EU will propose new tools to protect market, von der Leyen says

Oct 21 (Reuters) - The European Commission will propose new measures to shield the EU from unfair competition from cheap imports, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.

• A new instrument should enable EU countries to "immediately" limit access to the single market when surges in cheap imports threaten European industries, von der Leyen said in a speech in the European Parliament.

• "Competitiveness depends on our companies being able to compete on fair terms globally," she said.

• Von der Leyen said the Commission would also propose a "solidarity package", which should help countries that face specific trade threats.

• "In a world where economic power is increasingly used as a weapon, Europe must use its economic strength to defend its interests together," von der Leyen said.

(Reporting by Bart MeijerEditing by Tomasz Janowski)