Grandstand. Europe was born out of a political and human need, that of establishing a lasting peace between nations that had fought each other for a long time. This peace, six pioneering countries decided to materialize in 1950 with the construction of a common industrial project, around materials essential to European reconstruction, coal and steel.
The history of Europe is written in this dialogue between shared political ideals and common economic projects which materialize this political union. In politics, as in economy, the European Union (EU) expresses its values of openness, plurality, progress and cooperation. In politics as in economy, the EU has a vocation to defend, vis-à-vis its partners, a fair relationship based on shared rules of the game for the benefit of the populations.
And yet, the peoples of Europe doubt the strengths of European construction. Industrial relocations, destruction of jobs, loss of know-how, increased dependence on extra-European imports… The economic reality of heightened global competition has undermined the confidence that Europeans had in their work and their place in society, in the EU’s ability to defend Europe’s place in the world, and left scars on the political ideals that bring us together. It must be said that, for several decades, and despite all the progress made to build Europe from within, particularly through the single market, we have shown naivety vis-à-vis the outside world.
An open but demanding market
We are neither deaf nor blind to practices that largely derogate from the commercial, social and environmental requirements that we set for ourselves. There is an urgent need to concretely restore fair conditions of competition in Europe. Dumping practices, subsidies from foreign states to national private actors, failure to take into account negative environmental externalities in prices distort competition.
We cannot let actors who do not play the game damage the planet and destroy jobs by weakening European actors who, themselves, respect the rules of the game of which Europe can be proud. We want an open market, but demanding market access, with the same rules of the game for everyone.
Several decisions should allow us to quickly restore fairness for European businesses and fight against this unfair competition. Taking into account negative externalities, and in particular the climate impact of our production methods, is one of the primary challenges of the carbon border adjustment mechanism, which will make it possible to make companies pay for products from countries outside Europe, the true price of carbon.
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