Doelen Spaans voorzitterschap voor internationale handel volgens Spanje bereikt (en)

The Spanish Secretary of State for Trade, Silvia Iranzo, presented the results of the six months of the Spanish Presidency in the field of international trade to the European Parliament in Brussels this Wednesday, indicating that the intended goals had been achieved.

During this six-month period, the Spanish Presidency has worked intensively to assure an adequate transition to the new institutional structure and the new distribution of competencies resulting from the Treaty of Lisbon coming into effect.

During her speech, Iranzo stressed that the decisions made in these first months will lay the foundations for the running of the European Union for the coming decades. She also said that European businesses, now more than ever, need the new business opportunities that come from opening up foreign markets, under clear, predictable rules that are upheld by everyone.

Latin America

The Spanish Presidency has achieved its most notable successes with regard to Latin America. At the EU-Latin America Summit held in Madrid in May, negotiations regarding important free trade agreements with Colombia and Peru were officially concluded (steps are being taken to bring Ecuador back into the negotiations), along with association agreements with Central America; negotiations regarding the association agreement between the EU and MERCOSUR, which had been suspended for more than five years, were also resumed .

Spanish companies taking advantage of the new business opportunities that will be generated by these agreements will allow bilateral trade to be strengthened as an engine for economic recovery.

Union for the Mediterranean

In the context of the Barcelona Process, the Union for the Mediterranean has worked to reinforce economic integration and to promote trade and investment in the European Mediterranean region. The Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean has been established in Barcelona and intense efforts have been made with regard to concluding negotiations on the Gulf Cooperation Council.

ASEAN

With ASEAN, a bilateral approach has been a priority during these six months. Two rounds of negotiations have been held to establish a free trade agreement with Singapore, which will be followed by Vietnam and probably other countries from the region such as Malaysia. At no time was the final goal of reaching a regional agreement abandoned and we have partially paved the way for the free trade agreement with Korea to come into effect.

Two rounds of negotiations have been held in the last six months regarding the free trade agreement with India, an agreement of great interest for the European Union, and we have promoted closer relations with China in matters relating to market access, investment and intellectual property.

Regarding bilateral relations with Russia, a strategic partner, we have kept the country's prompt accession to the WTO as a priority, while the new president of Ukraine has reaffirmed his commitment to negotiations regarding a free trade agreement.

United States and Canada

The Spanish Presidency of the EU has made strengthening economic relations with the United States a priority and progress has been made with the goal of turning the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC) into the main bilateral forum for regulation and strategy. As for Canada, progress has been made in the negotiations regarding a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.

EPA

With regard to Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, six of the eight EPAs have been signed. The Spanish Presidency has made an effort to maintain this initiative's ambitious approach and the commitment to the ACP countries, in the firm belief that it is the best way to favour growth, development and integration in the region.

Multilateral agenda

The Spanish Presidency identified multilateral trade policy as a key area. In spite of the fact that the efforts of the European Union have been essential to continue promoting dialogue and debate, it has not been possible to conclude the agreement on WTO Doha Round modalities. However, the negotiations are still live, awaiting the political conditions that will allow us to undertake the final and definitive phase that would lead to their conclusion.

Market Access

As for Market Access Strategy, the Spanish Presidency believes that future trade policy must give this aspect a key role, especially in areas such as public purchases or intellectual property rights; substantial progress has been made on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement and we have promoted the joint drafting of a Support Manual for Small- and Medium-Sized Companies in the EU, who are affected by the trade protection measures of third countries.