Press Release: Commission proposes improved rules to enforce EU rights under international trade agreements

The Commission is proposing a new framework to enhance the EU's ability to enforce its rights in the international trading system. Ensuring the EU's trade partners respect the agreed trade rules is essential to make trade agreements work for the EU economy.

The proposal covers the EU's trade responses in cases of illegal trade measures in other countries, and it will allow effective action to safeguard the interests of EU companies and workers. The proposal is for a framework to enable the Commission to take executive action when the trade interests of the EU are at stake, rather than reacting on a case by case basis when the EU rights are not respected. The proposal would allow the EU to implement trade responses in a more streamlined, efficient manner in order to encourage the offending country to remove the illegal measures.

• Primary Source

European Commission: MEMO/12/1006: Proposal for new enforcement framework for international trade rules http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-12-1006_en.htm

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