欧盟委员会主席若泽•曼努埃尔•巴罗佐(José Manuel Barroso)表示，整个欧洲地区的保护主义压力正不断加大，甚至一些传统上致力于自由市场的政治力量也是如此。
在接受英国《金融时报》采访时，他还明确排除了创建一个应对金融市场动荡的泛欧监管机构的可能性。自去年8月份来，动荡使金融市场陷入了困境。
巴罗佐发表上述讲话的两周之后，将召开欧盟领导人峰会，预计此次会议将解决金融市场动荡问题，筹划主权财富基金的行为准则，并提出欧盟地区的能源和气候政策。
当被问及欧盟的保护主义思潮是否不断抬头时，自由贸易的忠实拥趸巴罗佐表示：“是的，而且我担心这种上升不但是在欧洲，在全球范围内都是如此。欧洲政治力量传统上提倡市场经济，而如今则——让我们说的文雅一点——更为谨慎。一些持中间偏右政治观点的人目前在这方面更为保守。”
他表示，欧盟在外国投资和贸易政策方面是世界上最开放的经济体，但欧洲人对于中国作为一个经济大国的崛起及其对欧盟的巨额贸易顺差感到不安。
“我非常清楚，一些人将中国的增长视为一种威胁。我们希望使中国增长成为一种机遇。”他表示。“我对中国人说：‘你们必须帮助我们，你们必须表明这有利于全球经济。'”
他表示，发现中国在知识产权保护的立场方面出现了一些进步，这是欧洲企业关心的一个关键问题。他警告称，欧盟委员会可能很难顶住保护主义的呼声，但不希望出现这样的情况。

PROTECTIONIST PRESSURES IN EU ARE RISING, SAYS COMMISSION PRESIDENT

Protectionist pressures are increasing across Europe, even among political forces traditionally committed to free markets, says José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission president.
In an interview with the Financial Times, he also explicitly ruled out creating a pan-European regulator in response to the turmoil that has plagued financial markets since August.
Mr Barroso was speaking two weeks before a European Union leaders summit that is expected to address the instability of financial markets, to propose a code of conduct for sovereign wealth funds and to advance the EU's energy and climate policies.
Asked if protectionist sentiment was growing in the EU, Mr Barroso, a committed advocate of free trade, said: “Yes, and I fear this rise not only in Europe but all over. Political forces in Europe that were traditionally pro-market are today – let's put it elegantly – more prudent. Some on the centre-right are now more conservative in that regard.”
He said the EU was the world's most open economy in its foreign investment and trade policies, but Europeans were unsettled by China's rise as an economic power and by its huge trade surplus with the EU.
“I know very well that some people think of China's growth as a threat. We want to make it an opportunity,” he said. “I have told the Chinese, ‘You have to help us, you have to make the case that it's good for the global economy.' ”
He said he saw some progress in China's position on the defence of intellectual property rights – a key concern for European companies. “The Commission doesn't want to, but it might be hard to resist the protectionist calls,” he warned.