EU nations breaking rules in bilateral trade deals with China
Fifteen EU member states have breached bloc-wide rules in agreeing bilateral commercial deals with China as part of Beijing's ambitious belt and road initiative (BRI), according to a damning report published by the European Court of Auditors on Thursday (10 September).
www.euractiv.com
Fifteen EU member states have breached bloc-wide rules in agreeing bilateral commercial deals with China as part of Beijing’s ambitious belt and road initiative (BRI), according to a damning report published by the European Court of Auditors on Thursday (10 September).
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Another issue uncovered in the report was the alleged EU funding of Chinese Belt and Road projects on the bloc. The ECA state that in 2017, the Commission allocated €357 million in cohesion funds to cover 85% of the cost of the Pelješac bridge in Croatia.
Authorities in the country then awarded this contract to a Chinese consortium led by the SOE China Road and Bridge Corporation.
“This bridge was financed by EU cohesion funds, yet it is being branded as being part of China’s Belt and Road initiative,” Turtelboom noted.
Maybe its time to start punishing such behaviour, or better make rules that if funded by the EU it must be built by EU companies. There is no fair trade with China, they take everything they can. The same game like in Africa.
I still don´t get why this continues, I have the impression that it is
a. bribing
b. fearful politicians not seeing the own advantages and letting them be lobbied into submission by China profiting companies