The starting industry of Europe fears that the EU could mitigate the central digital legislation to accommodate the US in the customs planter.
In a letter to the EU committee, digital associations warn of possible compromises with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), with which Brussels, among others, regulated American technology companies and recently imposed high penalties against Apple and the Facebook Group Meta.
There are major concerns that have reports that the American trade officer has proposed to temporarily suspend the DMA for American digital companies as part of a bilateral dialogue with the EU, according to the letter to the President Ursula von der Leyen. It is available for the German news agency.
“The DMA is not a geopolitical maneuver and should not be there,” write the signatories, including the European Startup Network, the German Startup Association and France Digital. “Do not allow the enforcement of the DMA to be weakened or delayed.”
Punish against Apple and the CO to irritate the US
The DMA, which has been in force since March 2024, would guarantee more competition in digital services. The basic assumption is that some large platform operators are so powerful that they can strengthen their market position. The law must separate with rules for gatekeepers (goalkeeper). The committee has identified a number of gatekeeper services from companies, including the American tech giant Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta. Consumers are also intended to strengthen the regulation by benefiting from lower prices and better data protection.
The EU committee used the digital law in April and imposed a three-digit million fine against Apple and Meta. The approach of Europeans repeatedly causes problems in the US and houses explosive power in customs duties. The chairman of the US Federal Trade Commission, Andrew Ferguson, had recently criticized the DMA as a form of taxing American companies.
Time for negotiations in customs duties
Recently, the “Wall Street Journal” had reported that the EU and the United States have approached an agreement with non-Tariff dealers from rules and the treatment of American technology companies. The design seems almost definitive, but can still change.
This warns the digital industry: “If the EU wants to promote European technology champions, it should not at the same time undermine the central regulatory foundations for fair digital markets,” the associations warn in the letter. The DMA is “an elementary instrument for growth companies in Europe to guarantee fair competition conditions, market access and therefore innovation”. With its newest strategy for startups, the committee itself wants to create better conditions for innovative companies.
German Chancellor Merz is urging speed
In the customs flict with the United States, time is forced to Europe. US President Donald Trump has exposed high import duties for 90 days this period expires on July 9. The German Minister of Economic Affairs Katherina Reiche (CDU) was recently optimistic about a short framework agreement with the United States. Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged a quick decision for four or five large industries and called the German most important car and mechanical engineering, chemistry and pharmaceutical.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
