Spain and the Netherlands called on the Union to keep the economy open

Spain and the Netherlands on Wednesday called on the 27-member European Union (EU) to keep its economy open as it seeks greater independence from world powers such as the United States and Asia in technology, vaccine production and energy. The two countries, which are heavily dependent on trade and tourism, have launched their joint call following the announcement by the European Commission of stricter rules on the export of COVID-19 vaccines, including the blocking of their exports outside the Union. The pandemic of the new coronavirus has prompted the EU to consider measures to secure key supply chains in order to secure strategic autonomy for the bloc. Maintaining an open European economy must be a key element of this strategy, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte said in a letter to European Council President Charles Michel. "The EU must live up to its commitment to open economies and societies," the document said. "The EU's strategic autonomy does not mean isolationism or economic protectionism, but rather be based on the principles of rules-based multilateralism, cooperation and free trade, without jeopardizing the interests of the least developed countries," the two prime ministers added. They also noted that the measures taken to ensure the strategic autonomy of the bloc should be proportionate, rational and tailored to the specific challenges. At the same time, both countries called for a revision of the unanimity rules in the bloc, according to which EU decisions must be approved by all 27 members of the Union. This may lead to the impassability of some proposals. "It could therefore be useful to examine in which areas qualified majority voting can be introduced, thus limiting where possible and desirable cases where unanimity hinders the EU's ability to act," they added.