Globalisation has created wealth and improved the situation of many people across the world. We are dependent on trade for employment and especially for industrial employment.

But globalisation is not without problems. The gains have not been equally distributed, and substantial groups of people in industrialised countries have not reaped sufficient benefits from development.

So trade is a necessity, but we still need to keep a critical eye on globalisation.

In recent years the focus of the public debate has been on major free trade agreements. These have gotten a lot better over time, but there is still some way to go. Trade union rights must be better protected and an ideal solution for investor protection to replace the outdated ISDS system has to be found.

I have been intensely involved in the discussion on globalisation and trade at the Nordic and European levels.