Economic coercion by third countries

The American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU) welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the European Commission’s consultation on the proposal for a ‘Regulation on the protection of the Union and its Member States from economic coercion by third countries’.

We understand that the rationale behind the introduction of an anti-coercion instrument (ACI) is to deter third countries from influencing the EU and its member states via economic coercion. We also understand that the use of this instrument is intended as a last resort and that ideally its use would never be necessary.

AFEP (French association of large companies) thanks the European Commission for giving the opportunity to share public comments on the proposed regulation on the protection of the EU and Member States against economic coercion by third countries. AFEP comments are outlined in the attached position paper.

Towards an EU anti-coercion instrument – messages from BusinessEurope General remarks: • BusinessEurope generally welcomes the Commission’s proposal to introduce an EU instrument to protect the EU and the Member States from economic coercion by third countries. In an increasingly challenging geopolitical and environment, it is important that the EU is equipped with the necessary instruments to protect its interests.

Dear Sir or Madam, Please find attached feedback by the Federation of German Industries (BDI) on the European Commission's proposal for a regulation on the protection of the Union and its Member States from economic coercion by third countries [COM(2021)775]. We thank the Commission for both the sincere work it has put into drafting this proposal as well as for extending the deadline for feedback by two weeks.

The European Branded Clothing Alliance (EBCA) welcomes the European Commission’s proposal for a Regulation on the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI) that is aimed at deterring and counteracting third country economic coercion actions against EU Member States and economic actors.

The Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA) is in principle supporting the proposed „Anti-Coercion Instrument“ (ACI) of the EU under the condition, that this ACI is an integrative part of and coordinated with further EU legislative and non-legislative action to deter and counter foreign economic coercion.

Concerning the recently presented proposal for a new anti-coercion instrument, EuroCommerce would like to share the views from the European retail and wholesale perspective. We acknowledge the proposals’ goal to prevent and alleviate pressure from third countries on the European economy.

AEGIS Europe is an industry alliance that brings together more than 20 European manufacturing associations committed to manufacturing in the EU on a truly level playing field ensured through rules-based, free and fair international trade. Our members account for more than €500 billion in annual turnover, as well as for millions of jobs across the EU.

In our view, it might be necessary to develop an instrument like this one. However, we do see several risks associated with it. The instrument gives the Commission vast powers to use in a discretionary way with an almost unlimited arsenal of trade policy tools. Some of these tools are inappropriate and should not be used. It is very unclear to us what this new instrument will lead to, when and how it will be used.

On 8th December 2021, the European Commission published its proposal for a “Regulation on the protection of the Union and its Member States from economic coercion by third countries”, the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI) Proposal.

Cerame-Unie would like to thank the Commission for the opportunity to submit its feedback on the proposal for a Regulation on the protection from economic coercion by third countries. We welcome the introduction of the so-called “anti-coercion” instrument as a powerful deterrence tool to contrast the increasing weaponisation of trade.

Insurance Europe welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the European Commission’s consultation on the proposal for a regulation for an anti-coercion instrument (ACI). Insurance Europe strongly supports the aim of the proposal; the EU should be empowered to react when a third country adopts or threatens to adopt measures to pressure the EU or a member state into making a particular policy choice.

UNIFE - The European Rail Supply Industry - welcomes the European Commission's proposal regarding the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI). We believe that in the current world in which the European rail supply companies operate, often influenced by protectionist tendencies or even unexpected actions from third countries interfering with the daily businesses of European companies, it is essential that the European Union…

Content of the proposal for a Regulation. The content of the proposal for a Regulation: (I) seems difficult to interpret; (II) focuses primarily on the role and activities of the European Commission; (III) provides for a procedure for the application of response measures by the EU which, in ABI’s view, appears to be too complex because of its length and the burdens it has at its disposal.

Filed in Italian · English published by the European Commission

The Bucharest Chamber of Commerce and Industry considers itself a relevant stakeholder in the proposal for regulation on Trade – mechanism to deter & counteract coercive action by non-EU countries, hence we appreciate the opportunity to provide feed-back.

Paris, March 17, 2021 Roadmap of the European Commission concerning the establishment of a mechanism to prevent and counter coercive measures taken by third countries, especially to counter abusive extraterritorial sanctions. 1.

spiritsEUROPE represents the spirits industry at the European level. Its membership is made of 31 national associations and a group of 10 leading spirits producing companies. We thank the European Commission for the opening of a public consultation on the inception impact assessment of the foreseen instrument to deter and counteract coercive actions by third countries.

AFEP, the association of large French companies, welcomes the preparation of a legislative initiative for the adoption of an anti-coercion instrument. The legislative procedure for the adoption of the revised Enforcement Regulation brought forward the need to design an instrument to rapidly react to unilateral and disproportionate trade restrictive measures by third countries outside the framework of WTO or FTA DSM.

We welcome the possibility to take part in the ongoing discussions and to comment on the idea of an instrument to deter and counteract coercive actions by third countries (thereafter referred as Deterring Instrument).

The Danish Chamber of Commerce supports the Commission’s ambition of shielding individual Member States and their businesses from arbitrary coercive measures from third countries. However, the Danish Chamber of Commerce stresses that it must not be used as a protectionist measure and that it is essential that the EU remains open to international trade and investments.

The German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA) is in principle in favour of the EU adopting an EU legal instrument to deter and counteract coercive actions by third countries. Coercive economic actions of third countries are fundamentally unacceptable for the SME-dominated German mechanical engineering sector.

European companies with international activities are increasingly exposed to extraterritorial regulations or economic coercion by non-European countries. This applies in particular to the fight against corruption, international sanctions regimes, export controls, the search for digital evidence by judicial or regulatory authorities, or intrusive access to sensitive data of European companies.

Filed in French · English published by the European Commission

European companies with international activities are increasingly exposed to extraterritorial regulations or acts of economic coercion from non-European countries. This is particularly the case with regard to the fight against corruption, international sanctions regimes, export control, search for digital evidence by judicial or regulatory authorities, or intrusive access to sensitive data of EU companies.

Fecc acknowledges the roadmap proposed on ‘Trade disputes – mechanism to deter & counteract coercive action by non-EU countries’ and the measures proposed to allow the EU to address practices by non-EU countries that seek to pressure on Member States. In this context we would like to raise the following points on behalf of the European chemical distribution sector, above all on behalf of the many SMEs we represent.

Cerame-Unie, the ‘European Ceramic Industry Association’, welcomes the opportunity to partake in the public consultation and provide feedback on the Inception Impact Assessment published on 17 February 2021 by the European Commission.

We welcome the EU intention based on a political agreement and a joint declaration by the Parliament, Council and Commission to deploy an instrument to deter and counteract coercive actions by third countries. Application of trade or investment restrictions and extra-territorial sanctions with the aim to discriminate or exercise unfair practices is incompatible with international trade rules.

We see an increasingly geopolitical trade policy being developed and this initiative is very much a part of that new philosophy/strategy. This is regrettable as the aim of trade policy should be to open up markets and establish market access. It should not be to introduce measures to close markets or even threat to close them.

Hello, Thank you for giving us the opportunity to provide feedback on this topic. There are a number of scenarios: — China: Negotiations on important files (opening the market for beef and lifting the ASF embargo on pig meat) are clearly blocked by negotiations on other topics (including technological files such as 5G).

Filed in French · English published by the European Commission