Despite pressure from the US, the Commission is sticking to its guns: its two flagship digital regulations - on digital markets (DMA) and digital services (DSA) - are not going to be watered down or revised in the light of the difficult negotiations with the US on tariffs (see EUROPE 13640/5).
Speculation about this possibility was rekindled after trade negotiations between Canada and the United States came to a screeching halt on Friday 27 June, with US President Donald Trump accusing Ottawa of “copying the European Union” with its proposed tax on digital services for large technology companies - which the country has since abandoned.
The European side continues to deny that DMA and DSA are included in the negotiations. However, Commission Vice-President Teresa Ribera, who is also responsible for competition policy, said in an interview with the German newspaper Handelsblatt that she was in favour of the idea of “having a dialogue, both with companies and with the political forces involved” in the event of “problems” linked to regulation. At the same time, the EU would not “tolerate” other countries “telling us what laws we should have”. This position was reiterated by the Commission’s spokesperson on Monday 30 June, who stated that the EU would not “adjust the implementation of [its] legislation in line with [the requests] of certain third countries”.
Negotiations with Washington on tariffs must be concluded by 9 July at the latest (see EUROPE 13620/1). (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)