European Union - Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne’s participation in the video conference of EU foreign affairs ministers (trade) (9 June 2020)

Share

Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Minister of State attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, took part in the video conference of EU foreign affairs ministers (trade) on June 9.

The ministers discussed the following points:

  • the issues related to the reform of the WTO in the context of the forthcoming appointment of a new WTO director-general. France stressed the need for a united and coordinated European position in support of an ambitious WTO reform and a multilateral trade system that encourages sustainable development. It called on the EU to continue its efforts with respect to fair competition, industrial subsidies and transparency.
  • the consequences of the Covid-19 crisis for trade, and in particular the issue of strengthening the EU’s strategic autonomy in order to respond to crises, and the draft plurilateral initiative proposed by the European Commission aimed at combating the risks of global shortages of essential medical goods.

France notably supported the Commission’s proposal to bring the review of the EU’s trade policy forward to this year.

France underscored the importance of strengthening the resilience of the EU’s production and supply chains and of ensuring that greater consideration is given to the challenges of sustainable development, in accordance with the implementation of the Green Deal.