Fear of a dirty deal + Trump tariffs + Gas storage facilities

Dear reader,

The planned “omnibus” laws are an invitation to make jokes, and politicians and journalists alike will be able to fully exploit their potential in the coming months. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wants to send five of them on their way. The first on Feb. 26 to simplify sustainability reporting, the second for easier access to investment pots such as InvestEU (still in Q1) and the third to introduce a new SME category (small mid-caps – in Q2).

However, von der Leyen is also planning two further omnibus projects that bundle adjustments in several laws. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is to receive its own omnibus in order to facilitate the implementation and monitoring of CAP payments to farmers (Q2). And: Cybersecurity legislation, including the Cybersecurity Act, is to be simplified in order to eliminate duplicate reporting obligations.

The political dispute is currently focusing on the planned simplifications to the CSRD sustainability legislation and, in particular, the Supply Chain Directive. According to reports, the Commission wants to propose suspending the two projects, which have long since been adopted, for one to two years. This is exactly what the EPP is calling for, but the plans are meeting with resistance from the Social Democrats, Greens and Liberals. However, the Commission is already threatening consequences, according to reports in Brussels, should the proposals be crushed in the political dispute: It could then resort to the fast-track procedure, in which the European Parliament would largely be left out.

Have a good start to the weekend!

Your
Till Hoppe

Ukraine war: Europeans warn of dirty deal and demand a say

By

Stephan Israel

It is part of the job description of a NATO Secretary General to diplomatically talk away even major disagreements between the allies: “We all want peace in Ukraine, the sooner the better,” said Mark Rutte when asked whether the US President had taken the allies by surprise with his phone call with Vladimir Putin. He sees a great convergence there.

The Dutchman was probably quite lonely with this assessment at the North Atlantic Council meeting in Brussels. Peace through weakness could lead to dramatic security situations, warned French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu. The meeting of the North Atlantic Council was also about the future of the alliance. The right question is whether NATO will still be the most robust alliance in history in ten or 15 years’ time.

Pistorius: Europe not at the cat’s table

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius criticized the US going it alone: “It should be clear to everyone that we cannot sit at the cat’s table.” All the more so as Europe is expected to play a central role in peacekeeping. Europe would have to live with the immediate consequences of a deal.

The Defense Minister regretted that Donald Trump had already publicly made concessions to the Russian president before the negotiations had even begun: “It would have been better to talk about NATO membership or territorial losses at the negotiating table and not take them off the table.”

Kallas: Dirty deal does not work

Kaja Kallas, who was at the NATO headquarters for the working lunch with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umjerow at noon, expressed a similar view: “It is clear that a deal behind our backs will not work,” said the EU foreign policy chief: “The Ukrainians will resist and we will support them in this.” A quick deal is a dirty deal that will not stop the killing.

Ukraine and Europe must therefore be part of a peace agreement. Nothing should be taken off the table before negotiations have even begun. This is only to Vladimir Putin’s advantage: “Why give him everything before negotiations have even begun?” Appeasement has never worked. NATO membership is also the cheapest security guarantee, emphasized Kallas. Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity were also not a bargaining chip.

Trump took everyone by surprise

Donald Trump had not informed the German government or other EU states in advance about his telephone conversation with Putin. Nobody had been informed in advance, said Pistorius. A few days ago, he had said that he did not expect a US peace plan at the Munich Security Conference. He would listen to Vice-President J.D. Vance’s speech in Munich on Friday and take part in the talks.

Who will sit at the table in the peace negotiations for Europe must be negotiated, said Pistorius. Europe must not allow itself to be divided and must present a united front. However, as the largest economy in Europe and the third largest in the world, it was obvious that Germany would be involved. The SPD politician was asked whether Germany would take part in a peacekeeping force: it was too early for this discussion, replied Pistorius, saying that he did not want to take part in speculation. Much would depend on what kind of peace would be involved.

Pistorius: Not without the USA

How Europe should secure peace in Ukraine without US soldiers and without Article 5 was one of the central questions that needed to be discussed, said Pistorius. “As things stand today, we need the Americans as allies on the European continent in order to be able to guarantee an effective deterrent against Russia,” said the Defense Minister.

This also applies to securing a peace agreement in Ukraine. We could talk about anything, but ending the US deterrent from one day to the next would not be conducive to peace in Europe and the world. He also made this clear to US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during the bilateral talks.

Trump: Putin wants peace

The American put a different emphasis in his statement: He had met Pistorius to discuss the importance of Germany’s leading role in defense spending and future security aid for Ukraine, Hegseth said. In the evening, he rejected the criticism of going it alone. As a dealmaker and leader of the free world, Trump alone would ultimately decide what would and would not be put on the negotiating table. Neither side will get everything, the US President will act according to the principle of carrot and stick.

Trump himself appeared confident on Thursday with regard to Putin: “Yes, I think he wants peace,” he said. “I think he would tell me if he didn’t.”

With regard to NATO and the focus on the Indo-Pacific, Hegseth denied that the USA wanted to withdraw from Europe. On the contrary, Donald Trump wants to make NATO great again.

Three trillion US dollars

Bloomberg put the cost of Trump’s peace plan for Europe at three trillion US dollars. Pistorius emphasized that it would be naive to believe that the threat to the West would diminish after a peace agreement in Ukraine. Putin is constantly provoking and constantly attacking the West in a hybrid manner.

“We will have to invest faster and more heavily in our capabilities,” said Pistorius. Peace can only be secured from a position of strength. He warned that there should not be any prohibitions on thinking in terms of financing. For example, the German debt brake must be modernized and the EU must adapt the Maastricht criteria when it comes to investments in security and defense. The next German government will have to position itself very quickly and coordinate with its partners.

CDU/CSU about to rethink

In view of Trump’s policies, the CDU/CSU is also increasingly realizing that the necessary increases in expenditure for the Bundeswehr cannot be financed from the current federal budget. Especially as a peace deal could require the deployment of German soldiers for a possible peacekeeping force in Ukraine.

A new federal government under the leadership of Friedrich Merz could therefore push for a limited relaxation of the debt brake (or, less likely, a new special fund). Merz recently did not rule this out during the TV duel with Olaf Scholz, provided that potential coalition partners would support savings in other areas of the budget. However, taking on European debt, for example in the form of defense bonds, would only be a last resort, according to Berlin. With Till Hoppe

Gas storage: BMWK wants to weaken EU targets

By

Manuel Berkel

In view of the rise in gas prices, there is growing resistance to the EU’s 2022 storage targets. Member states must fill their storage facilities to 90 percent by November 1 in order to guarantee the security of supply for the coming winter. Interim targets will apply for each state starting in February. However, following a meeting of the Gas Coordination Group on Thursday morning with representatives from the national ministries, the German government spoke openly in favor of more flexibility for the first time.

“We support less rigid storage level requirements. The European Commission has promised to remedy this situation,” a spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Economics told Table Briefings this afternoon. More flexibility could ensure that there is a “normalization of market conditions”.

Negative summer-winter spread could cost EUR 1.5 billion

The price of gas has doubled within a year to almost 60 euros per megawatt hour. Unlike usual, the prices for the summer are even higher than those for the following winter; the so-called summer-winter spread is negative. Gas experts have therefore been warning for months that there are no market incentives to fill the storage facilities next summer.

As a consequence, the German market area manager THE might have to use state funds again to meet the storage targets through tenders. With a spread of five euros, experts are talking about costs of 1.5 billion euros or more. Although this would be far less than in the crisis summer of 2022, it would still be painful given the tight budget situation.

Commission reluctant to make changes

One way to avoid the expense would be to lower the storage targets – albeit with possible consequences for the security of supply. Those in favor of more flexibility include, above all, countries with large storage facilities. “We have large gas storage facilities that contribute to energy security, but we need to be able to avoid negative price effects,” said a spokesperson for the Slovakian government on Thursday. Italy and the Netherlands are also said to be among the supporters.

However, the Commission’s willingness to take remedial action, which the BMWK refers to, apparently does not relate to the current year. “The Commission does not want to change the filling path for 2025,” a source familiar with the matter reported after the Gas Coordination Group meeting. According to Bloomberg, the Commission only wants to act if the member states deviate substantially and permanently from the storage targets. There is already the possibility that the 90 percent target will not be reached until Dec. 1 and a deviation of five percentage points is possible for the interim targets.

Extend gas storage regulation until 2027

The Commission wants to extend the Gas Storage Regulation, which expires at the end of 2025, by two years. This is intended to serve as a bridge until a comprehensive reform of the legal framework for European energy security, another source explained. An initial proposal is expected in the third quarter, with the process to be completed next year.

An extension of the gas storage regulation, on the other hand, would possibly have to be decided by the Council again in an emergency procedure without the consent of Parliament. According to a third source, German government representatives have asked the Commission to present a draft for the extension as soon as possible so that the member states can discuss it. According to Bloomberg, the Commission wants to do this at the beginning of March.

Gas price cap not planned

The markets reacted with relief on Thursday. The gas price for the following month fell by more than eight percent to 51 euros per megawatt hour. However, Gasunie manager Martien Visser wrote on Bluesky that he only saw a limited connection with the discussion about filling levels. Gas prices have fallen across the board, including for next winter and the coming years – albeit to a lesser extent. Bloomberg referred to the talks between the USA and Russia. They are fueling expectations that Russian gas could perhaps flow into the EU again in the future.

The gas and finance industries had already warned on Tuesday that the Commission could propose a price cap in its action plan for affordable energy prices. However, a Commission official contradicted this on Thursday: “A price cap for gas is not in the pipeline.”

Another discussion is the role of financial speculators in pricing for the summer. Several market experts report that institutional investors have bought an unusually large number of derivatives for the summer and have speculated on gas procurement by the state.

Rumors about the role of speculators

A contrary explanation for the high prices that is being circulated is that an unusually high number of LNG export terminal maintenance projects have been announced for next summer. Since 2022, political pressure has been high to postpone such work in order to stabilize prices. However, many maintenance works can now no longer be delayed.

“This is currently not an issue for BaFin,” a spokesperson for the financial regulator for derivatives trading told Table.Briefings. The Federal Network Agency points out that storage bookings will be low from the start of the new storage year at the beginning of April and refers to the consequences for the filling levels of the storage facilities. “When contracts for storage capacities booked by customers expire, the gas injected into storage must be withdrawn or sold to other customers of the storage facility,” explained a spokesperson. The BNetzA is closely monitoring the market situation with THE and the BMWK and evaluating options and the need for action.

Trump orders reciprocal tariffs

US President Donald Trump has launched a new round of far-reaching tariffs. These are reciprocal tariffs on goods from various countries, the Republican announced and signed a corresponding order. The details are to be worked out over the coming months.

Reciprocal tariffs basically mean that the US raises tariffs wherever it currently charges less than its trading partners. Trump had emphasized in the past that he wanted to correct the trade imbalance with these tariffs and accused other countries of treating the United States unfairly. The White House made it clear in advance that it would be targeting other trade barriers. These included taxes for American companies, such as value-added taxes, state subsidies or regulations that prevent US companies from doing business abroad.

Exact countries to be determined

The new tariffs will not come into force immediately. Instead, the responsible authorities will have 180 days to identify the affected countries and impose country-specific tariffs on this basis, according to a high-ranking Trump advisor. The countries with the highest trade deficits will be targeted first. The countries affected are invited to negotiate with US President Trump in order to avert the US tariffs. However, tariffs could also come into force before the deadline, the advisor said.

The Trump adviser emphasized that it does not matter whether the planned tariffs are aimed at strategic competitors such as China or allies such as the European Union, Japan, or Korea.

Trouble over German value-added tax

The US government has now once again referred to cars when discussing the trade deficit with the European Union. Trump is regularly angry about import tariffs. Tariffs of 2.5 percent are due on imports to the USA, but ten percent on imports to Europe. However, the US tariffs are much higher for pickups and commercial vehicles, which are popular in the USA, for example.

However, the high-ranking government representative also emphasized that Washington was also annoyed by the value-added tax that car imports from the USA were additionally subject to. This varies depending on the EU member state; in Germany, it is 19 percent. The fact that Germany sells significantly more cars to the USA than vice versa is certainly not due to a lack of “American craftsmanship or quality”, according to the high-ranking government advisor. That is mercantilism. “President Trump will no longer accept this.” dpa

Vision Agriculture: Commissioner Hansen insists on stricter import rules

EU Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen wants to apply the same strict standards to imported food as those that apply to domestic producers. The Commission will work towards aligning import standards with domestic rules, according to a draft of his vision paper, which is available to Table.Briefings. The Commission intends to submit plans to the Member States before the end of this year. The final text of the vision for agriculture, which is due on Wednesday, is still being agreed within the Commission.

The Commission wants to tighten import standards for pesticides, for example. It will ensure that “the riskiest pesticides, which are banned in the EU for health and environmental reasons, are not allowed back into the EU via imports”. The EU already bans residues of individual pesticides that cannot be used in this country, even in imported products. Hansen now apparently wants to extend this. Conversely, he also wants to stop the export of pesticides banned here to third countries.

When it comes to animal welfare, the Commission also promises to set the same standards for domestic producers and imports in future reforms. For example, in the planned “targeted reform” of EU animal welfare legislation. The monitoring of animal welfare standards in third countries is to be improved – how exactly remains unclear.

The Commission emphasizes that all of this should be done in accordance with WTO rules. In terms of trade law, however, the scope for imposing production methods on other countries is limited. The paper therefore also relies on agreeing higher standards with trading partners, for example within the framework of global standardization bodies. The Commission does not say how it intends to convince the partner countries of this.

Hansen had recently argued time and again that the harmonization of domestic and import standards was a way to ensure the competitiveness of domestic agriculture despite the Mercosur agreement and free trade with Ukraine. jd

NGT: Polish Council Presidency rows back on patent issue

In the negotiations on the deregulation of new genomic technologies (NGT), the Polish EU Council Presidency has largely backed down on the issue of patents. A new compromise proposal presented to Table.Briefings goes significantly less far than Warsaw’s proposals from January. The latter had met with little approval in the Council and was considered by many to be hardly practicable. The representatives of the member states will discuss the new proposal at a working level for the first time this Friday. It remains to be seen whether Poland will be able to convince a majority.

Instead of wanting to resolve patent issues within the genetic engineering reform, Poland is now primarily relying on the Commission to tackle the issue separately. No later than one year after the new regulation comes into force, the authority is to present a study on the consequences of patents on genetically modified plants for breeders and access to seeds. If necessary, a legislative proposal should resolve any problems identified. The study is to be repeated after four to six years. The Commission itself had promised such a study for 2026, but did not promise that it would be followed by a draft law.

According to the Polish Council Presidency, only transparency measures are to be implemented as part of the reform: Companies wishing to register a plant as NGT-1 would have to disclose in writing which patents it is protected by. They can voluntarily commit to licensing the product under “fair conditions” – what this entails is not defined in detail. The information is to be published in a database. They would not be verified. Commission guidelines are intended to help growers better understand the legal situation.

Poland has also moved away from the idea that NGT-1 plants must be specially labeled if they are patent-protected. The proposal that individual member states could ban the cultivation of such plants on their own territory has also been rejected. jd

AI in the workplace: where EU citizens want rules

A large majority of EU citizens find rules for AI in the workplace somewhat or very important. Overall, around three-quarters of respondents agreed with the various measures. This was the result of a special representative Eurostat survey commissioned by the EU Commission. More than 27,000 EU citizens from all member states were surveyed between April and May.

Approval was particularly high for rules to protect privacy in the workplace. Here, 82% stated that rules on this were important to them. More than half of all EU citizens (54%) even emphasized in the survey that this was “very important” to them.

Other measures also received a high level of approval: For example, the prohibition of completely automated decision-making processes (overall responses “important”: 74 percent), restriction of automated monitoring of employees (72 percent), or the involvement of employees and their representatives in the design and introduction of new technologies (77 percent).

Overall, a majority of EU citizens have a positive view of AI and similar technologies. Two-thirds stated that AI has a positive impact on their current job (66%), while more than half see a positive influence on society (56%). A majority also believe that digital technologies such as AI are good for the economy (62%). However, 66% also believe that AI destroys more jobs than it creates. In addition, the approval ratings for the positive effects of AI have fallen slightly compared to the 2017 survey. lei

Code of conduct for disinformation: Platforms only follow it in part

The Commission and the European Board for Digital Services have officially integrated the voluntary Code of Practice on Countering Disinformation into the legal framework of the Digital Services Act (DSA). This recognition under Article 45 of the DSA allows companies that comply with the Code to demonstrate their actions as risk mitigation strategies under the DSA. All major platforms, with the exception of X, but also civil society organizations and fact-checkers have signed up. However, with restrictions.

The Code was created in 2018 and updated in 2022. It includes obligations in various areas. These include: preventing the spread of disinformation, increasing the transparency of political advertising, and strengthening users’ media literacy. Since June 2022, the number of signatories has risen from 34 to 42.

Not all signatories enter into all commitments

“Europeans deserve a safe online space where they can navigate without being manipulated,” said Commission Vice-President Henna Virkkunen. The transformation into a code of conduct under the Digital Services Act is an important milestone in strengthening the EU regulatory framework in the fight against disinformation.

However, not all participants have signed all 25 commitments, as can be checked in the transparency center of the Code of Practice. For example, Microsoft Bing has rejected five commitments, Meta six, Linkedin seven, TikTok eight, and Google ten. Despite having signed up, companies still have leeway not to support certain measures. This is if they can argue that these do not apply to their platform or are already covered by their own measures.

Microsoft Bing has not committed to any obligations regarding manipulative practices and AI-generated content, as it sees itself as a search engine and not a social media platform.
TikTok has not signed any commitments to political advertising, as the platform generally prohibits such advertising.
Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Whatsapp) has not signed some commitments, including those on monetization and the labeling of political advertising, because the planned EU regulations (EU regulation on the transparency of political advertising) will soon require this anyway.
LinkedIn has not taken on some obligations because it considers itself a professional network with a low risk of disinformation.
Google has not signed certain commitments, particularly in the area of political advertising. The company has decided to withdraw from political advertising in the EU.

Google criticizes excessive effort

Google had already announced in November 2024 that it would no longer place political ads in the EU from October 2025. The company cites the EU’s new transparency regulations as the reason, which would entail considerable operational challenges and legal uncertainties.

Google’s main criticism is the broad definition of political advertising in the regulation, which makes it difficult to reliably identify and manage such ads. This decision means that political advertising, including paid political promotions on YouTube, will no longer run in the EU.

However, Google intends to comply with the other obligations of the DSA. “We will continue to work to ensure that our products and features comply with the DSA,” said a Google spokesperson. vis

Hendrik Wüst: ‘We need a NATO for AI’

In order to be able to use the opportunities and innovative power of artificial intelligence (AI) for the progress of civil society, globally valid guard rails are required. This was the opinion of North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister President Hendrik Wüst (CDU) at the future conference “From coal to AI” at his state representation in Berlin. These guard rails must be developed jointly by Europe and the USA. “Because we still share fundamental values,” said Wüst optimistically. “I firmly believe that we need an alliance of values of the free world for AI,” he continued. “We need a NATO for AI.”

In his speech, Wüst emphasized Europe’s crucial role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence. He called for Germany and France to act as key drivers for AI in Europe. The CDU politician emphasized that technological progress requires trust, which is created through clear rules and a robust security architecture in Europe. He warned against becoming dependent on other players in the development of AI. He highlighted France’s announcement to invest 109 billion euros in AI as a positive example. He called for a clear concept for policymakers in Germany in order to set the right framework conditions.

The opportunity to regain competitiveness

Kent Walker, President of Global Affairs and Chief Legal Officer of Google and Alphabet, emphasized that the current time represents a remarkable opportunity. Europe has the chance to regain its competitiveness through new technologies and in a changing security landscape.

He pointed out the challenges that Europe is facing. Referring to Mario Draghi’s report, Walker mentioned that slow technological growth and the regulatory environment in the EU contributed to a “vicious circle of low investment and low innovation”. Walker also emphasized Europe’s strengths, particularly its well-educated workforce, its large market, and its many universities with large numbers of computer science graduates. He proposed an innovation agenda with three priorities: Innovation, infrastructure, and investment.

With regard to regulation, Wüst emphasized that Europe needs a framework for innovation that does not hinder it. Many companies were calling for harmonization and simplification of regulations. Walker argued that AI is too important not to regulate it. But also too important to over-regulate. He praised the EU AI Act as a viable risk approach, but at the same time criticized some aspects of the new AI Code of Practice. vis

Auto dialog: Social Affairs Commissioner Mînzatu talks to the industry about jobs

At the second working group meeting as part of the Auto dialog, Social Affairs Commissioner Roxana Mînzatu spoke with industry representatives, trade unions and NGOs about changes resulting from the transformation of the labor market. It is expected that the conversion of production to e-cars will lead to job losses in industrial production.

At the same time, new jobs will be created in other areas: Digitalization and the trend towards software-driven vehicles will increase the demand for software engineers. The Commission could, for example, offer an EU-wide assessment of which regions and sectors are facing job losses in order to organize targeted retraining and further training at an early stage.

In the meantime, invitations to further working meetings have gone out:

Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas on charging infrastructure on Feb. 20
Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič on Feb. 21 on trade and raw materials
Industry Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné on supply chains on Feb. 19
Digital Commissioner Henna Virkkunen on digitalization on Feb. 17 mgr

‘Historic’ strike against social cuts in Belgium

Shortly after the new right-wing liberal federal government in Brussels took office, Belgium is facing a massive wave of protests. On Thursday, a nationwide strike largely paralyzed public life. The trade unions have even announced a general strike for March 31.

With the demonstrations, which began before the government was formed, employee representatives want to protest against what they see as the anti-social policies of the “Arizona” coalition under right-wing Prime Minister Bart De Wever. The movement is also partly directed against the EU Commission’s guidelines. The new government wants to abolish old pension privileges and penalize early retirement with deductions. However, those who work longer are to receive a bonus. In addition, unemployment benefits are to be limited to two years. For Belgium, this is tantamount to a revolution.

According to the police, around 60,000 people took to the streets in Brussels on Thursday to protest against these and other reforms, for example in the healthcare system. The trade unions spoke of 100,000; this was “historic”. There were disruptions at the airport in particular, where all flights were canceled due to a strike by air traffic controllers.

Riots broke out on the fringes of the rally. They were mainly directed against the seat of the liberal governing party MR (Mouvement Réformateur), which had initiated many reforms. Liberal Education Minister David Clarinval was asked by the police to disguise himself in order to enter parliament unharmed.

Prime Minister De Wever had to face harsh criticism from the opposition. Belgian workers had never had their pockets picked so deeply, said Socialist MP Sophie Thémont. De Wever was planning a “social clear-cutting”. The Greens and Communists expressed similar views.

The government defended its program. The minimum wage will be increased and automatic compensation for wage inflation is guaranteed, it said. There is no alternative to austerity, De Wever emphasized. “We run the risk of having the highest budget deficit in the whole of Europe,” he said. The reforms were indispensable. The new prime minister estimates that it will take ten years to restructure the highly indebted country, i.e. at least two legislative periods. The EU Commission has granted the government a reprieve until mid-March to present a draft budget that complies with the new European debt rules. ebo

Work program: Abolition of the time change not yet off the table

The abolition of the time change in Europe is still up for debate. In the draft of its work program for 2025, the Commission had noted that it did not want to pursue the proposal for a directive to abolish the time change (Table.Briefings reported). In the final version of the work program from Wednesday, there has now been a short-term change: the directive is now listed among all those proposals that have not yet been withdrawn – but it is possible that this will still happen.

A Commission spokesperson points out that both the European Parliament and the Council now have the opportunity to comment on the matter. “We will carefully consider their opinions and take them into account when deciding whether to withdraw the proposed draft legislation.” It is therefore quite possible that the lively debate that has been going on for many years, particularly in Germany, will continue for the time being. sas

Lidl boycott – Bulgarians boycott western supermarket chains

Some Bulgarians have gone on consumer strike in protest against alleged profiteering by Western European supermarkets such as Lidl and Kaufland.

Hristo Stoickov is the most world-famous of the living Bulgarians. In the 1990s, he won the European Cup with FC Barcelona and was awarded the Ballon d’Or. Today, “Kamata”, as his friends call him, flickers into Bulgarian living rooms every evening from the television. As a friendly older gentleman, he strolls through a Kaufland store and tries to persuade Bulgarians that “the price makes the game”.

However, he has a credibility problem with this. Many of his viewers suspect that retail chains from the West, such as Kaufland, Lidl and Billa, are fleecing billions in profits at their expense and transferring them to their home countries. Critical consumers therefore declared Feb. 13, 2025 as Boycott Day. They no longer want to tolerate the fact that some goods are more expensive in Bulgarian supermarkets than in German ones, even though the Germans earn around three times as much as they do.

Consumer strikes in more countries

With their boycott, the Bulgarians are joining a whole series of other Balkan people. Croats, Bosnians, Serbs, Romanians, and others have already gone on consumer strike in protest against alleged usury. They have caused their retail chains to lose revenue for at least one day. The Greeks are already waiting in the wings to give their supermarkets the cold shoulder on Feb. 19, 2025.

The people’s anger is opening up a new field for Bulgaria’s political leadership to raise its profile. The left is taking the side of the little people in solidarity and demanding government action in their favor. The economic liberals insist on economic common sense, according to which political interference in the market can only be counterproductive. This economic controversy has also affected the right-left coalition that has been in power for a month. Conservative Prime Minister Rossen Scheljaskov rejects the introduction of price caps. His socialist Social Affairs Minister advocates price regulation.

The boycott against the retail chains is like a signal for the battle to join the eurozone. Its advocates hope that it will stimulate economic development in what is literally the poorest country in the EU. According to opinion polls, however, the majority of Bulgarians reject joining the eurozone because they fear it will make their everyday lives even more expensive.

EUROPE.TABLE EDITORIAL OFFICE

Till
Hoppe

Sarah
Schaefer

Lukas
Knigge

Corinna
Visser

Markus
Grabitz

Alina
Leimbach

Eric
Bonse

Manuel
Berkel

Stephan
Israel

Claire
Stam

János
Allenbach-Ammann

Dear reader,

The planned “omnibus” laws are an invitation to make jokes, and politicians and journalists alike will be able to fully exploit their potential in the coming months. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wants to send five of them on their way. The first on Feb. 26 to simplify sustainability reporting, the second for easier access to investment pots such as InvestEU (still in Q1) and the third to introduce a new SME category (small mid-caps – in Q2).

However, von der Leyen is also planning two further omnibus projects that bundle adjustments in several laws. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is to receive its own omnibus in order to facilitate the implementation and monitoring of CAP payments to farmers (Q2). And: Cybersecurity legislation, including the Cybersecurity Act, is to be simplified in order to eliminate duplicate reporting obligations.

The political dispute is currently focusing on the planned simplifications to the CSRD sustainability legislation and, in particular, the Supply Chain Directive. According to reports, the Commission wants to propose suspending the two projects, which have long since been adopted, for one to two years. This is exactly what the EPP is calling for, but the plans are meeting with resistance from the Social Democrats, Greens and Liberals. However, the Commission is already threatening consequences, according to reports in Brussels, should the proposals be crushed in the political dispute: It could then resort to the fast-track procedure, in which the European Parliament would largely be left out.

Have a good start to the weekend!

Your
Till Hoppe

Ukraine war: Europeans warn of dirty deal and demand a say

By

Stephan Israel

It is part of the job description of a NATO Secretary General to diplomatically talk away even major disagreements between the allies: “We all want peace in Ukraine, the sooner the better,” said Mark Rutte when asked whether the US President had taken the allies by surprise with his phone call with Vladimir Putin. He sees a great convergence there.

The Dutchman was probably quite lonely with this assessment at the North Atlantic Council meeting in Brussels. Peace through weakness could lead to dramatic security situations, warned French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu. The meeting of the North Atlantic Council was also about the future of the alliance. The right question is whether NATO will still be the most robust alliance in history in ten or 15 years’ time.

Pistorius: Europe not at the cat’s table

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius criticized the US going it alone: “It should be clear to everyone that we cannot sit at the cat’s table.” All the more so as Europe is expected to play a central role in peacekeeping. Europe would have to live with the immediate consequences of a deal.

The Defense Minister regretted that Donald Trump had already publicly made concessions to the Russian president before the negotiations had even begun: “It would have been better to talk about NATO membership or territorial losses at the negotiating table and not take them off the table.”

Kallas: Dirty deal does not work

Kaja Kallas, who was at the NATO headquarters for the working lunch with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umjerow at noon, expressed a similar view: “It is clear that a deal behind our backs will not work,” said the EU foreign policy chief: “The Ukrainians will resist and we will support them in this.” A quick deal is a dirty deal that will not stop the killing.

Ukraine and Europe must therefore be part of a peace agreement. Nothing should be taken off the table before negotiations have even begun. This is only to Vladimir Putin’s advantage: “Why give him everything before negotiations have even begun?” Appeasement has never worked. NATO membership is also the cheapest security guarantee, emphasized Kallas. Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity were also not a bargaining chip.

Trump took everyone by surprise

Donald Trump had not informed the German government or other EU states in advance about his telephone conversation with Putin. Nobody had been informed in advance, said Pistorius. A few days ago, he had said that he did not expect a US peace plan at the Munich Security Conference. He would listen to Vice-President J.D. Vance’s speech in Munich on Friday and take part in the talks.

Who will sit at the table in the peace negotiations for Europe must be negotiated, said Pistorius. Europe must not allow itself to be divided and must present a united front. However, as the largest economy in Europe and the third largest in the world, it was obvious that Germany would be involved. The SPD politician was asked whether Germany would take part in a peacekeeping force: it was too early for this discussion, replied Pistorius, saying that he did not want to take part in speculation. Much would depend on what kind of peace would be involved.

Pistorius: Not without the USA

How Europe should secure peace in Ukraine without US soldiers and without Article 5 was one of the central questions that needed to be discussed, said Pistorius. “As things stand today, we need the Americans as allies on the European continent in order to be able to guarantee an effective deterrent against Russia,” said the Defense Minister.

This also applies to securing a peace agreement in Ukraine. We could talk about anything, but ending the US deterrent from one day to the next would not be conducive to peace in Europe and the world. He also made this clear to US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during the bilateral talks.

Trump: Putin wants peace

The American put a different emphasis in his statement: He had met Pistorius to discuss the importance of Germany’s leading role in defense spending and future security aid for Ukraine, Hegseth said. In the evening, he rejected the criticism of going it alone. As a dealmaker and leader of the free world, Trump alone would ultimately decide what would and would not be put on the negotiating table. Neither side will get everything, the US President will act according to the principle of carrot and stick.

Trump himself appeared confident on Thursday with regard to Putin: “Yes, I think he wants peace,” he said. “I think he would tell me if he didn’t.”

With regard to NATO and the focus on the Indo-Pacific, Hegseth denied that the USA wanted to withdraw from Europe. On the contrary, Donald Trump wants to make NATO great again.

Three trillion US dollars

Bloomberg put the cost of Trump’s peace plan for Europe at three trillion US dollars. Pistorius emphasized that it would be naive to believe that the threat to the West would diminish after a peace agreement in Ukraine. Putin is constantly provoking and constantly attacking the West in a hybrid manner.

“We will have to invest faster and more heavily in our capabilities,” said Pistorius. Peace can only be secured from a position of strength. He warned that there should not be any prohibitions on thinking in terms of financing. For example, the German debt brake must be modernized and the EU must adapt the Maastricht criteria when it comes to investments in security and defense. The next German government will have to position itself very quickly and coordinate with its partners.

CDU/CSU about to rethink

In view of Trump’s policies, the CDU/CSU is also increasingly realizing that the necessary increases in expenditure for the Bundeswehr cannot be financed from the current federal budget. Especially as a peace deal could require the deployment of German soldiers for a possible peacekeeping force in Ukraine.

A new federal government under the leadership of Friedrich Merz could therefore push for a limited relaxation of the debt brake (or, less likely, a new special fund). Merz recently did not rule this out during the TV duel with Olaf Scholz, provided that potential coalition partners would support savings in other areas of the budget. However, taking on European debt, for example in the form of defense bonds, would only be a last resort, according to Berlin. With Till Hoppe

Gas storage: BMWK wants to weaken EU targets

By

Manuel Berkel

In view of the rise in gas prices, there is growing resistance to the EU’s 2022 storage targets. Member states must fill their storage facilities to 90 percent by November 1 in order to guarantee the security of supply for the coming winter. Interim targets will apply for each state starting in February. However, following a meeting of the Gas Coordination Group on Thursday morning with representatives from the national ministries, the German government spoke openly in favor of more flexibility for the first time.

“We support less rigid storage level requirements. The European Commission has promised to remedy this situation,” a spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Economics told Table Briefings this afternoon. More flexibility could ensure that there is a “normalization of market conditions”.

Negative summer-winter spread could cost EUR 1.5 billion

The price of gas has doubled within a year to almost 60 euros per megawatt hour. Unlike usual, the prices for the summer are even higher than those for the following winter; the so-called summer-winter spread is negative. Gas experts have therefore been warning for months that there are no market incentives to fill the storage facilities next summer.

As a consequence, the German market area manager THE might have to use state funds again to meet the storage targets through tenders. With a spread of five euros, experts are talking about costs of 1.5 billion euros or more. Although this would be far less than in the crisis summer of 2022, it would still be painful given the tight budget situation.

Commission reluctant to make changes

One way to avoid the expense would be to lower the storage targets – albeit with possible consequences for the security of supply. Those in favor of more flexibility include, above all, countries with large storage facilities. “We have large gas storage facilities that contribute to energy security, but we need to be able to avoid negative price effects,” said a spokesperson for the Slovakian government on Thursday. Italy and the Netherlands are also said to be among the supporters.

However, the Commission’s willingness to take remedial action, which the BMWK refers to, apparently does not relate to the current year. “The Commission does not want to change the filling path for 2025,” a source familiar with the matter reported after the Gas Coordination Group meeting. According to Bloomberg, the Commission only wants to act if the member states deviate substantially and permanently from the storage targets. There is already the possibility that the 90 percent target will not be reached until Dec. 1 and a deviation of five percentage points is possible for the interim targets.

Extend gas storage regulation until 2027

The Commission wants to extend the Gas Storage Regulation, which expires at the end of 2025, by two years. This is intended to serve as a bridge until a comprehensive reform of the legal framework for European energy security, another source explained. An initial proposal is expected in the third quarter, with the process to be completed next year.

An extension of the gas storage regulation, on the other hand, would possibly have to be decided by the Council again in an emergency procedure without the consent of Parliament. According to a third source, German government representatives have asked the Commission to present a draft for the extension as soon as possible so that the member states can discuss it. According to Bloomberg, the Commission wants to do this at the beginning of March.

Gas price cap not planned

The markets reacted with relief on Thursday. The gas price for the following month fell by more than eight percent to 51 euros per megawatt hour. However, Gasunie manager Martien Visser wrote on Bluesky that he only saw a limited connection with the discussion about filling levels. Gas prices have fallen across the board, including for next winter and the coming years – albeit to a lesser extent. Bloomberg referred to the talks between the USA and Russia. They are fueling expectations that Russian gas could perhaps flow into the EU again in the future.

The gas and finance industries had already warned on Tuesday that the Commission could propose a price cap in its action plan for affordable energy prices. However, a Commission official contradicted this on Thursday: “A price cap for gas is not in the pipeline.”

Another discussion is the role of financial speculators in pricing for the summer. Several market experts report that institutional investors have bought an unusually large number of derivatives for the summer and have speculated on gas procurement by the state.

Rumors about the role of speculators

A contrary explanation for the high prices that is being circulated is that an unusually high number of LNG export terminal maintenance projects have been announced for next summer. Since 2022, political pressure has been high to postpone such work in order to stabilize prices. However, many maintenance works can now no longer be delayed.

“This is currently not an issue for BaFin,” a spokesperson for the financial regulator for derivatives trading told Table.Briefings. The Federal Network Agency points out that storage bookings will be low from the start of the new storage year at the beginning of April and refers to the consequences for the filling levels of the storage facilities. “When contracts for storage capacities booked by customers expire, the gas injected into storage must be withdrawn or sold to other customers of the storage facility,” explained a spokesperson. The BNetzA is closely monitoring the market situation with THE and the BMWK and evaluating options and the need for action.

Trump orders reciprocal tariffs

US President Donald Trump has launched a new round of far-reaching tariffs. These are reciprocal tariffs on goods from various countries, the Republican announced and signed a corresponding order. The details are to be worked out over the coming months.

Reciprocal tariffs basically mean that the US raises tariffs wherever it currently charges less than its trading partners. Trump had emphasized in the past that he wanted to correct the trade imbalance with these tariffs and accused other countries of treating the United States unfairly. The White House made it clear in advance that it would be targeting other trade barriers. These included taxes for American companies, such as value-added taxes, state subsidies or regulations that prevent US companies from doing business abroad.

Exact countries to be determined

The new tariffs will not come into force immediately. Instead, the responsible authorities will have 180 days to identify the affected countries and impose country-specific tariffs on this basis, according to a high-ranking Trump advisor. The countries with the highest trade deficits will be targeted first. The countries affected are invited to negotiate with US President Trump in order to avert the US tariffs. However, tariffs could also come into force before the deadline, the advisor said.

The Trump adviser emphasized that it does not matter whether the planned tariffs are aimed at strategic competitors such as China or allies such as the European Union, Japan, or Korea.

Trouble over German value-added tax

The US government has now once again referred to cars when discussing the trade deficit with the European Union. Trump is regularly angry about import tariffs. Tariffs of 2.5 percent are due on imports to the USA, but ten percent on imports to Europe. However, the US tariffs are much higher for pickups and commercial vehicles, which are popular in the USA, for example.

However, the high-ranking government representative also emphasized that Washington was also annoyed by the value-added tax that car imports from the USA were additionally subject to. This varies depending on the EU member state; in Germany, it is 19 percent. The fact that Germany sells significantly more cars to the USA than vice versa is certainly not due to a lack of “American craftsmanship or quality”, according to the high-ranking government advisor. That is mercantilism. “President Trump will no longer accept this.” dpa

Vision Agriculture: Commissioner Hansen insists on stricter import rules

EU Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen wants to apply the same strict standards to imported food as those that apply to domestic producers. The Commission will work towards aligning import standards with domestic rules, according to a draft of his vision paper, which is available to Table.Briefings. The Commission intends to submit plans to the Member States before the end of this year. The final text of the vision for agriculture, which is due on Wednesday, is still being agreed within the Commission.

The Commission wants to tighten import standards for pesticides, for example. It will ensure that “the riskiest pesticides, which are banned in the EU for health and environmental reasons, are not allowed back into the EU via imports”. The EU already bans residues of individual pesticides that cannot be used in this country, even in imported products. Hansen now apparently wants to extend this. Conversely, he also wants to stop the export of pesticides banned here to third countries.

When it comes to animal welfare, the Commission also promises to set the same standards for domestic producers and imports in future reforms. For example, in the planned “targeted reform” of EU animal welfare legislation. The monitoring of animal welfare standards in third countries is to be improved – how exactly remains unclear.

The Commission emphasizes that all of this should be done in accordance with WTO rules. In terms of trade law, however, the scope for imposing production methods on other countries is limited. The paper therefore also relies on agreeing higher standards with trading partners, for example within the framework of global standardization bodies. The Commission does not say how it intends to convince the partner countries of this.

Hansen had recently argued time and again that the harmonization of domestic and import standards was a way to ensure the competitiveness of domestic agriculture despite the Mercosur agreement and free trade with Ukraine. jd

NGT: Polish Council Presidency rows back on patent issue

In the negotiations on the deregulation of new genomic technologies (NGT), the Polish EU Council Presidency has largely backed down on the issue of patents. A new compromise proposal presented to Table.Briefings goes significantly less far than Warsaw’s proposals from January. The latter had met with little approval in the Council and was considered by many to be hardly practicable. The representatives of the member states will discuss the new proposal at a working level for the first time this Friday. It remains to be seen whether Poland will be able to convince a majority.

Instead of wanting to resolve patent issues within the genetic engineering reform, Poland is now primarily relying on the Commission to tackle the issue separately. No later than one year after the new regulation comes into force, the authority is to present a study on the consequences of patents on genetically modified plants for breeders and access to seeds. If necessary, a legislative proposal should resolve any problems identified. The study is to be repeated after four to six years. The Commission itself had promised such a study for 2026, but did not promise that it would be followed by a draft law.

According to the Polish Council Presidency, only transparency measures are to be implemented as part of the reform: Companies wishing to register a plant as NGT-1 would have to disclose in writing which patents it is protected by. They can voluntarily commit to licensing the product under “fair conditions” – what this entails is not defined in detail. The information is to be published in a database. They would not be verified. Commission guidelines are intended to help growers better understand the legal situation.

Poland has also moved away from the idea that NGT-1 plants must be specially labeled if they are patent-protected. The proposal that individual member states could ban the cultivation of such plants on their own territory has also been rejected. jd

AI in the workplace: where EU citizens want rules

A large majority of EU citizens find rules for AI in the workplace somewhat or very important. Overall, around three-quarters of respondents agreed with the various measures. This was the result of a special representative Eurostat survey commissioned by the EU Commission. More than 27,000 EU citizens from all member states were surveyed between April and May.

Approval was particularly high for rules to protect privacy in the workplace. Here, 82% stated that rules on this were important to them. More than half of all EU citizens (54%) even emphasized in the survey that this was “very important” to them.

Other measures also received a high level of approval: For example, the prohibition of completely automated decision-making processes (overall responses “important”: 74 percent), restriction of automated monitoring of employees (72 percent), or the involvement of employees and their representatives in the design and introduction of new technologies (77 percent).

Overall, a majority of EU citizens have a positive view of AI and similar technologies. Two-thirds stated that AI has a positive impact on their current job (66%), while more than half see a positive influence on society (56%). A majority also believe that digital technologies such as AI are good for the economy (62%). However, 66% also believe that AI destroys more jobs than it creates. In addition, the approval ratings for the positive effects of AI have fallen slightly compared to the 2017 survey. lei

Code of conduct for disinformation: Platforms only follow it in part

The Commission and the European Board for Digital Services have officially integrated the voluntary Code of Practice on Countering Disinformation into the legal framework of the Digital Services Act (DSA). This recognition under Article 45 of the DSA allows companies that comply with the Code to demonstrate their actions as risk mitigation strategies under the DSA. All major platforms, with the exception of X, but also civil society organizations and fact-checkers have signed up. However, with restrictions.

The Code was created in 2018 and updated in 2022. It includes obligations in various areas. These include: preventing the spread of disinformation, increasing the transparency of political advertising, and strengthening users’ media literacy. Since June 2022, the number of signatories has risen from 34 to 42.

Not all signatories enter into all commitments

“Europeans deserve a safe online space where they can navigate without being manipulated,” said Commission Vice-President Henna Virkkunen. The transformation into a code of conduct under the Digital Services Act is an important milestone in strengthening the EU regulatory framework in the fight against disinformation.

However, not all participants have signed all 25 commitments, as can be checked in the transparency center of the Code of Practice. For example, Microsoft Bing has rejected five commitments, Meta six, Linkedin seven, TikTok eight, and Google ten. Despite having signed up, companies still have leeway not to support certain measures. This is if they can argue that these do not apply to their platform or are already covered by their own measures.

Microsoft Bing has not committed to any obligations regarding manipulative practices and AI-generated content, as it sees itself as a search engine and not a social media platform.
TikTok has not signed any commitments to political advertising, as the platform generally prohibits such advertising.
Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Whatsapp) has not signed some commitments, including those on monetization and the labeling of political advertising, because the planned EU regulations (EU regulation on the transparency of political advertising) will soon require this anyway.
LinkedIn has not taken on some obligations because it considers itself a professional network with a low risk of disinformation.
Google has not signed certain commitments, particularly in the area of political advertising. The company has decided to withdraw from political advertising in the EU.

Google criticizes excessive effort

Google had already announced in November 2024 that it would no longer place political ads in the EU from October 2025. The company cites the EU’s new transparency regulations as the reason, which would entail considerable operational challenges and legal uncertainties.

Google’s main criticism is the broad definition of political advertising in the regulation, which makes it difficult to reliably identify and manage such ads. This decision means that political advertising, including paid political promotions on YouTube, will no longer run in the EU.

However, Google intends to comply with the other obligations of the DSA. “We will continue to work to ensure that our products and features comply with the DSA,” said a Google spokesperson. vis

Hendrik Wüst: ‘We need a NATO for AI’

In order to be able to use the opportunities and innovative power of artificial intelligence (AI) for the progress of civil society, globally valid guard rails are required. This was the opinion of North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister President Hendrik Wüst (CDU) at the future conference “From coal to AI” at his state representation in Berlin. These guard rails must be developed jointly by Europe and the USA. “Because we still share fundamental values,” said Wüst optimistically. “I firmly believe that we need an alliance of values of the free world for AI,” he continued. “We need a NATO for AI.”

In his speech, Wüst emphasized Europe’s crucial role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence. He called for Germany and France to act as key drivers for AI in Europe. The CDU politician emphasized that technological progress requires trust, which is created through clear rules and a robust security architecture in Europe. He warned against becoming dependent on other players in the development of AI. He highlighted France’s announcement to invest 109 billion euros in AI as a positive example. He called for a clear concept for policymakers in Germany in order to set the right framework conditions.

The opportunity to regain competitiveness

Kent Walker, President of Global Affairs and Chief Legal Officer of Google and Alphabet, emphasized that the current time represents a remarkable opportunity. Europe has the chance to regain its competitiveness through new technologies and in a changing security landscape.

He pointed out the challenges that Europe is facing. Referring to Mario Draghi’s report, Walker mentioned that slow technological growth and the regulatory environment in the EU contributed to a “vicious circle of low investment and low innovation”. Walker also emphasized Europe’s strengths, particularly its well-educated workforce, its large market, and its many universities with large numbers of computer science graduates. He proposed an innovation agenda with three priorities: Innovation, infrastructure, and investment.

With regard to regulation, Wüst emphasized that Europe needs a framework for innovation that does not hinder it. Many companies were calling for harmonization and simplification of regulations. Walker argued that AI is too important not to regulate it. But also too important to over-regulate. He praised the EU AI Act as a viable risk approach, but at the same time criticized some aspects of the new AI Code of Practice. vis

Auto dialog: Social Affairs Commissioner Mînzatu talks to the industry about jobs

At the second working group meeting as part of the Auto dialog, Social Affairs Commissioner Roxana Mînzatu spoke with industry representatives, trade unions and NGOs about changes resulting from the transformation of the labor market. It is expected that the conversion of production to e-cars will lead to job losses in industrial production.

At the same time, new jobs will be created in other areas: Digitalization and the trend towards software-driven vehicles will increase the demand for software engineers. The Commission could, for example, offer an EU-wide assessment of which regions and sectors are facing job losses in order to organize targeted retraining and further training at an early stage.

In the meantime, invitations to further working meetings have gone out:

Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas on charging infrastructure on Feb. 20
Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič on Feb. 21 on trade and raw materials
Industry Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné on supply chains on Feb. 19
Digital Commissioner Henna Virkkunen on digitalization on Feb. 17 mgr

‘Historic’ strike against social cuts in Belgium

Shortly after the new right-wing liberal federal government in Brussels took office, Belgium is facing a massive wave of protests. On Thursday, a nationwide strike largely paralyzed public life. The trade unions have even announced a general strike for March 31.

With the demonstrations, which began before the government was formed, employee representatives want to protest against what they see as the anti-social policies of the “Arizona” coalition under right-wing Prime Minister Bart De Wever. The movement is also partly directed against the EU Commission’s guidelines. The new government wants to abolish old pension privileges and penalize early retirement with deductions. However, those who work longer are to receive a bonus. In addition, unemployment benefits are to be limited to two years. For Belgium, this is tantamount to a revolution.

According to the police, around 60,000 people took to the streets in Brussels on Thursday to protest against these and other reforms, for example in the healthcare system. The trade unions spoke of 100,000; this was “historic”. There were disruptions at the airport in particular, where all flights were canceled due to a strike by air traffic controllers.

Riots broke out on the fringes of the rally. They were mainly directed against the seat of the liberal governing party MR (Mouvement Réformateur), which had initiated many reforms. Liberal Education Minister David Clarinval was asked by the police to disguise himself in order to enter parliament unharmed.

Prime Minister De Wever had to face harsh criticism from the opposition. Belgian workers had never had their pockets picked so deeply, said Socialist MP Sophie Thémont. De Wever was planning a “social clear-cutting”. The Greens and Communists expressed similar views.

The government defended its program. The minimum wage will be increased and automatic compensation for wage inflation is guaranteed, it said. There is no alternative to austerity, De Wever emphasized. “We run the risk of having the highest budget deficit in the whole of Europe,” he said. The reforms were indispensable. The new prime minister estimates that it will take ten years to restructure the highly indebted country, i.e. at least two legislative periods. The EU Commission has granted the government a reprieve until mid-March to present a draft budget that complies with the new European debt rules. ebo

Work program: Abolition of the time change not yet off the table

The abolition of the time change in Europe is still up for debate. In the draft of its work program for 2025, the Commission had noted that it did not want to pursue the proposal for a directive to abolish the time change (Table.Briefings reported). In the final version of the work program from Wednesday, there has now been a short-term change: the directive is now listed among all those proposals that have not yet been withdrawn – but it is possible that this will still happen.

A Commission spokesperson points out that both the European Parliament and the Council now have the opportunity to comment on the matter. “We will carefully consider their opinions and take them into account when deciding whether to withdraw the proposed draft legislation.” It is therefore quite possible that the lively debate that has been going on for many years, particularly in Germany, will continue for the time being. sas

Lidl boycott – Bulgarians boycott western supermarket chains

Hristo Stoickov is the most world-famous of the living Bulgarians. In the 1990s, he won the European Cup with FC Barcelona and was awarded the Ballon d’Or. Today, “Kamata”, as his friends call him, flickers into Bulgarian living rooms every evening from the television. As a friendly older gentleman, he strolls through a Kaufland store and tries to persuade Bulgarians that “the price makes the game”.

However, he has a credibility problem with this. Many of his viewers suspect that retail chains from the West, such as Kaufland, Lidl and Billa, are fleecing billions in profits at their expense and transferring them to their home countries. Critical consumers therefore declared Feb. 13, 2025 as Boycott Day. They no longer want to tolerate the fact that some goods are more expensive in Bulgarian supermarkets than in German ones, even though the Germans earn around three times as much as they do.

Consumer strikes in more countries

With their boycott, the Bulgarians are joining a whole series of other Balkan people. Croats, Bosnians, Serbs, Romanians, and others have already gone on consumer strike in protest against alleged usury. They have caused their retail chains to lose revenue for at least one day. The Greeks are already waiting in the wings to give their supermarkets the cold shoulder on Feb. 19, 2025.

The people’s anger is opening up a new field for Bulgaria’s political leadership to raise its profile. The left is taking the side of the little people in solidarity and demanding government action in their favor. The economic liberals insist on economic common sense, according to which political interference in the market can only be counterproductive. This economic controversy has also affected the right-left coalition that has been in power for a month. Conservative Prime Minister Rossen Scheljaskov rejects the introduction of price caps. His socialist Social Affairs Minister advocates price regulation.

The boycott against the retail chains is like a signal for the battle to join the eurozone. Its advocates hope that it will stimulate economic development in what is literally the poorest country in the EU. According to opinion polls, however, the majority of Bulgarians reject joining the eurozone because they fear it will make their everyday lives even more expensive.

EUROPE.TABLE EDITORIAL OFFICE

Till
Hoppe

Sarah
Schaefer

Lukas
Knigge

Corinna
Visser

Markus
Grabitz

Alina
Leimbach

Eric
Bonse

Manuel
Berkel

Stephan
Israel

Claire
Stam

János
Allenbach-Ammann

Feature

Ukraine war: Europeans warn of dirty deal and demand a say

Pistorius: Europe not at the cat’s table

Kallas: Dirty deal does not work

Trump took everyone by surprise

Pistorius: Not without the USA

Trump: Putin wants peace

Three trillion US dollars

CDU/CSU about to rethink

Gas storage: BMWK wants to weaken EU targets

Negative summer-winter spread could cost EUR 1.5 billion

Commission reluctant to make changes

Extend gas storage regulation until 2027

Gas price cap not planned

Rumors about the role of speculators

EU-Monitoring

News

Trump orders reciprocal tariffs

Exact countries to be determined

Trouble over German value-added tax

Vision Agriculture: Commissioner Hansen insists on stricter import rules

NGT: Polish Council Presidency rows back on patent issue

AI in the workplace: where EU citizens want rules

Code of conduct for disinformation: Platforms only follow it in part

Not all signatories enter into all commitments

Google criticizes excessive effort

Hendrik Wüst: ‘We need a NATO for AI’

The opportunity to regain competitiveness

Auto dialog: Social Affairs Commissioner Mînzatu talks to the industry about jobs

‘Historic’ strike against social cuts in Belgium

Accusations of social austerity

Work program: Abolition of the time change not yet off the table

Dessert

Lidl boycott – Bulgarians boycott western supermarket chains

Consumer strikes in more countries

Europe.Table Editorial Team

EUROPE.TABLE EDITORIAL OFFICE

Feature

Ukraine war: Europeans warn of dirty deal and demand a say

Pistorius: Europe not at the cat’s table

Kallas: Dirty deal does not work

Trump took everyone by surprise

Pistorius: Not without the USA

Trump: Putin wants peace

Three trillion US dollars

CDU/CSU about to rethink

Gas storage: BMWK wants to weaken EU targets

Negative summer-winter spread could cost EUR 1.5 billion

Commission reluctant to make changes

Extend gas storage regulation until 2027

Gas price cap not planned

Rumors about the role of speculators

EU-Monitoring

News

Trump orders reciprocal tariffs

Exact countries to be determined

Trouble over German value-added tax

Vision Agriculture: Commissioner Hansen insists on stricter import rules

NGT: Polish Council Presidency rows back on patent issue

AI in the workplace: where EU citizens want rules

Code of conduct for disinformation: Platforms only follow it in part

Not all signatories enter into all commitments

Google criticizes excessive effort

Hendrik Wüst: ‘We need a NATO for AI’

The opportunity to regain competitiveness

Auto dialog: Social Affairs Commissioner Mînzatu talks to the industry about jobs

‘Historic’ strike against social cuts in Belgium

Accusations of social austerity

Work program: Abolition of the time change not yet off the table

Dessert

Lidl boycott – Bulgarians boycott western supermarket chains

Consumer strikes in more countries

Europe.Table Editorial Team

EUROPE.TABLE EDITORIAL OFFICE

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