The presence in Brussels of the US Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, and the US Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, was a reminder of the deep divisions between the EU and the US on trade issues. On Monday 24 November, the two members of the US government took part in a working lunch with the EU’s twenty-seven trade ministers. The ministers had set themselves the task of convincing Washington to continue implementing the bilateral agreement signed in July. However, their American counterparts came with a clear message: any concessions granted by the United States to the European Union on steel and aluminium tariffs would be conditional upon the EU “relaxing” its digital regulatory framework.
“Our suggestion is that the EU and its trade ministers really consider trying to analyse their digital regulations, to try to come up with something balanced. Not to do away with them, but to find a balanced approach that works for us. And if they can do that, I’m sure we’ll look at the steel and aluminium issue with them”, Howard Lutnick told the press after the meeting.
In his view, the potential for US companies to invest in the EU is enormous, but blocked by the current rules.
Washington has long been opposed to the various European texts (DMA, DSA, AI Act, etc.) which it considers to be direct attacks on American companies (see EUROPE 13703/8).
“We want to reassure the Secretary of Commerce that our laws are not discriminatory”, said European Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, a few moments after his American counterpart’s speech.
On the same day, the Commission’s spokesperson for digital issues, Thomas Régnier, said that the EU was “always open to discussions with like-minded partners”. He added that “Europe has a sovereign right to legislate”.
And one source insisted: “Our sovereign digital legislation is non-negotiable”.
In the coming weeks, “we will simply give more explanations on this subject, we will engage in this process”, said Mr Šefčovič. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)