Merz, Macron urge EU to speed up trade defense powers

The proposal, which does not name China but is understood to be related to the bloc's significant trade deficit with the country, suggests that the EU's current trade defense instruments are no longer sufficient. Merz and Macron advocate for a "comprehensive framework to complement our toolbox with new legal instruments — in a lean and non-bureaucratic way."

The proposed new tool would empower the European Commission to exclude imports from specific countries. Unlike the existing Anti-Coercion Instrument, which requires months of investigation and a qualified majority of EU governments to activate, the new measure would be easier to implement. Commission measures would be enacted unless a "reverse" qualified majority of member states voted against them, according to a senior German official. This official described the proposed tool as a "second-strike weapon" intended to ensure a "level playing field."

This initiative is part of ongoing Franco-German discussions on key EU economic issues, initiated after a joint ministerial meeting in July. The leaders of the EU's two largest economies have signaled a more aggressive stance toward China. The outcome of Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič's upcoming talks in Beijing, aimed at rebalancing the EU's trade relationship with China, will be discussed at an EU summit next week.