Belgium – Conversation between Franck Riester and Sophie Wilmès, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade (via videoconference, 3 May 2021)

Franck Riester, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, will meet via video conference with Sophie Wilmès, Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Belgian Federal Cultural Institutions, on May 3.

Franck Riester and Sophie Wilmès will discuss their respective national recovery plans in the context of the social ambitions set at the European level, which will be one of the topics discussed at the European Social Summit in Porto from May 7 to 9.

They will also discuss the ongoing issues relating to international trade and the new EU trade policy strategy in particular, the integration of the fight against climate change and sustainable development into trade policy and the future carbon border adjustment mechanism aimed at combating carbon leakage. The minister delegate will also reaffirm France’s position on the draft EU-Mercosur agreement.

Their meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss such upcoming legislative initiatives as the development of a European due diligence law and the future anti-coercion instrument, and to continue current discussions on the international procurement instrument.