Washington – The Computer & Communications Industry Association called for renewed progress on addressing barriers to digital trade ahead of Ambassador Greer and Secretary Lutnick’s upcoming visit to Brussels.
While the August U.S.-EU Framework Agreement pledged action on addressing “unjustified digital barriers” – including a commitment from the EU not to adopt network usage fees – concrete steps to implement this commitment are now due.
The digital sector faces several outstanding issues, including the discriminatory application of both the Digital Markets Act and parallel national competition regimes; expansion of similar ex-ante restrictions into other sectors; de facto network usage fees under consideration for the upcoming Digital Networks Act; digital services taxes enacted or proposed by several EU Member States; potential restrictions on satellite deployment under the EU Space Act; discriminatory limitations on U.S. cloud service providers that are currently being entertained by Brussels.
CCIA urges the United States and the European Union to advance concrete solutions to these barriers ahead of the Framework Agreement’s memorialization, safeguarding a vital transatlantic digital trade relationship.