By proxy of the Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani, Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Maria Tripodi attended the Informal Meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, held in Budapest under the Hungarian Presidency.
On the agenda were trade relations between the EU and ASEAN countries, as well as trade issues between the EU and China. A debate was also held on the future of European investment protection policies. Regarding the former, the Undersecretary stressed the importance of trade relations between the EU and ASEAN countries, highlighting the high level of complementarity between their respective economies, and thus the benefits that could be mutually derived from free trade agreements.
On the topic of trade issues between the EU and China, the Undersecretary confirmed that the EU duties on Chinese battery electric vehicles should be understood as an attempt to restore a level playing field for European economic operators. The Undersecretary also emphasised that a mutually satisfactory solution should continue to be sought with the Chinese side, as well as the need for its rebalancing.
Strong concern was expressed over the anti-subsidy and anti-dumping investigations launched by the Beijing authorities on a number of European agri-food products. On the subject of the future of European investment protection policies, the Italian side shared the objective of making the relevant instruments more effective at national and EU level.
