Macron rejects trade deals with countries outside of Paris climate pact

Authored by thehill.com and submitted by AldoTheeApache
image for Macron rejects trade deals with countries outside of Paris climate pact

French President Emmanuel Macron told the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday that his country will begin to make trade agreements contingent on membership in the Paris climate pact.

“We will no longer sign commercial agreements with powers that do not respect the Paris accord,” he told the assembly.

Although Macron did not mention the United States, the remarks were seen as a shot at the country. The U.S. is the only country that is not part of the agreement after President Trump Donald John TrumpHouse Republican threatens to push for Rosenstein impeachment unless he testifies Judge suggests Trump’s tweet about Stormy Daniels was ‘hyperbole’ not defamation Rosenstein faces Trump showdown MORE withdrew in June 2017.

Leaving the Paris deal, which Trump has called "very unfair at the highest level to the United States,” was one of his key campaign promises.

According to a report released earlier this month, the U.S. will fall about one-third short of the climate targets stipulated in the original deal.

Trump has been quick to roll back former President Obama's aggressive climate efforts, including pollution rules on coal-fired power plants. Last week, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management released a final rule to weaken methane pollution rules for drillers.

Despite the federal government, cities and states are working on their own to meet Paris agreement emission reduction targets. The report found the U.S. has the potential to reach 90 percent of its targets through state and city action.

California recently passed a bill to set a target of 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2045. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) announced $4 billion worth of investments into clean energy earlier this month.

Ypallage on September 25th, 2018 at 22:53 UTC »

Because people in this thread really don't know much about the EU's common commercial policy (and downright are spreading lies) in a reminder: Member States don't have a veto for trade deals.

Only the EU parliament does. Member States can only block shared competence provisions of a trade deal by having their parliament vote against it. Which means that all other provisions not needing member states approval are applied.

Macron is saying that France could block a trade deal by pressuring the commission and by not passing shared competence provisions through the French parliament, because Macron basically controls the parliament.

1maco on September 25th, 2018 at 21:44 UTC »

Can France unilaterally do that?

Does every country in the EU have to accept a trade deal for it to go into force or just the majority?

slakmehl on September 25th, 2018 at 18:31 UTC »

Although Macron did not mention the United States, the remarks were seen as a shot at the country. The U.S. is the only country that is not part of the agreement after President Trump withdrew in June 2017.

So basically the No Homers Club.