Protectionism 'a threat to Europe'

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said yesterday that a recent bout of economic protectionism represented a “threat” to the European Union, and vowed to combat any attempt to favour national interests in the single market.

Energy companies have been at the centre of disputes among EU nations in recent weeks, sparking accusations of protectionism against France and Spain for seeking to prevent take-overs of national power companies by rivals from Italy and Germany.