Minister Väyrynen: The EU needs a comprehensive global strategy
Press release 64/2011
25 February 2011
“The EU in the future needs a comprehensive global strategy encompassing trade policy, development policy and environment policy,” Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen stated in Helsinki today after his meeting with European Commissioner for Trade Karel De Gucht.
“The EU is already a central actor in these three sectors and by linking these policies together in closer interaction, the EU would be able to intensify its global influence for sustainable development,” Minister Väyrynen stressed. Väyrynen considered it important that this thinking will come up in the Commission’s communiqué on the new EU trade strategy, which emphasizes the interaction between different policy segments, for instance with regard to internal markets and trade policy.
Minister Väyrynen and Commissioner De Gucht had an extensive discussion on topical trade policy issues. The parties emphasized a rapid conclusion to the Doha trade negotiation round and several bilateral free trade agreement talks held by the EU. It was stated that the process of Russia’s accession to the WTO had progressed to the stage where it will be possible for Russia to become a member of the World Trade Organization during the current year. Minister Väyrynen also stressed quick progress in developing the new EU investment policy, which is one of the Member States’ central objectives in the new trade policy.
Commissioner De Gucht explained the Commission’s communiqué defining the EU trade and development policy, which will be issued later this year. A key aim of the communiqué is inspection of the links between different policy areas, such as trade, development and climate change.
Additional information: Katri Kulmuni, Press Attaché to the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, mobile tel. +358 400 739 824; Päivi Nevala, Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, mobile tel. +358 40 753 4375 or tel. +358 9 1605 6171; and Head of Unit Ilkka-Pekka Similä, tel. +358 9 1605 5530 or mobile tel. +358 40 356 3783