EU - NEW BAZOOKA INSTRUMENT TO FIGHT COERCION FROM OTHERS

 

BAZOOKA

A lot is being said and written about the many announcements made by the new American president, Donald Trump. Including his threat to i.a. Denmark in order, if necessary, to gain control of Greenland by economic and perhaps military coercion.

You may have completely overlooked from the American side that since November 2023 the EU has a defense weapon at its disposal which is completely new and very effective.  And which has just been introduced to counter threats of the use of coercion against the EU or parts of the EU.  Unofficially, this weapon is called a bazooka.

The reason for the introduction of this weapon was China's threats against the EU country Lithuania.  The Chinese threatened the small country with tough measures because it had an embassy from Taiwan in the country. The EU was aware that customs are old-fashioned and slow to work. You had to come up with something new. And do it quickly.

The result was that the EU has given the EU Commission a mandate to seriously intervene when necessary.  It must be remembered that the EU has a common trade policy towards the outside world. This is the starting point for the new weapon.

What is it all about?   If necessary, the EU Commission can, at short notice, introduce the following rules against the country or countries that are trying to get their way through coercion:

1. The country can no longer participate in EU public tenders

2. It may be prohibited for the country to make investments in the EU

3. One can refuse the country to use its patents in the EU

4. You can introduce export bans or export restrictions from the EU to the country

One could say that this new anti-coercion weapon is like the atomic bomb. It works by existing. It will probably never come into full use.  At least China understood what it was about - and has stopped its threats against Lithuania.

As European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the Davos conference this week:  

Our first priority will be to engage early, discuss common interests and be ready to negotiate.

But at the same time, we have no intention of dancing to Donald Trump's pipe:

- We will be pragmatic, but we will always stand by our principles. Protecting our interests and upholding our values ​​– this is the European way, said Ursula von der Leyen.