FRANCE:The European Union must protect its farmers and industries better to overcome a crisis of confidence due to the harsh forces of globalisation, French president Nicolas Sarkozy said yesterday.
In his maiden speech to the European Parliament as head of state, the conservative leader said he was not advocating protectionism, but trying to forestall it.
"The word 'protection' must not be forbidden in European democracy," Mr Sarkozy said. "If we do not want people exasperated with being victims of unfair competition and of dumping to demand a new protectionism, we must be able to debate what could be a true system of community preferences."
Noting Europe's trading rivals reserved parts of their public tenders for home-grown small firms, and supported their farm sectors, he said: "we should be able to do as much to protect ourselves as others do. Europe does not want protectionism, but it must insist on reciprocity. Europe does not want protectionism but it has the duty to ensure its own energy and food independence."
Community preference was a doctrine applied at the birth of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy in the 1960s but it has been overtaken by world trade liberalisation. The European Court of Justice ruled in the 1990s it had no basis in EU law.
Mr Sarkozy urged greater efforts to build an independent European defence capability and modernise the Atlantic Alliance. He said France would propose an initiative during its EU presidency next year. He made no mention of his opposition to Turkey's EU accession bid, saying only that a panel of wise persons he wants the bloc to appoint should help sketch the "face and contours of tomorrow's Europe".
However, Socialist Group leader Martin Schulz said Mr Sarkozy repeated his rejection of full membership for Turkey at a closed-door meeting.
Mr Sarkozy said last month's agreement on an EU reform treaty to replace the defunct constitution had enabled the EU to overcome a longstanding institutional deadlock.