EU faces 'extremely strong' competition from China, US tariffs, stresses action by June: Macron

ISTANBUL

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called on Europe to take urgent action and make concrete decisions by June as the bloc faces "extremely strong" competition and pressure, particularly from the US and China.

"I believe we share this sense of urgency that our Europe must act," Macron told reporters ahead of an informal EU summit at the Alden Biesen castle in eastern Belgium.

He noted that there is a "mounting pressure" on the bloc, with an "extremely strong" and sometimes "unfair" competition, "with heavy pressure from China, tariffs imposed on us by the Americans, and threats of coercive practices."

"All of this calls for a response. The priority is to deliver an immediate, very short-term reaction by implementing everything we already agree on and by moving much faster on simplification, deepening the single market, and addressing energy and financing issues," Macron said.

He also stressed the need to continue diversifying and de-risking Europe by expanding partnerships, defending European preferences in critical sectors, and funding innovation.

"What is really important is that we move quickly and take very concrete decisions by June. And in June, we will assess where we stand. On some issues, if we cannot move forward as 27, we should give ourselves the right to pursue enhanced cooperation in order to go faster," Macron added.