International

Never before has a demonstration in Brussels had such a rapid effect. On the same day that 20,000 steelworkers from across Europe took to the streets of Brussels to protest against the dumping of Chinese steel on the European market, the European Commission proposed fresh measures to counteract it. In addition, thanks to a motion proposed in the national Parliament in The Hague by Socialist Party MP Sharon Gesthuizen, the Netherlands will be obliged on this occasion to cooperate in bringing about the proposed measures.

The European Commission has previously brought forward proposals to improve protection of the trade, only to see the measures blocked by the Dutch government. “My motion, which I introduced along with MPs from the Christian Union, the Christian Democrats, and the (centre-right governing party- translator’s note) VVD, urges the Dutch government to cooperate in bringing about more rapid reform of the system of trade protection,” Gesthuizen explained. “China gives enormous subsidies to its steel sector, and because they produce far more steel than they can get rid of, this represents a major threat to the European industry. The Netherlands must help to counter this, otherwise we’ll lose our steel sector.”

In Brussels SP Euro-MP Anne-Marie Mineur urged the Commission to do more to further the measures. “I spoke today with representatives of three Dutch trade unions who were in Brussels because they fear for their jobs if Chinese steel dumping isn’t opposed,” she said. “Brussels is taking initiatives, and that’s a good start, but there’s a lot left to do. I want to see an explicit statement to the effect that China is not a market economy, and should not therefore be treated as such.” Mineur is putting questions to this end to the Commission.