December 27

Jacques Delors realized his vision for a united Europe. He was a passionate advocate of post-war European integration and the architect of the European Union as we know it today. He served as President of the European Commission for three terms, from January 1985 to the end of 1994, a period characterized by a deep commitment to freedom, social justice, and solidarity, values that have now become established in our Union. Jacques Delors passed away on December 27, 2023, at the age of 98.

As President of the European Commission, Jacques Delors managed to advance the European Union project thanks to his vision and dedication. Some of his greatest achievements that form part of his legacy are:

The EU Single Market: The world’s largest single market, ensuring the free movement of goods, services, capital, and people
The Maastricht Treaty: The Treaty on European Union, signed in Maastricht, Netherlands, in 1992, formed the basis for European citizenship, common foreign and security policy, the co-decision legislative procedure, the foundation of the euro, and the birth of the “European Union”.
Economic and Monetary Union: Coordination of economic and fiscal policies, common monetary policy, and a common currency, the euro.
The Erasmus Program: Every year, more than 650,000 students, apprentices, pupils, volunteers, and teachers participate in studies, training, teaching, and volunteering.

You can learn more about Jacques Delors’ life and work here.

A new Regulation has come into effect, providing the EU with means to deter and counter economic coercion, thus better protecting its own interests and those of its member states on the global stage.
This tool is primarily designed to act as a deterrent against economic coercion. However, when coercion does occur, the tool provides a basis for a well-balanced response to stop the coercion. When a country refuses to lift the coercion, the tool provides the EU with a wide range of possible countermeasures. These include imposing tariffs, restrictions on trade in services and trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights, as well as restrictions on access to foreign direct investments and public procurement.
The Regulation provides a legal framework for addressing coercion and defines the means for the EU to investigate and make decisions. It includes timelines and procedures for interested parties affected by coercion to communicate with the Commission and participate in relevant consultations before countermeasures are taken. Additionally, the Regulation includes a framework for the EU to request third countries to compensate for the damage caused by their economic coercion.
The EU will continue to work with like-minded partners and allies to address economic coercion, and this Regulation is an important addition to international efforts in this area.
The EU and its member states have become targets of deliberate economic pressures in recent years. The European Commission proposed this Regulation in 2021 as a specific tool to address economic coercion within the framework of its new trade strategy. Economic coercion is defined as a situation where a third country attempts to pressure the EU or a member state to make a specific choice by applying or threatening to apply measures that negatively affect the EU’s or a member state’s trade or investments. A wide range of coercive practices can trigger this tool.
When considering whether to activate this tool, the European Commission will take into account observations from interested parties or appropriate countermeasures in individual cases, while businesses are encouraged to submit relevant information. Furthermore, a single point of contact has been created to contribute to the operation of this specific tool. Any interested party can confidentially submit information related to cases of economic coercion or the general application of the Regulation using the single point of contact.
The Regulation and any action that may be taken must be consistent with the EU’s international obligations and the international law. In addition to this tool, various other tools are being established to strengthen the

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Jacques Delors Dies

A New Tool Comes into Force Allowing the EU to Resist Economic Coercion

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Jacques Delors

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