By A. Lianou
Mr. Antonakakis
Mr. Antonakakis was wiling to answer a few questions concerning pressing issues discussed on INTA Committee and also clarify the positions of his Country.
More specifically, he stated that his country, Spain, although it might be a strong player in the delicate filed of exportation, always acts keeping in mind the European values and regulations about trade, dumping and subsidy. Mr Antonakakis also expressed basic EPP’s principles, indicating that his party is against subsidy and dumping, as the market should run in the basis of fair competition where goods are circulated openly. Moreover, he insisted on the preventive role of EU’s measures that should not be accounted as sanctions. In the general frame of WTO he proposed the cohesion of the EU as it can be far more effective than a single nation’s action. He underlined his position by bringing the example of China, the main competitor of EU on trading. For example, a single country’s censure on China can even have a negative result for the country, rather than a collective condemnation of all EU’s nations which would render a possible implantation of countermeasures from China highly impossible. One European nation inside the WTO is powered by all the other members and despite all differences between them they are ‘united in-diversity’. Further collaboration among European nations is desirable in order to promote and reinforce the political and financial integration of the Union.
