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EU Statement in support of Multilateral Trading System at WTO 30 event, 10 April 2025

European External Action Service (EEAS)

10.04.2025
Geneva
EU mission to the WTO in Geneva - Press and information team

Statement delivered by Ambassador João Aguiar Machado

Today we mark the 30th anniversary of the WTO, at a watershed moment for global trade and for the multilateral trading system. In these turbulent times, we are starkly reminded of the value of a rules-based trading system which has brought about long-term stability and predictability to global trade relations.

First, I would like to recognise the accomplishments of the WTO and of the GATT before it. In a few generations world trade has grown exponentially on the back of reduced barriers and open markets. The WTO commitments and its enforceable rules have provided a pathway to development for dozens of countries.

The EU has been and remains more than ever a strong supporter of multilateral trade governance with the WTO at its core. Given the changing international landscape, the EU has also been a strong advocate for its meaningful reform in order to ensure rules-based trade and international cooperation with the WTO at its heart can continue to flourish.

As a result of the organisation's governance and decision-making structures, the organisation has unfortunately struggled to agree new multilateral rules and we need to find a way forward to have plurilateral agreements adopted. There have also been critical gaps in the WTO rulebook meaning that we cannot address the impact of non-market policies and practices that lead to market distortions and overcapacity. And the dispute settlement system remains to this day paralysed.

In these turbulent times marking the organisation's 30th anniversary, the EU remains ready more than ever to pursue the path of reform with a view to a multilateral trading system that can deliver to all. It is via cooperation, dialogue and reform in this organisation that we can address tensions, rather than via introducing additional barriers. In this context, we regret the introduction of arbitrary tariffs affecting all WTO Members. The tariffs violate WTO commitments and the basic rules and principles of this Organisation. The recently announced suspension on arbitrary tariffs, however, is a step towards stabilising the global economy. Clear, predictable conditions are essential for trade and supply chains to function.

The way in which we rise to the current challenges matters: it lies in our hands to ensure that the lion's share of global trade continues to flow based on stable and predictable rules.

The EU's message is clear: Europe is reliable, predictable and open for fair business. Our firm commitment to rules-based trade and the WTO is a key foundation of that approach. We will continue to build bridges with all those that like us care about fair and rules-based trade as the basis for shared prosperity.

In conclusion, we invite Members to uphold rules-based trade and the principles of the WTO and to engage in an ambitious reform agenda. In this sense, we support and welcome the statement delivered by a group of some 40 Members.

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