Good morning from Brussels.
The European Commission pledged to intensify cooperation with the United States on artificial intelligence yesterday, as Brussels tries to avoid a full-blown economic war with its largest trading partner, writes Thomas Moller-Nielsen.
European Commissioner for trade Maroš Šefčovič said that the EU and the US “have the same interest” in the field of AI, including the desire to “build the AI factories” that are essential for firms including Apple, Google, and Meta.
The veteran commissioner added that deeper tech collaboration would be mutually beneficial, as he touted the EU's strength in manufacturing chip-making equipment and America's status as a leading designer of semiconductors.
Dutch company ASML is a major producer of chip-producing lithography machines, while US chipmaker Nvidia is one of the world’s most valuable companies by market capitalisation.
“We have the printing machines, which are printing the chips, they have the technology, and I believe that we are allies and should have the same interest in that regard,” Šefčovič said during a visit to Singapore.
The pledge to deepen EU-US AI collaboration came as part of a broader Commission proposal to avoid sweeping tariffs on European goods, which Šefčovič said would be unveiled on Thursday. “We will announce the next preparatory steps, both in the area of possible rebalancing measures and also in the areas important for further discussions,” Šefčovič said.
In addition to deeper AI collaboration, Šefčovič suggested the plan would reiterate previous EU pledges to boost purchases of US liquefied natural gas and soybeans. |
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President Trump is expected to announce on today that the United States will strike a trade agreement with the United Kingdom, according to three people familiar with the plans, The New York Times is reporting.
The US President hinted at a forthcoming trade agreement in a post on Truth Social last night, though he did not reveal which country is involved.
“Big news conference tomorrow morning at 10:00 A.M. in the Oval Office, regarding a MAJOR TRADE DEAL with representatives of a big and highly respected country. THE FIRST OF MANY!!!” he wrote. |
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| Click on the picture to read the story | [Getty Images] |
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Headscratcher. European moviemakers were left scratching their heads when Donald Trump, in a vague social media post on Monday, floated the idea of slapping tariffs on foreign-made films, write Claudie Moreau and Magnus Lund Nielsen.
Train talk vs. defence pledge. Germany’s new Chancellor Friedrich Merz kicked off his term with lightning trips to Paris and Warsaw on Wednesday, aiming to revive the long-dormant Weimar Triangle alliance. It's clear which of the two is Merz's priority, writes Alexandra Brzozowski.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is beginning to weigh a shift away from the US dollar, potentially tying its currency more closely to the euro, Central Bank Governor Andriy Pyshnyi told Reuters. The move comes amid deepening economic ties with Europe and a fracturing global trade landscape.
19 countries. A majority of EU countries have failed to implement EU-mandated cybersecurity rules for critical infrastructure and companies, the Commission announced on 7 May, underscoring growing concerns about the bloc's ability to respond to cyber threats, writes Théophane Hartmann.
Failure risk? MEPs have decided on what they want from the Commission's Water Resilience Strategy, pitched as the EU’s pledge to significantly enhance water efficiency after a track record of shortcomings, writes Bárbara Machado.
No recovery fund. The European Parliament has criticised the European Commission's proposal to ask EU countries to produce plans outlining how they will spend the EU's next long-term budget, writes Nicoletta Ionta.
Pharma package. Member states failed on Tuesday to reach a compromise on the length of data protection, the main sticking point in the Council’s negotiations on the Pharma Package, writes Thomas Mangin.
Don’t compromise. The EU's water strategy must not overlook the importance of adequate water supplies for agriculture by supporting water retention and groundwater recharge projects, says a non-binding report adopted by the European Parliament on Wednesday, writes Alice Bergoënd. |
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| To Speak is to Exist!
Languages are the soul of Europe. Yet too many are in decline. We need to promote true linguistic equality!
At EFA, we care deeply — and that's why our General Assembly will give linguistic rights centre stage from 8 to 10 May in Nantes.
Find out more. |
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| Click on the picture to read the story | [Emmanuele Contini/NurPhoto via Getty Images] |
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| BERLIN
Friedrich Merz began his career as German chancellor on Wednesday with the sword of Damocles hanging over his head. Read more.
German interior minister orders migrants to be turned away at border. New German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has ordered that migrants be immediately turned away at the border, signalling a sharp shift in the country's immigration policy and fulfilling a key campaign promise of Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Read more.
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PARIS | BERLIN France and Germany will ‘realign’ energy policies, Macron and Merz say. French President Emmanuel Macron and new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz promised to “realign” their countries' energy policies to cut energy costs and ensure security of supply on Wednesday. Read more. |
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| VILNIUS
Lithuania bans overflights for planes carrying Vucic and Fico to Moscow. Lithuania joined Estonia and barred planes that would carry Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić from entering their airspace as they travel to Moscow for Russia's Victory Day celebrations. Read more.
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NUUK US intelligence instructed to infiltrate Greenland, media reports. The US is ramping up intelligence efforts in Greenland to monitor the island's independence movement and identify people who are sympathetic to US overtures, the Wall Street Journal reports. Read more. |
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| Click on the picture to read the story | [Photo by Riccardo De Luca/Anadolu via Getty Images] |
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| ROME | VATICAN CITY The Vatican's 133 cardinal electors are gathering in Rome today to elect the new Pope in a vote described as one of the most unpredictable in recent centuries. Read more.
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LISBON
Portugal: ministry investigates ‘mole’ accused of aiding illegal immigrants. The Portuguese ministry of foreign affairs is “carrying out an internal investigation” into the official suspected of helping thousands of illegal immigrants, identified as “a mole” by the Judicial Police, an official source told Lusa on Wednesday. According to the Judicial Police (the country's main criminal investigation agency), the alleged organised criminal group detained on Tuesday helped thousands of illegal immigrants from Brazil and Hindustan, with the help of “a mole” from the foreign affairs ministry. The Judicial Police announced that it had dismantled an alleged organised criminal group dedicated to repeatedly committing crimes of aiding illegal immigration, corruption, money laundering and document forgery. A total of 13 people were detained, seven men and six women, including seven businessmen, a lawyer and an official from the foreign affairs ministry's Directorate-General for Consular Affairs and Portuguese Communities. According to the police, the immigrants were recruited by the group on social networks and given "possibilities and facilities" upon payment of “a significant sum.” (Joaha Haderer and Cristina Marques | Lusa.pt) |
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| WARSAW Poland sued over road tolls, DSA failures. The European Commission has referred Poland to the Court of Justice of the EU for two infringements: the first concerns the lack of a timeline for introducing new road charges considering CO2 emissions, and the second challenges the failure to implement the Digital Services Act. Read more.
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PRAGUE
Czech president challenges Vatican treaty over constitutional concerns. Czech President Petr Pavel has questioned the constitutionality of a controversial treaty between Czechia and the Vatican, claiming it grants the Catholic Church undue privileges. In a statement sent to the Constitutional Court, Pavel asserted that “the treaty as a whole violates the basic constitutional principles of our state as a sovereign, secular and republican state", the Czech daily Deník N reported. The treaty, already approved by both chambers of parliament, regulates the Catholic Church’s status, particularly its right to confessional secrecy. Critics fear it could shield crimes, including abuse, prompting senators to request a Constitutional Court review. Pavel highlighted its problematic aspects, stating that it establishes the “privileged position of the Catholic Church”. Pavel's spokeswoman, Karolína Blinková, explained to Deník N that the president is legally obligated to participate in such reviews. Pavel’s signature is necessary to finish the ratifying process of the treaty. Pavel currently faces no deadline for signing and intends to await the court’s ruling. If ratified, the Czech Republic will join 64 nations with Vatican agreements. (Aneta Zachová | Euractiv.cz) |
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| Click on the picture to read the story | [Shutterstock/Bennian] |
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| SOFIA Bulgaria has reacted sharply to the Russian president’s statements in a documentary broadcast on the Russian state television Russia-1. In the propaganda film “Russia. Kremlin. Putin. 25 Years,” Vladimir Putin says that Romania and Bulgaria contributed to the tension that led to the war in Ukraine by hosting American bases on their territory. Read more.
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BUCHAREST
Moldova to receive natural gas from Romania’s Neptun Deep. Moldova’s state-owned energy trader, Energocom, signed a three-year supply agreement on Wednesday with OMV Petrom, Romania’s largest oil and gas producer, to import natural gas from Neptun Deep. Neptun Deep is the largest offshore gas development in the Black Sea and Romania’s first deepwater project. Jointly developed by Romgaz and OMV Petrom, the field holds estimated reserves of at least 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Gas production from Neptun Deep is scheduled to begin in 2027. This marks the second export agreement from the project, following a prior deal between OMV Petrom and Uniper. Deliveries will be made through Romania’s Virtual Trading Point (VTP), ensuring a stable supply of natural gas to Moldova. According to the government in Chisinau, the imported volume will cover approximately 25% of Moldova’s annual gas consumption. Moldovan Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu stated that the agreement is expected to have a positive impact on consumer gas prices. Following Russia’s reduction of gas deliveries to Moldova in 2021, the country began actively seeking alternatives to Russian supplies. “With this gas delivery to Moldova, Romania reaffirms its role as a guarantor of regional energy security,” said Romanian Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja. Romania became the European Union’s top gas producer last year, overtaking the Netherlands. With Neptun Deep coming online in 2027, Romania is set to further strengthen that position. (Catalina Mihai | Euractiv.ro) |
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| EU: Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meets with Taoiseach of Ireland Micheál Martin; Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera meets with Chief Executive of the Competition and Markets Authority Sarah Cardell, in Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Attends International Competition Network Annual Conference 2025; Vice President Henna Virkkunen delivers speech remotely at Annual Kyiv Security Forum; Parliament’s plenary votes on Competition policy, Banking Union, wolf protection status, gas storage, and more. *** |
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| [Edited by Vas Panagiotopoulos, Charles Szumski, Daniel Eck, Sofia Mandilara] |
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