Latest news with #Séjourné
France 24
23-05-2025
- Business
- France 24
EU needs 'new markets' and 'trade agreements': Commission Executive Vice-President Séjourné
Séjourné maintains that global uncertainty makes it more urgent for the EU to strengthen its single market, simplify and harmonise its internal regulations, and find new trade partners around the world. 'We need to find new markets, and that means new trade agreements,' he says. 'I know that it's not popular in France to talk about trade agreements, but in the current political climate, if we want to reduce our dependence on China, if we want to protect ourselves from a future American market that could close, we absolutely must find new outlets. And at a time when the Americans are making very radical choices, we also need to be very clear about our own European regulations.' Central to that global uncertainty is, of course, President Trump's ever-changing approach to tariffs. On May 23, he threatened a 50 percent tax on all imports from the European Union. 'I don't think we should have a doctrine. You shouldn't be choosing one option or another,' Séjourné opines. 'I'm in favour of not making any definitive proposals until we have an American proposal on the table. And a clearly defined framework for new trade cooperation with the United States. Some sectors will require full reciprocity in terms of tariffs. This is the case for aerospace, for example. If there is a 10 percent tariff on Airbus, there should be a 10 percent tariff on Boeing. But for other sectors, it is not in our interests, our European interests, to reciprocate. I think Europe has pursued these negotiations well. It hasn't made as much noise as the US, but it has been united. ' Given the international context, Séjourné insists that the EU's internal market should become a safe haven for European companies. But he says there are still too many barriers. 'For a French company, to go to Germany or Italy, to market its products, to 'go European throughout' the internal market, is something of an administrative and bureaucratic nightmare,' he says. 'Firstly, because you need to have a subsidiary, to adapt to European law, to adapt to national law, to look at the regulatory differences, and also to look at the differences in the way goods are marketed. We have put in place a number of measures to simplify and harmonise all the regulations.' 'Simplification' is also the watchword when it comes to corporate due diligence reporting. Séjourné is adamant that this streamlining is not, as some NGOs have said, a dismantling of the Green Deal or of environmental standards. 'Under the CSDDD, (the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive) the subcontractor of the subcontractor of the subcontractor also has to be checked by your European company, otherwise you could be liable before the European courts. This raised various problems of legal uncertainty. We put forward a proposal at the start of this EU mandate to stop this legislation and start again from scratch. Now, there is a discussion about overhauling these texts, and Germany and France have made a proposal to abolish them. To do that, we still need a majority, because it's a matter of co-decision between the European Parliament and the Council.' We discuss the electric car market, a central plank of Séjourné's industrial strategy. 'European manufacturers currently have a problem with vehicle orders,' Séjourné explains. 'There are no electric vehicles on the second-hand market today, and we are unable to offer – not only to French consumers, but to all Europeans – cheap vehicles with a life expectancy of two, three or four years, which in reality represent 80 percent of the market in many countries.' He goes on: 'Ending the sale of internal combustion cars (scheduled for 2035) has to be combined with a genuine European purchasing strategy. And we need to boost that strategy, particularly when it comes to sales of electric vehicles, with an increased demand for business vehicle fleets.' Circling back to the Trump administration, Séjourné says he sees an opportunity for attracting American talent to Europe. 'We are committed to increasing our international attractiveness, since there are prospects for bringing in incredible talent, particularly from the other side of the Atlantic, who have found themselves with no money for research. These people are often very experienced, and they could make an enormous contribution to the European economy and to applied research for our industries.
Euronews
23-05-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Séjourné canvasses governments on patents after dropped proposal
EU Industry Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné has asked member states to agree among themselves on whether to support the Commission's intention to ditch a proposal on standard essential patents (SEP). The French commissioner for the internal market has said he wants to hear back from governments in the next three weeks. Member states are divided about the way forward after the Commission said in February it intended to withdraw a plan on SEPs which it presented in 2023, arguing that it couldn't see an agreement being reached. SEPs are patents that protect the technology deemed essential in a technical standard or specification and are used in the automotive, smart energy, and payment industry. Which means that if a company wants to make a product that complies with technical standards (such as 5G or wifi), it needs to use the technology covered by SEPs. Disputes over the value of SEPs licenses are proliferating as their use increases. The Commission proposal intended to make the process of licensing SEPs more transparent, which was welcomed by patent lobby organisations who called for modernisation of the rules to make the bloc more competitive. A group of eight countries – Czechia, France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Latvia, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain – called for other EU member states to support continued work on the file during a meeting of industry ministers in Brussels on Thursday, arguing that the rules are crucial for industry. The Spanish representative said that SEPs will be beneficial for Europe's automotive industry. Italy added that: 'We need to ensure the value chains are resilient in the current geopolitical situation.' Ireland, Finland and Sweden, by contrast, backed the Commission's assessment that since no deal is within reach it should be dropped. The Swedish representative said that the proposal had created 'major divisions in the business community', adding that 'any initiative in this field needs to encourage innovation and not create undue regulatory burden.' Finland added that the decision to withdraw is in line with the Commission's simplification plan. 'We think there are fundamental problems in the proposal, they cannot be amended with this draft.' Séjourné told lawmakers of the European Parliament's Legal Affairs (JURI) in April that the Commission scrapped the SEP proposal in a bid to reach a broader agreement on the topic. Some argue however, that the incoming US administration and the EU Commission's current strategy for deregulation killed the proposal. While the majority of the member states do not see the need to continue with the topic, lawmakers want it kept on the table. The proposed rules on SEPs were agreed by the Parliament in February 2024 - with 454 votes for, 83 against and 78 abstentions - before the Commission announced its intention to withdraw the file. German MEP Bernd Lange (EPP), who chairs the heads of the Parliamentary committees, is expected to discuss the issue with Parliament President Roberta Metsola in June. A letter signed by Lange and seen by Euronews, said that the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) – which is leading on the file – 'objects, by a large majority, to the proposed withdrawal.' 'The proposal remains highly relevant due to its impact on competitiveness, transparency, and innovation, particularly for SMEs,' the letter said. The Commission has until August to decide whether to go ahead with its intention to withdraw the plan. A US federal judge decided to let a wrongful death lawsuit continue against artificial intelligence (AI) company after the suicide of a teenage boy. The suit was filed by a mother from Florida who alleges that her 14-year-old son Sewell Setzer III fell victim to one of the company's chatbots that pulled him into what she described as an emotionally and sexually abusive relationship that led to his suicide. The lawsuit alleges that in the final months of his life, Setzer became increasingly isolated from reality as he engaged in sexualised conversations with the bot, which was patterned after a fictional character from the television show 'Game of Thrones'. In his final moments, the bot told Setzer it loved him and urged the teen to "come home to me as soon as possible," according to screenshots of the exchanges. Moments after receiving the message, Setzer shot himself, according to legal filings. Meetali Jain of the Tech Justice Law Project, one of the attorneys for Garcia, said the judge's order sends a message that Silicon Valley "needs to stop and think and impose guardrails before it launches products to market". The company tried to argue that it was protected under the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which protects fundamental freedoms for Americans, like freedom of speech. Attorneys for the developers want the case dismissed because they say chatbots deserve these First Amendment protections, and ruling otherwise could have a "chilling effect" on the AI industry. In her order Wednesday, US Senior District Judge Anne Conway rejected some of the defendants' free speech claims, saying she's "not prepared" to hold that the chatbots' output constitutes speech "at this stage". In a statement, a spokesperson for pointed to a number of safety features the company has implemented, including guardrails for children and suicide prevention resources that were announced the day the lawsuit was filed. "We care deeply about the safety of our users and our goal is to provide a space that is engaging and safe," the statement said. The suit against Character Technologies, the company behind also names individual developers and Google as defendants. Google spokesperson José Castañeda told the Associated Press that the company "strongly disagree[s]" with Judge Conway's decision. "Google and Character AI are entirely separate, and Google did not create, design, or manage Character AI's app or any component part of it," the statement read. The case has drawn the attention of legal experts and AI watchers in the U.S. and beyond, as the technology rapidly reshapes workplaces, marketplaces and relationships despite what experts warn are potentially existential risks. "The order certainly sets it up as a potential test case for some broader issues involving AI," said "It's a warning to parents that social media and generative AI devices are not always harmless," Lyrissa Barnett Lidsky, a law professor at the University of Florida with a focus on the First Amendment and AI. No matter how the lawsuit plays out, Lidsky says the case is a warning of "the dangers of entrusting our emotional and mental health to AI companies". "It's a warning to parents that social media and generative AI devices are not always harmless," she said.
Euronews
21-05-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Industry sceptical on new EU single market strategy
Business representatives gave a jaundiced welcome to a new single market strategy designed to strengthen internal trade presented on Wednesday by EU Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné, following years of promises on the issue by the European Commission. 'Every Commission term seems to feature a flagship communication on the single market, going back to the Monti Report in 2010, but unfortunately these have not always led to tangible improvements for businesses,' Ben Butters, the CEO of Eurochambres, which represents businesses across Europe, told Euronews. Then Competition Commissioner Mario Monti's 2010 report sketched a strategy to extend the opening of national markets begun following the creation of the single market in 1993. Séjourné's proposal has the same object: removing barriers between member states to ease business establishment and operation across the bloc. It includes measures such as cross-border recognition of professional qualifications and plans to address the lack of common standards. It aims also to facilitate cross-border provision of services by removing restrictive and diverging national regulations. Butters added that the new strategy tables some interesting solutions to remove barriers within the single market 'but the Commission and member states now need to get on with the task of tackling them; not by adding further layers of legislation, but by ensuring better implementation and enforcement.' Séjourné said there's momentum among industry in support of his strategy. 'In business, there is a close alignment [with the strategy's objectives] given the geopolitical context,' he said, as the EU is locked in a trade war with the US. 'The companies are ready,' he claimed, 'It's up to us to get the member states on board now.' Cutting red tape from smaller companies As part of its single market strategy, the European Commission also unveiled on Wednesday its fourth omnibus package – and which also met with a lukewarm response. One of the key proposals is the creation of a new category of company, dubbed 'small mid-caps', which would be granted exemption from certain EU rules on data protection, climate, and sustainability. Defined by the Commission as firms with more than 250 employees and fewer than 750 and an annual turnover below €150 million, the category aims to bridge the regulatory gap between SMEs and larger corporations. Séjourné also said the proposal was targeting businesses more likely to expand internationally. The move drew a mixed response. Tech lobbying group CCIA Europe welcomed the initiative but expressed disappointment at the limited scope of the exemptions. 'At best, today's proposal will ease GDPR burdens for just 0.2% of EU companies,' said Claudia Canelles Quaroni, the group's privacy and safety lead, on the exemption to the GDPR contained in the Commission's proposal, adding: 'While well-intentioned, its limited scope means it won't meaningfully strengthen Europe's dwindling digital competitiveness.' From the consumer rights perspective, Agustín Reyna, Director General of BEUC, acknowledged the value of simpler rules for both businesses and consumers. He warned however that 'simplification must in no way equal watering down standards", adding: "Opening the GDPR could not only put consumer's rights at risk but also create legal uncertainty for companies, raising their costs if they would need to adapt to new rules.' Belgian authorities have asked the European Parliament to waive the immunity of five of its members, Parliament's president Roberta Metsola announced at the beginning of a plenary session in Brussels on Wednesday. The request relates to the ongoing investigation into alleged corruption and illicit lobbying practices involving Chinese company Huawei and some EU lawmakers and assistants. Three of the five MEPs involved belong to the center-right European People's Party: the Italians Salvatore De Meo, Giusi Princi and Fulvio Martusciello. The others are the Maltese Socialist MEP Daniel Attard and the Bulgarian Renew Europe's MEP Nikola Minchev. In a previous statement to Euronews, Martusciello denied corruption, stating that he had only fleetingly met Huawei lobbyists, and that he and his staff never attended the firm's offices. De Meo anticipated his inclusion in the list telling Italian news agency Ansa: 'In my case, [the request] is linked to my participation in a convivial meeting, not organised by Huawei, which took place outside the European Parliament and which was also attended by representatives of the Huawei group." He claimed he has never taken a position in favour of Huawei, either by signing letters, presenting amendments or any legislative activity attributable to the company's interests. Attard said on his Facebook page that the request related to his presence at a football match between Belgian team Anderlecht and Hungarian team Ferencváros last September. 'I was not made aware that the invitation originated from any company, or that it involved a corporate box. I was simply informed by my assistant that a friend of his had tickets to the match [...] It has since emerged that the invitation came from a person who is currently under investigation by the Belgian authorities and who intended to speak to me about Huawei during the match,' wrote the Maltese MEP. The topic was briefly raised during the game, reads the post, and a meeting was subsequently requested, which took place two weeks later in Strasbourg. Attard stated he has not communicated with the company since, and took 'no action' in relation to it or matters related to the company, and he wrote to President Metsola to formally ask for his immunity to be waived. Attendance at an Anderlecht football match (Anderlecht-Ludogorets last October) was behind the request for Bulgarian MEP Minchev, he said in a statement to the Bulgarian press agency BTA. 'I will cooperate one hundred percent and I will ask the EP to lift the immunity as quickly as possible, because I have no connection to any illegal activity of these people, nor anything to worry about,' he said. Each request for waiver will be now be assigned to a rapporteur on the European Parliament Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI), whose next meeting is foreseen for 4-5 June. The JURI Committee will prepare a report approving or rejecting the request by the Belgian prosecutor, while each MEP concerned will be given an opportunity to be heard, and may present any documents or other written evidence. The Parliament's plenary will have the final say, deciding whether to lift or not the MEP's immunity with a vote by simple majority. None of the five MEPs replied to requests for comment from Euronews.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Brussels threatens to block US from bidding for public contracts
Brussels has threatened to bar American companies from bidding for taxpayer-funded contracts as Europe seeks to retaliate against Donald Trump's tariffs. Stéphane Séjourné, executive vice president of the European Commission, said the EU has 'the cards' to hit back at Mr Trump's new levies of 20pc on goods and 25pc on cars. 'We could decide to withdraw all American companies from European public procurement,' Mr Séjourné, who is also commissioner for industrial strategy, told Radio France. It represents a fresh threat to the US defence industry as European capitals are considering how much of the spending in their rearmament drive should go to American manufacturers compared to domestic suppliers. American dominance in the tech industry may make it difficult for the EU to eject all US companies from public sector contracts, but other industries with major European operators could be booted out of bidding for work. 'It's an economic bazooka because for certain services we have no other option but to choose the Americans, particularly digital services,' said Mr Séjourné. 'So this has implications for European companies, and we need to look at the sectors in which and for what we can do this, but it's one of the topics on the table and under discussion with the American administration. 'This also has major impacts for American companies, and, to use Donald Trump's vocabulary, we also have the cards and the tools to make the Americans give in.' His comments come amid fears that America's trade war risks tipping the anaemic European economies into recession, despite plans from Germany to boost defence and infrastructure spending. European governments are major customers of the US defence industry, and have been prompted to spend more by Mr Trump's complaints that Nato allies spend too little, effectively free riding on America's expenditure. However, Mr Trump's seeming ambivalence towards Ukraine and to Nato, as well as the apparent softening of the White House's stance on Russia, has sparked fears that US supplies may prove unreliable in the event of any row between the transatlantic partners. As a result, European politicians are increasingly keen to build up domestic supply chains as a more trustworthy alternative to making purchases from the US. Robert Habeck, Germany's economy minister, said the EU had the upper hand in negotiations with Mr Trump. He added: 'The stock markets are already collapsing and the damage could become even greater. America is in a position of weakness.' Mr Habeck indicated that there was widespread support for Mr Séjourné's proposals: 'We have to take a close look at the anti-coercion instrument, which are measures that go far beyond tariff policy,' he said. Sentiment among European investors slumped this month, according to the Sentix survey. Melanie Debono, at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said: 'The higher-than-expected US trade tariff hikes announced at last week's 'liberation day' are weighing heavily on investor sentiment. 'The plunge in global financial markets all but wiped away investors' joy surrounding greater defence and infrastructure spending in Germany and the EU. 'Sentiment will continue to melt away amid signs of retaliation from other countries around the world – nothing good can come from an escalating trade war.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
07-04-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Brussels threatens to block US from bidding for public contracts
Brussels has threatened to bar American companies from bidding for taxpayer-funded contracts as Europe seeks to retaliate against Donald Trump's tariffs. Stéphane Séjourné, executive vice president of the European Commission, said the EU has 'the cards' to hit back at Mr Trump's new levies of 20pc on goods and 25pc on cars. 'We could decide to withdraw all American companies from European public procurement,' Mr Séjourné, who is also commissioner for industrial strategy, told Radio France. It represents a fresh threat to the US defence industry as European capitals are considering how much of the spending in their rearmament drive should go to American manufacturers compared to domestic suppliers. American dominance in the tech industry may make it difficult for the EU to eject all US companies from public sector contracts, but other industries with major European operators could be booted out of bidding for work. 'It's an economic bazooka because for certain services we have no other option but to choose the Americans, particularly digital services,' said Mr Séjourné. 'So this has implications for European companies, and we need to look at the sectors in which and for what we can do this, but it's one of the topics on the table and under discussion with the American administration. 'This also has major impacts for American companies, and, to use Donald Trump's vocabulary, we also have the cards and the tools to make the Americans give in.' His comments come amid fears that America's trade war risks tipping the anaemic European economies into recession, despite plans from Germany to boost defence and infrastructure spending. European governments are major customers of the US defence industry, and have been prompted to spend more by Mr Trump's complaints that Nato allies spend too little, effectively free riding on America's expenditure. However, Mr Trump's seeming ambivalence towards Ukraine and to Nato, as well as the apparent softening of the White House's stance on Russia, has sparked fears that US supplies may prove unreliable in the event of any row between the transatlantic partners. As a result, European politicians are increasingly keen to build up domestic supply chains as a more trustworthy alternative to making purchases from the US. Robert Habeck, Germany's economy minister, said the EU had the upper hand in negotiations with Mr Trump. He added: 'The stock markets are already collapsing and the damage could become even greater. America is in a position of weakness.' Mr Habeck indicated that there was widespread support for Mr Séjourné's proposals: 'We have to take a close look at the anti-coercion instrument, which are measures that go far beyond tariff policy,' he said. Sentiment among European investors slumped this month, according to the Sentix survey. Melanie Debono, at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said: 'The higher-than-expected US trade tariff hikes announced at last week's 'liberation day' are weighing heavily on investor sentiment. 'The plunge in global financial markets all but wiped away investors' joy surrounding greater defence and infrastructure spending in Germany and the EU. 'Sentiment will continue to melt away amid signs of retaliation from other countries around the world – nothing good can come from an escalating trade war.'
