Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-01-14-Speech-3-414"
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"en.20090114.18.3-414"2
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"I thank you for this particular question, because I come from a country which is a great friend of free trade. It is the bedrock of our economy – about 80% of our GDP is somehow produced by the activity which relates to this trade. So you can be sure that our presidency is keen that the Union remains fully committed to reaching a balanced, ambitious and comprehensive agreement in the WTO Doha Development Round. We will be working hard on that.
Food security nowadays lies not only in the local production of food, but in a country’s ability to finance the import of food through exports of other goods. In this sense, an open, multilateral trading system with a diversity of countries supplying food products may be a better guarantee for stable and secure supplies.
Regarding the question of my presidency’s ambitions in relation to world trade liberalisation, the presidency has clearly defined its main priority on this subject in the context of the Council’s 18-month programme for the French, Czech and Swedish presidencies, as well as in its own work programme, which was published last week and was also introduced here to some extent by the Prime Minister today.
According to this programme, trade policy remains a very important tool for addressing the opportunities and challenges of globalisation and fostering economic growth, jobs and prosperity for all citizens in Europe. Efforts will be sustained to promote an open, market-oriented and rule-based world trading system for the benefit of all.
Trade policies should also contribute to the Union’s environmental and climate objective, in particular by encouraging the expansion of trade in environmental goods and services. The Union continues to stay fully committed to reaching a balanced, ambitious and comprehensive agreement in the WTO Doha Round.
Moreover, my country has set three priority areas for its presidency of the Council. One of these priorities will be the European Union in the world. In this context my country will highlight the importance of trade policy as a means of driving forward external competitiveness, economic growth and the creation of new jobs following the EU’s new trade policy strategy called Global Europe, as well as under the revised strategy for growth and jobs.
Parallel to the multilateral system, the Czech Republic will back the Commission’s efforts to negotiate trade agreements with promising partners or regions – such as Korea, India, ASEAN, Mercosur and the Andean Community countries and Central America, and potentially China as well – and to negotiate free trade agreements with the EU’s closest neighbours, for example Ukraine, or to start such negotiations once the prerequisite conditions have been met, as in Russia.
The presidency will present its programme on the trade area to the Committee on International Trade on 20 January 2009.
Regarding food security in the EU, the presidency is of the opinion that protectionism will not help to secure food supply in Europe or worldwide. Therefore, the presidency supports the liberalisation of world trade within the framework of DDA and discussions on CAP reform with a view to making European agriculture more competitive. That means dismantling export refunds.
These elements, such as transparent liberalisation of world trade and competitive agriculture, are the base for enhancing food security as well. Food security in the EU has much to do with the international trade in food products that makes them available at competitive prices and sets the right incentives for those Member States where they can be produced most effectively."@en1
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