Key Points
- Teresa Ribera rejected a US proposal to change EU tech laws. Howard Lutnick offered to lower tariffs in exchange for looser rules.
- The deal involved US taxes on European steel and aluminum.
- Ribera stated that consumer rights and values are not negotiable.
- The EU refuses to treat its digital rule-book as a trade bargaining chip.
The European Union just drew a hard line in the sand regarding its digital laws. Teresa Ribera, the European Commission Vice President, firmly rejected a proposal from the United States to water down tech regulations in exchange for better trade deals. Her comments came in response to US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who suggested on Monday that the EU needs to back off from American tech companies if it wants relief from economic tariffs.
The dispute highlights the growing tension between American business interests and European regulatory standards. Lutnick proposed a transaction: if the EU makes its digital rule-book more “balanced”—diplomatic code for less strict on US tech giants—the US would consider lowering tariffs on European steel and aluminum imports. This offer essentially tried to turn consumer protection laws into bargaining chips for the metal industry.
Ribera shut this idea down on Monday evening. She made it clear that the European digital rule-book is not up for negotiation. According to Ribera, these laws are not merely economic levers but fundamental protections for citizens. “We, Europeans, have adopted our rules to ensure fair markets and to protect consumers’ rights,” she stated.
For the EU, this is about values rather than just money. Over the last few years, Europe has led the world in regulating Big Tech, passing landmark laws that require companies to protect user privacy and curb monopolistic behavior.
The US administration views these rules as aggressive and harmful to American innovation. However, Ribera emphasized that it is the Commission’s duty to “preserve our values and to defend our people,” regardless of the pressure coming from Washington.
This exchange signals a rocky road ahead for trans-Atlantic trade. By linking heavy-industry tariffs to digital privacy laws, the US is trying to leverage one sector to save another. But Ribera’s quick dismissal shows that Europe is not willing to compromise its legal sovereignty or the safety of its digital market, even if it means facing higher taxes on steel and aluminum.
