The French president Emmanuel Macron he brandished it like a powerful war axe against the threats from Donald Trump to apply new blackmail duties ai European countries just to have possession of Denmark: his name is Acis, the Anti-coercion tool of the European Union which could be unleashed if the diplomatic missions or the European counter-duties were not to have positive effects, certainly causing aescalation of the new crisis.
But what does this tool, which has never been used before, consist of?
The ACI, activated in 2023 and never used until now, was conceived mainly as deterrent and it is a response from the European Union to the economic coercion by third countries, or a undue interference means measures or threats that affect the business or investments to influence political choices. It is often defined as "the EU's "nuclear option".
Where coercion occurs, the ACI provides a framework to formally identify it, seek a solution through dialogue and, if necessary, adopt countermeasures to end the pressure, obtain reparations, and strengthen international coordination against such practices. Economic countermeasures are considered only as a last resort, subject to conditions of necessity and proportionality. They are designed to be targeted, temporary and with minimal impact on the EU economy.
The range of options is broad to enable effective responses and includes: import/export restrictions of goods and services, limitations on investments direct foreigners and to intellectual property rights, restrizioni ataccess to public procurement EU and the placing on the market market di regulated products or to certain areas of the EU market, the imposition of new taxes on technological companies o
The mechanism works by combining implementing and delegated powers to ensure flexibility and speed. The determination phase of an act of coercion is up to the National, which acts on the proposal of the CommissionThe subsequent adoption of response measures is the responsibility of the Commission, assisted by a Committee of Member States. In specific cases, delegated acts are used, also involving the European ParliamentThe process involves stakeholder engagement to assess the impact of the measures and requires Parliament and the Council to be kept informed on a regular basis.
" Commission should activate immediately the anti-coercion instrument and the Council authorize the application of customs duties on US imports,” he said Ignacio Garcia Bercero, Former senior European Commission official responsible for trade negotiations with the United States. “If the EU were unable to show solidarity with Denmark and the targeted member states, would lose all credibility and legitimacy".
