Undersecretary Scalfarotto attended an informal meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council Trade. While thanking the Croatian Presidency and EU Trade Commissioner Hogan for his work, the Undersecretary stated that the nomination of the new Director-General of the World Trade Organisation is a crucial moment for the future of the Geneva Organisation. “I am delighted that Member States have agreed today on identifying a candidate of high political standing who can build the necessary consensus on the complex process of institutional reform of the WTO”.
During the FAC meeting, the impact of Covid-19 on trade was discussed, with a specific focus on the European steel industry. “This pandemic,” recalled Scalfarotto, “has made our economies vulnerable and we must all make an effort in terms of ambition. We must think about a new EU trade policy inspired by the principles of resilience, level playing field and sustainability”.
