Statement by Karel DE GUCHT (Belgium), Commissioner-designate for Trade, and Questions/Answers during his hearing at EP in Brussels.

Brussels

hearing of Commissioners

DE GUCHT, Karel (LDR, BE, EC)

2010 Commissioners' hearings (T)

hearing of Karel DE GUCHT 2010 (T)

Hearing of Karel DE GUCHT (Belgium), Commissioner-designate for Trade: extracts

Exterior shot of the European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium

Interior, Arrival shots and atmospheric shots before the Hearing starts, 4 shots

SOUNDBITE (English), Karel de GUCHT, Commissioner-designate for International Trade: Turning to my portfolio, trade has always been a powerful engine for growth and opportunity in Europe and elsewhere. Even today, it is helping to pull us out of the difficult economic situation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Karel de GUCHT, Commissioner-designate for International Trade: Thanks to WTO monitoring, the world avoided a wave of protectionism in the current economic crisis. Let us not forget: compared with other international organisations, the WTO is the most advanced model of global governance that exists and we must continue to invest political capital in it.

SOUNDBITE (English), Karel de GUCHT, Commissioner-designate for International Trade: The sensitive issues of environmental or social 'dumping' hardly arise in the EU-US context. Tackling non-tariff barriers will be my primary focus in the Transatlantic Economic Council, of which I will be the European co-chair.

SOUNDBITE (English), Karel de GUCHT, Commissioner-designate for Trade: The Commission must make sure that European companies, be they exporters, importers, or competing with imports, are treated fairly and given opportunities to expand their business. This is why I plan to build on the efforts of the previous Commission to improve our access to third markets.

SOUNDBITE (English), Karel de GUCHT, Commissioner-designate for International Trade: (answer on question by MEP JADOT)- Let me talk about boarder adjustment terms -I'm not in favour, it is an aproach which will run in many practical problems, we seen this kind of thing in the past, big risk also is that there will be slip into a trade war, into people out bidding each other on such measure, obviously one has to draw the consequences in trade policy regards what is happening in fighting to save our environment and our climate, but this requires different approaches I think, a firm political approach which however fits in with market laws.

SOUNDBITE (English), Karel de GUCHT, Commissioner-designate for International Trade: (Question by Ms JOLY) I'm convinced that unless on a fair basis the developing countries become part of the overall world economy they have no real future, but we really urgently need is a take off for example in Africa, we only be able to do that if Trade evolves. Not only North to South but also a lot South-South, that for example the EPAs, Economic Partnership Agreements take development aspect fully into account, may even the name of those agreements is not the right one, it should be rather be Partnership for development, that ease considerably the temperature in Africa by the way.

Reaction shot of Yannick Jadot, 1 shot and total shot of panel and Karel De Gucht

SOUNDBITE (English), Karel de GUCHT, Commissioner-designate for International Trade: (answering a question of Mr David MARTIN) The free trade with India is still under negotiation, I will very closely monitor that, it does not impede the free trade in genetic medicines, I will take of that. There can be for specific products can be specific problems, which result in a traps plus exception. I will not rule it out in advance, it is certainly not my approach, the idea is that developing have a right to those medicines and that we should everything to realise this also in practice.