France and Germany seek faster EU response to trade threats
Macron and Merz have proposed a legal tool for the Commission to act within days, with a weighted majority of member states able to block measures.
France and Germany are urging the European Union to give the European Commission a new legal tool to respond within days to trade aggression. The proposal could include restricting access to the single market.
In a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for a “credible instrument” to enable decisive action. The measure could apply in cases such as trade wars or a cut-off in supplies of critical raw materials.
The proposal would not require approval from all 27 member states, according to the letter. A weighted majority could block action.
Macron and Merz say the tool is not directed at a particular country. It comes amid trade tensions with China; France 24 reports that the EU’s goods trade deficit with China was around €360 billion last year.
The leaders are expected to present their ideas at an EU leaders’ summit in Brussels next week. The proposal’s design and prospects for adoption remain unclear.
