Declaration by Steven Vanackere before the EU Trade Ministers meeting within the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels
Transcript of the declaration made by Steven Vanackere, Belgian Minister for Foreign Afffairs, before the EU Trade Ministers meeting within the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels.
"This is the first EU Trade Ministers meeting since a long time and the first time since the Lisbon Treaty and I welcome my colleagues to discuss about how to frame the commercial policy of the EU.
It is clear that there is a big bilateral interest in these economic relationships, but it is also clear that if the EU realizes the situation in which we speak more with one voice we will be stronger and create more economic opportunities for our citizens. We will have the agreement with South Korea on the agenda and I hope that we will come to a decision and a consensus. One other main point of discussion will be how to give a new momentum to the economic partnership agreements with the ACP countries. Finally we will be listening to Karel de Gucht about the new competence after the Lisbon Treaty as well as Foreign Direct Investment. When it comes to the latter, I think that the Member states will be keen to hear how the future will be organized and how the bilateral Foreign Direct Investment agreements can be tackled and organized."
