Press Release: EU report highlights concerns over rise in protectionism across G20

In a monitoring report the European Commission has found a lack of progress in the reduction of trade barriers within the group of G20 countries. It concludes that G20 members have to do more to stick to their initial commitment to refrain from introducing new barriers to trade since the break-out of the crisis.

The report counts no less than 424 restrictive measures to open trade since the start of the Commission's monitoring in October 2008. In the past 12 months alone, 131 new restrictions have been introduced while only 40 have been removed.