Germany and France have urged the European Union to give the European Commission the power to fully cut off access to the single market if a third country destabilizes trade. The proposal is set out in a joint letter from Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Emmanuel Macron to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and in an accompanying paper.
The authors say the existing set of defensive measures is no longer enough. In their wording, Europe needs a “credible instrument” in the hands of the Commission for a “decisive and systemic response” — up to an immediate cut-off from the internal market. They propose activating it by reverse qualified majority: the measure would take effect unless a qualified majority of member states votes against it.
Diplomats in Brussels are already calling the scheme a “red button” and a “second-strike weapon.” A full market shutdown for an entire country is described as a last resort; earlier steps could target individual companies, production sites or sectors.
China is not named in the letter. The context, however, is clear: Brussels puts the trade deficit with China at about €1 billion a day and considers the relationship unsustainable. German officials say the tool could be used if Beijing, for example, restricted exports of rare earth metals.
