- 3 hours ago
Μάρος Σέφτσοβιτς: Η ΕΕ έτοιμη να συζητήσει με τις ΗΠΑ, αλλά δεν καταργεί τους ψηφιακούς κανόνες
Μετά από μήνες πιέσεων από τις ΗΠΑ, ο επίτροπος Εμπορίου της ΕΕ Μάρος Σέφτσοβιτς δηλώνει στο Euronews ότι Βρυξέλλες και Ουάσινγκτον ανοίγουν “ψηφιακό διάλογο”, ενώ οι αμερικανικοί δασμοί σε ευρωπαϊκό χάλυβα και αλουμίνιο παραμένουν
ΔΙΑΒΑΣΤΕ ΕΠΙΣΗΣ : http://gr.euronews.com/2026/04/30/we-are-ready-to-discuss-digital-rules-with-the-us-but-cannot-wipe-out-rules-eu-trade-chief
Γίνε συνδρομητής! ! Το euronews είναι διαθέσιμο σε 12 γλώσσες
Μετά από μήνες πιέσεων από τις ΗΠΑ, ο επίτροπος Εμπορίου της ΕΕ Μάρος Σέφτσοβιτς δηλώνει στο Euronews ότι Βρυξέλλες και Ουάσινγκτον ανοίγουν “ψηφιακό διάλογο”, ενώ οι αμερικανικοί δασμοί σε ευρωπαϊκό χάλυβα και αλουμίνιο παραμένουν
ΔΙΑΒΑΣΤΕ ΕΠΙΣΗΣ : http://gr.euronews.com/2026/04/30/we-are-ready-to-discuss-digital-rules-with-the-us-but-cannot-wipe-out-rules-eu-trade-chief
Γίνε συνδρομητής! ! Το euronews είναι διαθέσιμο σε 12 γλώσσες
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04:28It creates the precondition for having, I would say, this steel ring approach and I hope that we will make
04:35some headway in that regard.
04:36In the U.S., just to close on this chapter, however, they do make a form of amalgamation between the
04:41trade and the digital services and the taxes and also penalties on U.S. digital companies operating in Europe.
04:47Did you make it clear that there is no connection? Did they once again push you to say they want
04:52to see a watered down legislation on digital services?
04:55How did this conversation go? Because they do make a link.
04:57I think that from our perspective, it's very clear that if it comes to digital sovereignty, it's for us to
05:06decide.
05:07So you will not give anything?
05:10We cannot give anything what concerns our legislation, but we are ready to talk, to explain, and I think what
05:16we both need is a digital dialogue.
05:20So I'm also discussing with my colleagues who have direct responsibility for this matter, be it Executive Vice President Rivera
05:27or Executive Vice President Virkunen,
05:29because in many aspects, again, because in many aspects, again, we have a very common task.
05:34What do we want and what do we don't want that would appear on the screens for our children?
05:40What kind of content? Content we are absolutely sure that it shouldn't appear in any computer and how we want
05:48to make sure that we would have a fair competition among, you know, the operators on the digital market.
05:54So there is a lot of things to discuss. And I think that in the past, we had a quite
06:00good experience with Trade and Technological Council.
06:05And I believe that we would need some kind of alternative when we can have these high level political discussions
06:10on all sectors.
06:11So that's a very interesting point, because the Tech and Trade Council was precisely designed to talk about those topics.
06:16Are you suggesting that the format perhaps is no longer fit for the Trump administration? Maybe a new format could
06:22be needed?
06:23That's my, I would say, personal view, which because when we've been brainstorming how to, you know, push our relationship
06:29forward.
06:30I mean, for us, the joint statement is a platform. Therefore, I believe that both of us, we have to
06:35deliver on our commitments.
06:36And based on this platform, I think we need to have a body where we can have, I would say,
06:44this discussion as between the biggest trading partners and closest allies,
06:49because in many of the areas, we have very similar concerns and similar worries. And I think this is what
06:55we would need.
06:55I know that what I heard from the U.S. side was they just want to avoid to have some
07:00kind of formal structure, which they would describe as a talking show.
07:04They would like to have a structure which would really lead to the discussion on different levels and could bring
07:11really, I would say, results which would be good for both of us.
07:14So the U.S. is saying that Tech and Trade, they rather prefer direct bilateral talks, not in a very
07:19structured format.
07:20I don't think that we are in that level of discussion yet. We were just, you know, looking how this
07:27could be shared.
07:28But we see that our trade and cooperation is so diverse that clearly you need, you know, the regular discussion
07:38on the irritants which are coming from both sides,
07:42on the challenges we are ahead of sight, and also where we can charge the cooperation for the, you know,
07:47for the next period.
07:49And now I want to talk about China, because this week the Chinese Trade Ministry came out with a statement,
07:56guns blazing almost,
07:57saying that some of the proposals that the EU and the Commission have put forward, certainly when it comes to
08:02the European industry and made in Europe,
08:04are targeting China and they are discriminating Chinese companies.
08:08If they do not get addressed their concerns, they threaten now countermeasures.
08:12Are we heading into a trade war with the Chinese?
08:14We are not interested in any trade wars, and I made it clear from the day one, and I engaged
08:20from the day one with our Chinese counterparts.
08:23I was in Beijing, we had a meeting with Vice Prime Minister Hellifeng, and I'm in regular contact with my
08:28counterpart, Van Guentao,
08:30and I was passing very consistently the same message.
08:35We cannot have a trade deficit of 1 billion euros a day.
08:39We cannot have a deficit of 360 billion a year.
08:43It's simply unsustainable.
08:44Which is not improving. It's getting worse.
08:46It's improving, it's getting worse.
08:47I have, of course, very strong economic and political reaction stemming from that.
08:53We just have to also completely reform also how our customs unit is operating,
08:58because between 2020 and 2026 we went from 1 to 6 billion parcels coming from China with all the results
09:08when you really control the content of the parcels which are publicly available.
09:11So what I want is to have a constructive engagement with my Chinese counterparts.
09:16How are you going to deal with this challenge?
09:18Because I believe that also understand that this is not sustainable.
09:21I think there are very strong industrial policies in China.
09:25You have the same in US, in Canada, in Japan, in Korea.
09:29So nobody, I mean, should be surprised that European Union,
09:32especially if it comes to the public money and public funds, want also to be promoting.
09:38But I wonder, when the Chinese say the EU should not underestimate China's resolve
09:43to protect the legitimate interests of Chinese companies
09:46and it could put forward measures to counteract those same proposals, is that a threat?
09:52I think clearly what is very important here is to avoid threats and to have constructive engagement.
10:00Do you like that tone when they put out a statement like that?
10:03Is that acceptable to you, to immediately go into countermeasures?
10:06I think that, I think we as a, let's say, trade ministers and trade commissioners,
10:13we have a huge responsibility in front of our economic operators.
10:20Therefore, I think what we need is indeed strategic patience,
10:24lots of courage to deal with the difficult issues,
10:27because the war is easy to declare, but it's very difficult to stop.
10:31And therefore, I think what we need is to have regular structured talk also with China.
10:38Therefore, I invited also Chinese foreign ministers to visit Brussels,
10:41because I think that we need really to have very thorough assessment.
10:46What is the current situation and what is the plans for the future?
10:51Because I think that also from their perspective, it's clear that we cannot have this space of growing trade deficit
10:57with China,
10:58because that would be simply politically and economically not feasible.
11:01But they don't seem to want to address it, at least not at speed.
11:04But I wonder, there is a pattern now in which every time the European Union tries to put forward measures
11:09to become stronger,
11:10to revive its industrial base, to become more sovereign in a very tough global environment.
11:16Immediately, there's a pattern of threats, potential retaliation coming from China.
11:22Can you work like this?
11:23I think I would definitely prefer, you know, to solve our problems before we are resorting to these measures.
11:32And I would just also invite, as I did, some of our Chinese counterparts to compare our policies to the
11:42policies how they treat European businesses
11:45and how they treat, you know, the European companies in China.
11:50And that's a very consistent message, which we from the EU are passing over for the years.
11:56So I think that now we are entering, I would say, the level where we really need to adopt the
12:03concrete measures,
12:04because today we are in such a fast-pacing world that in one year you can lose the whole industry.
12:10And therefore, I think that there is a resolve from the European member states to do much more to protect
12:15the jobs,
12:16to protect the businesses, to protect the economic performance in the European Union.
12:19And it's just pretty natural, and you see it in all other countries in the world.
12:23And China clearly is turbocharging its companies through a very aggressive state subsidy policy.
12:27That is a reality to have you consider, maybe even prepare it, to say,
12:31if this continues, we're going to have to wait measures such as the anti-coercion tool.
12:36I think that we never kind of threaten our partners.
12:42We definitely don't do it in the media.
12:45We are really discussing the issues on the topic basis.
12:51And I believe there is a host of other things how we can deal with this issue.
12:55Of course, it requires...
12:57But would you say the way that you said it with regards to the U.S. at the start of
13:00the year,
13:01that this was something the EU would not hesitate if its interests are threatened fundamentally to use,
13:05would you apply that kind of criteria on China too?
13:08I think that, of course, that's very clear.
13:10I mean that we've been, I would say, crystal clear about that we would fight a tooth and nail for
13:18every European job,
13:19for every European company, for every European sector, if we see that they are treated unfairly.
13:23That's our job.
13:24And therefore, we have the international rules.
13:27Therefore, we have very clear provisions how the subsidies should be offered.
13:32And therefore, our key topics for the reform of WTO was to restore level playing field
13:38and to reflect how the situation in geoeconomics has shifted from 1995 until 2026.
13:49What has changed?
13:50What is the political and economic weight of several countries?
13:53And this has to be factored in because we cannot stay the last, the large, super open economy
14:00where some countries are taking advantage of.
14:02You've been all around the world cutting trade deals
14:04and the clear mandate for you now is to reach out to the world and make more deals.
14:08So, well, obviously, I'm a journalist.
14:11I would love to know who comes next.
14:12But tell us about the pipeline.
14:14Yeah, I think that if you look at, I would say, the oral strategy is,
14:19actually, I can put it in a few words.
14:21We want to stabilize our relationship with the U.S.,
14:24rebalance our trade with China
14:26and open new market access for our companies throughout the world.
14:30So, we concluded the agreement with India, with Mercosur, with Indonesia, with Australia.
14:36And I hope that all of these deals would enter into force this year.
14:40Tomorrow, we are starting provisionally applying Mercosur.
14:43On India, is there any progress, any update?
14:45The Indians seem to be very keen on getting this done.
14:47Yeah, we want all the deals which we agreed upon
14:51to make sure that we would complete our ratification process this year.
14:56Of course, it's a big discussion in Europe.
14:57And that means before the summer?
14:59No, I think that we would need until the end of the year.
15:02The end of the year.
15:02Because of our linguistic versions, legal scrubbing and all,
15:05I would say the procedural steps.
15:07The most important thing is that deals are done.
15:09We just need to make sure that we are not losing any more opportunities
15:13because of our legal procedures to get them officially approved and ratified.
15:17You've been asking what's next.
15:19So, we are progressing very well with Philippines.
15:22So, I hope that this can be done also this year.
15:26And the next year, we have high hopes for making significant progress
15:31with Thailand and Malaysia.
15:33So, that would cover, I would say, almost all regions of ASEAN.
15:36And, of course, especially after the last week
15:40when the GCC country has been invited to the European Council,
15:44I want to use this new political momentum and dynamic to advance with the UAE.
15:49And we are also looking with the GCC,
15:52if we can relaunch the trade talks with the whole region,
15:57which has been on the table for more than 30 years.
16:00So, the Philippines, you're hoping that this gets done this year?
16:04Yeah, I think that there are all ingredients on the table
16:07that we can conclude the negotiation with the Philippines this year.
16:11That's the goal.
16:12It's very difficult to give you the more precise timetable
16:14because it also depends on political events
16:16and political availability of all actors who are involved in these negotiations.
16:21But that's the ideal plan.
16:23When it comes to the GCC, it's clear, and they have been very open about this,
16:26that they see momentum and they want to make this deal too.
16:31However, do you see this as a deal as GCC in full?
16:35Or are you now looking at bilateral deals among GCC countries
16:39because it's going to be easier?
16:40I think that not only us, but also, for example, UAE
16:45and I have to say some other countries from the regions kind of felt...
16:50Like who else?
16:51I think what we heard that also Oman and others,
16:57that if there will be no kind of chance to kind of revive
17:03and bring some, I would say, momentum on the region-to-region negotiations,
17:08that they would be ready to go on a bilateral basis.
17:11But the biggest progress so far we have made with UAE.
17:16I mean, we had several rounds of negotiations.
17:19Now we go through the most difficult chapters.
17:23But we've been very clear from the beginning
17:25that we do not see it as a separate deal.
17:28We see it as one of the building blocks
17:29of the whole region-to-region progress.
17:33And we see, especially also these days,
17:35that our economy is actually very complementary.
17:37So I think it would be a good deal for both of us.
17:40But we have to kind of make the progress
17:44on some of the issues which are difficult.
17:48And they are the reason why the negotiation takes such a long time.
17:51And just lastly, your colleague Savin Vejant,
17:54you put out a statement, well, a tweet in this age
17:57where you said it had been fantastic to work with her
18:00and you really paid tribute to the work that she did with you
18:03and for DG Trade and in all of these very complex deals
18:05which are fundamentally very difficult to get done.
18:08But of course, this is Brussels and people like to talk.
18:11And one of the theories going around is that
18:13she may have paid a price for being critical about the U.S.-EU deal
18:19which, of course, she said was not quite a negotiation.
18:23Is there any truth to that?
18:24I think that you describe Brussels as very nice,
18:26that the people here like to talk.
18:27You know, we go with Savin Vejant a long way
18:30because we've been dealing together.
18:32She was very instrumental in, I would say, getting Brexit done.
18:35So I was, and I'm still responsible for this relationship.
18:39So I know how much she did in that regard.
18:42And look at the results.
18:44I mean, we wouldn't achieve such impressive results
18:48over the last year and a half
18:49if it wouldn't be, I mean, working extremely well together
18:53with the Director General.
18:54So he's a brilliant tactician, excellent tactician.
19:00She has a huge, huge expertise.
19:02And of course, I mean, we are there
19:05to make the best possible choices.
19:08So you discuss, you ponder, you look for different options.
19:11But once we agreed upon something,
19:13we've been really working together.
19:15And she was very instrumental in all these deals,
19:19including in working on the deal with the U.S.
19:22And then, of course, on all the implementation,
19:24which was not easy for you.
19:26So I just really would like to thank her.
19:30And I think the institutions did it
19:32because she really provided exemplary
19:35and excellent service to the European Union
19:38and to the European services and to the Commission.
19:40And there is life after the Commission.
19:42Sometimes it seems in Brussels there isn't,
19:44but there is a world out there.
19:46So, Commissioner...
19:47Absolutely, absolutely.
19:47Well, thank you very much.
19:48And my vibe reminds me of that very often.
19:50I can tell you.
19:51Keep it in mind.
19:52Commissioner, thank you very much.
19:54Thank you very much.
19:55Thank you.
19:55Thank you for having me.
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