EU's McCreevy concerned about rise of protectionism in Europe

The European Union's Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy has voiced concern over what he views as a rise in protectionism within the EU, in an interview published in the Financial Times on Friday.

"I tell you what is frustrating more than anything else: do the 25 member states really believe in free markets at all?" McCreevy asked.

"Do they believe there should be free movement of capital? Do they believe deals should be able to take place? I'm not too sure."

McCreevy said that some EU member states had become more brazen in their delaying tactics to combat foreign takeovers of home-grown companies: "Companies cannot wait around for ever, and they cannot wait for law to take its course. Some member states know that. They know that time is their friend."

"That is unquestionably a very worrying feature -- particularly with those countries that have only recently joined the club," McCreevy said.

He also singled out Poland in particular for giving "great expression to protectionism".