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Strategic goods: the EU wants to become a priority in the event of a crisis

2022-09-20T06:39:48.148Z


A new European bill could force companies from the old continent to supply member states first, or face a fine.


Brussels on Monday presented a draft new instrument to protect the EU's internal market in the event of a crisis, including, if necessary, by forcing producers of strategic goods to serve Europe as a priority.

"

In extreme circumstances

" that could lead to shortages of vital products, the European Commission may require manufacturers to give priority to European orders, rather than Chinese or American, under penalty of fines, according to the draft text.

This measure, inspired by rules already existing in the United States, is thought of as a weapon of retaliation.

"

Our wish is that we never use it

," said Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton during a joint press conference with Commission Vice-President Margrethe Vestager.

The idea is to dissuade third-party states from blocking exports of strategic products to Europe, such as the United States, which had banned exports of anti-Covid vaccines during the pandemic.

The regulation still needs to be negotiated with the European Parliament and the Member States.

It was announced in February 2021 by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who intended to learn from the disruptions to European supply chains caused by the pandemic.

Avoid reliving border reestablishment

Even before a crisis situation, a vigilance phase can be activated, in the event of a risk of shortage identified for a strategic good.

The manufacturers concerned may then be required to provide certain strategic information, for example on their production capacities.

In this phase, the Commission would also like to be able to ask EU countries to constitute strategic reserves.

Member States will be closely involved at all stages of the procedure

,” underlined Margrethe Vestager.

The text also aims to limit restrictions on the movement of goods and people between Member States.

This is to avoid reliving the re-establishment of borders or the requisitioning of critical products, such as surgical masks, measures adopted in a disorderly fashion by member states during the pandemic and which have aggravated the crisis.

In particular, it reinforces the obligations to notify Brussels of this type of national decision.

A blacklist of discriminatory measures, contrary to the rules of the single market, would also be drawn up to reinforce repression against offending States.

Read alsoHow Europe is relocating the production of its drugs

The draft regulation also plans to grant the Commission the power to make joint purchases on behalf of EU countries, on the model of what has been done with anti-Covid vaccines.

Basically, the instrument implements this principle: in Europe, it is together that we are the strongest

,” commented MEP Andreas Schwab (EPP, right).

Source: lefigaro

All business articles on 2022-09-20

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