Today the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament secured a major victory on modernizing the EU’s trade defence instruments. At a meeting this afternoon between the Parliament, Commission and member states, S&D members succeeded in reversing and strengthening an unambitious proposal put on the table by the Commission that would have led to the de facto recognition of China as a market economy.
Thanks to the work of S&D MEPs Bernd Lange, chair of the international trade committee, Alessia Mosca, S&D spokesperson on trade, and Emmanuel Maurel, S&D negotiator on a new anti-dumping methodology, European workers and industries will now be protected against unfair dumping.
Gianni Pittella, S&D Group leader, said:
“Today is a great day for European workers and industries. I am proud that the Socialists and Democrats stopped the de facto recognition of China as a market economy. Products imported into the EU must be sold at fair prices. Dumped products hurt European industries resulting in factories closing down and jobs being lost.
“The EU Commission has waited for 14 years before putting a concrete proposal on the table. Now the Socialists and Democrats finally got them moving and we even pushed through our proposals against a deeply divided Council.
“Strong anti-dumping rules will help protect hundreds of thousands of European jobs, especially in the steel industry. No additional burden of proof is imposed on European industry. We have also pushed to have social and environmental criteria and a role for trade unions included in this anti-dumping regulation.
“I am proud that the S&D Group secured this victory for European workers and industries. This is the kind of Europe we want, a Europe that stands with its workers and industries, a Europe that defends its values and labour and environmental standards.”
Note for editors:
On 9 November 2016 the European Commission presented its proposal to reform the anti-dumping and anti-subsidy calculation system in view of the deadline set by China’s access protocol to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for the recognition of market economy status. The new methodology for calculating dumping is based on rules established by the WTO anti-dumping agreement. As the Commission’s proposal is subject to the ordinary legislative procedure, the Council and the European Parliament needed to reach an agreement on a final text. The European Parliament is expected to vote on the agreement still this year. The new anti-dumping methodology runs in parallel with a broader revision of the EU’s trade defence instruments.
