intellectual property rights; better use of opportunities presented by negotiations—in particular in the Doha Round and the new generation of EU Free Trade Agreements—to make progress on non-tariff barriers; a tougher focus on the enforcement of global and bilateral trade rules through institutional dispute settlement and Europe's trade barrier instruments; and a more efficient and transparent service to business, including more systematic registration and follow-up of cases and an improved Market Access Database.
