Brussels, March 12 - The European Commission responded on Thursday to U.S. actions probing unfair trade practices by urging Washington to consider the European Union a cooperative partner in tackling global manufacturing overcapacity rather than its source.
A Commission spokesperson said the EU aligns with the United States in viewing structural overcapacity as a serious concern for the global economy, but stressed that the origins of that excess capacity do not lie within Europe.
"The EU is a market-driven economy with open markets and transparent policies. As such, the EU does not consider itself a contributor to structural excess capacity, but rather a partner in addressing global distortions," the spokesperson said.
The comment followed the U.S. administration's launch of formal probes into unfair trade practices targeting the bloc and 15 other trading partners. The Commission framed its response around two linked points: shared concern about structural overcapacity and a denial that European policies are a cause of that structural excess.
In its statement, the Commission emphasized the nature of the European economy as market-oriented, with an emphasis on openness and policy transparency. By doing so, Brussels positioned itself as ready to collaborate with the United States to confront the problem of overcapacity where it exists, while rejecting the implication that European production or policy is a driver of the imbalance.
The exchange underscores the diplomatic interaction between the two sides after Washington initiated inquiries into a range of trading partners. The Commission's public remarks focused narrowly on asserting the EU's stance - that it shares the concern but not the culpability - and on expressing willingness to be part of efforts to remedy distortions in global markets.
Bottom line: The European Commission seeks to be treated as a partner by the United States in addressing structural overcapacity, asserting that Europe is market-driven, open and transparent, and denying that it contributes to global excess capacity.