Without a hitch, a now-familiar playbook unfolded: The European Commission stood by its “sovereign right to regulate,” European lawmakers urged the EU executive not to give in, and experts quipped that the EU might have to relinquish the very right to regulate it had claimed as a big win in the trade deal.
“We must stand firm on our principles and react if words actually become action,” said Italian Social Democrat lawmaker Brando Benifei, chair of the European Parliament’s EU-U.S. delegation.
The back-and-forth is the umpteenth episode of a saga that started right after Trump took office. The U.S. has tried every possible trick in the book to undermine the EU’s tech rule books, the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, claiming they censor Americans and unfairly target American companies.
Meanwhile, Brussels is clinging to its right to regulate the digital space and U.S. tech companies.
Just when Brussels thought it had won some relief, its biggest headache — the enforcement of its landmark tech rules — is back. The Commission’s tech and competition departments, DG Connect and DG Comp, are overseeing several open probes under the DSA and the DMA, while one against Elon Musk’s X is being closely watched.
Last Thursday, the European Commission’s trade chief Maroš Šefčovič said both rule books had been kept out of the trade talks, but that the door had been left open for later talks.