Thème
Dynamic strategy in trade negotiations
The European Union is open to the world and has embarked on an ambitious policy of bilateral trade negotiations. Unfortunately, access by European companies to emerging markets is often still too limited. Afep firmly believes in the benefits of global trade as it is essential to enable European companies to expand their business and create growth and jobs in Europe. Afep supports an ambitious and offensive trade policy based on five principles:
- it must lead to better access to third countries markets, based on reciprocity;
- it must be at the service of European industry, in particular by adequately protecting its investments in third countries, promoting European standards and defending the intellectual property rights of European companies;
- trade negotiations should be more focused on emerging countries;
- effective implementation of trade agreements is essential;
- European trade defenses must be credible and effective.
Marc Poulain has been Director of International Trade Negotiations at AFEP since 1 September 2017. He monitors the main developments in European Union business policy and the Brexit process, representing AFEP’s positions in this area with the European and French public authorities.
A graduate of IEP Paris and the Ecole Nationale d’Administration, he began his career as a judge in the Paris administrative court, then as Deputy to the Chief of Staff for public procurement legislation at the Ministry of Economy and Finance. As a national expert seconded to the Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission between 2009 and 2016, he negotiated the “public procurement” chapters of the free trade agreements between the EU and Japan, Mercosur and the countries of the ASEAN, and took part in the WTO negotiations in Geneva.
Marc Poulain
Director of International Trade Negotiations