The European Commission debuted its highly-anticipated proposal for a future trade and investment strategy on Wednesday, outlining a series of steps aimed at building or deepening the 28-nation bloc’s web of trade relationships, as well as plans to address the ongoing public debate over trade. “We’ve listened to the debate,” said EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström in a press statement, adding that the document tries to strike a balance between the need for jobs, growth, and investment and concerns over ensuring core principles, such as human rights and sustainable development, are upheld. “Trade policy must become more effective, more transparent, and more in tune with our values. In short, it must become more responsible. That’s what we’re doing today,” the EU trade chief said. The news comes after months of consultations with EU member states, parliamentarians, and various trade stakeholders on the subject. The 40-page document, dubbed “Trade for All,” presents trade as an essential driver of the European economy, one that was key in limiting the ramifications of the global economic recession. Looking to the future, the EU executive argues that trade still has a key role to play in shoring up any recovery in the long-term. “Approximately 90...