A discussion of the role of diverging digital policies as trade barriers. How will they affect European companies & what action will the EU need to take?
European companies operate world-wide within international value-chains, networks and ecosystems. However, the world is changing for geopolitical reasons. Increasingly, it becomes divided into large blocks with the EU, the United States and China at the forefront.
These differ in a systemic conflict with respect to ethics, regulatory frameworks, and economic goals. This is particularly relevant for the digital sphere. The Chinese digital regulation sets standards for the Chinese markets that are inherently different from European ones. These divergences in digital governance are likely to become trade obstacles for digital trade and for trade in general.
As a result, European companies could potentially be forced to decouple their Chinese operations from Europe, if they want to keep benefitting from the large and growing Chinese market. At the same time, the United States and Europe try to overcome their differences in their approach to dealing with the digital economy by engaging in the TTC, the Trade and Technology Council.
We seek to discuss the role of diverging digital policies as trade barriers. How far does this affect European companies? How will they operate in a world where regulators cannot agree on common standards? What does the EU need to do?
Speakers for the Panel discussion include:
Moderator: Luca Bertuzzi, Euractiv