since the outbreak of the economic crisis the european union has taken a firm stance against straight protectionism consistent with its commitment to fair and open trade
the commission is intensively monitoring protectionist measures put in place by its major trading partners with a view to appropriate action
furthermore the eu has strongly supported the initiative of the world trade organisation to report on trade-related developments during the economic and financial crisis
since the beginning of the current crisis more than ever the eu has been committed to multilateralism to transparency and to open markets based on rules that benefit developed and developing countries alike
the eu has consistently argued that an ambitious and balanced doha round outcome is among the most important instruments in preventing trade protectionism and in boosting the economy
this is also the message put forward by the wto in the recent trade policy review of the eu trade policy which praised the role played by the eu in strengthening the multilateral trading system
the key role the doha round could play in the current crisis was also recognised in the g twenty global plan for recovery and reform issued on two april
the g twenty leaders expressed their renewed commitment to reaching a swift conclusion of the doha round
finally the eu's commitment to open trade goes hand in hand with its commitment to sustainable development which is an overarching policy objective for the eu including in the context of various trade policy initiatives
sustainable development and in particular environmental and social considerations are important components in our trade policy
this is witnessed by the inclusion of sustainable development provisions focusing on labour and environmental standards in our bilateral trade agreements
