EU must accelerate efforts to strike new free trade deals - Scholz

The European Union must work harder to quickly strike free trade deals with a spate of countries such as the Mercosur group, India, Kenya and Mexico, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday.

"It makes a lot of sense to swiftly seal new free trade agreements with Mercosur, Mexico, India, Indonesia, Australia, Kenya and - over the long term - with many other countries," Scholz said in a speech addressing lawmakers at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, according to a prepared text.

"Europe must turn to the world. If we continue fruitless negotiations over new free trade deals for years to come, others will dictate the rules - with lower environmental and social standards," Scholz said.