23/10/2019 (Agence Europe) – Replying to questions at a press conference on Wednesday 23 October, Věra Jourová, the European Commissioner for Justice, reiterated her desire to reach an agreement between the EU and the United States on access to electronic evidence “as soon as possible” (see EUROPE 12348/17). She stressed that “we have always been very clear that we will be able to make real progress after we stabilise the legal situation on the European side”, referring to the draft report setting out the European Parliament’s position on the regulation on electronic evidence (see EUROPE 12227/8), which should be ready on 6 November. The negotiations will focus on the “substance” first, she said. One of the main points of disagreement concerns the form of the agreement. The Commission wants to negotiate a comprehensive agreement for the EU as a whole, while the United States is standing firm on its position of negotiating bilateral agreements with Member States. "But we believe that over time we will have a solution”, she said. (MF)