EU should stand its ground despite US pressure, former EU competition chief says

The EU should stand its ground when faced with US pressure not to enforce EU laws, former European Commissioner for Competition Margarethe Vestager said on Wednesday.

Vestager, who was the EU’s Competition Commissioner for 10 years until 2024, said that the EU executive should keep its promise to Europeans “that our markets will be kept safe” without unfair practices.

“There is pressure, fair enough, but this is not about US companies, but about the misuse of market power, no matter where the headquarters are,” Vestager said, speaking at a Brussels event by US think tank Open Markets Institute and human rights organisation Article 19 on Wednesday.

“The majority of Americans agree: they are also suspicious about what Big Tech companies deliver, they also see the effect it has on society in terms of social media use by kids and the impact on democracy. That’s why you should keep the promises that you keep,” she added.

EU tech laws have come under pressure ever since the new US administration led by President Donald Trump took office in January, claiming the rules around AI, online platforms and data protection are too restrictive and stifle innovation.

Washington in August instructed its diplomats to launch a lobbying campaign against the bloc’s digital rulebook. A memo signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the EU was pursuing "undue" restrictions on freedom of expression in its efforts to combat hate speech and disinformation.

The memo also warned against the Digital Services Act (DSA) – online platform rules in place from late 2023 with the aim of curbing illegal content and products online.

A spokesperson for the Commission told Euronews in response at the time that “our EU regulations and standards were never up for discussion, and this will not change.”

The EU executive has begun a number of probes into companies — including US ones — for suspected breaches of the DSA, the Digital Markets Act and online competition rules that took effect in 2023.

Unworkable rules

Big Tech companies are unhappy too, as recent examples such as the EU’s rules on political ads show.

Under the rules, which took effect this month, political ads must now carry a transparency label that clearly identifies them and includes key information, such as the sponsor, the election to which they are linked and the amounts paid.

Meta previously announced that they would stop political advertising due to “significant operational challenges and legal uncertainties” and “unworkable requirements”.

The US social media company said it has had tools in place since 2018 to provide transparency for political and election ads. It claimed that the new obligations create an "untenable level of complexity and legal uncertainty for advertisers and platforms operating in the EU.”

Fellow US tech giant Google published a similar statement late last year. It said that the new law introduces “legal uncertainties for political advertisers and platforms.”

EU lawmakers called upon the European Commission and, in particular, Tech Commissioner Henna Virkkunen over the summer to offer a firm response to Trump's threats to impose tariffs on countries whose technology regulations harm US companies.

Some EU lawmakers told Euronews they are unhappy with the lack of response following Trump’s remarks, after he warned, “Show respect to America and our amazing tech companies or consider the consequences.”

A Commission spokesperson defended Virkkunen at the time, saying that “she will fight back against all unfounded claims, she has done so, she will continue to do it.”