BRUSSELS: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed making Ukraine an &quot;associate member&quot; of the EU without voting rights, while Kyiv goes through the lengthy process of joining fully, a letter seen by AFP Thursday said. The plan -- first floated by Merz with EU counterparts last month -- would see Ukraine&#39;s leader attend the bloc&#39;s summit but not be able to cast a vote. Kyiv would have a representative at the top table of the EU&#39;s executive, the European Commission, and non-voting members of the European parliament. Under the proposal, outlined by Merz in a letter to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/eu-imports-of-russian-gas-highest-since-ukraine-invasion-report" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">EU chiefs</a>&nbsp;Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, the bloc&#39;s mutual assistance clause would apply to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/kyiv-says-russia-has-returned-528-bodies-to-ukraine" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ukraine</a>, and it could benefit from parts of the EU&#39;s budget. &quot;It is obvious that we will not be able to complete the accession process shortly, given the countless hurdles as well as the political complexities of ratification processes,&quot; Merz wrote. &quot;What I envisage is a political solution that brings Ukraine substantially closer to the European Union and its core institutions immediately.&quot; Ukraine is pushing to speed up its bid to join the 27-nation European Union as it fights Russia&#39;s invasion on the battlefield. &#39;Full member&#39; Kyiv&#39;s progress was blocked by Hungary&#39;s nationalist former premier Viktor Orban, but his ouster by rival Peter Magyar has raised hopes Kyiv could now move forward. Merz&#39;s plan could face skepticism from both Germany&#39;s EU counterparts and from Ukraine. Kyiv is desperate to keep up momentum towards joining the bloc and fears that any suggested interim solutions will see it stranded in a halfway house. The German leader insisted he still wants Ukraine to eventually become a &quot;full member&quot; and urged launching &quot;all negotiation clusters&quot; immediately. &quot;It would not be a membership light,&quot; he wrote. Ukraine sees membership of the EU as vital to its future recovery and security, as the United States has essentially closed the door on it joining NATO.

Europe

Ukraine sees membership of the EU as vital to its future recovery and security, as the United States has essentially closed the door on it joining NATO.

Germany's Merz pitches making Ukraine EU 'associate member'

BRUSSELS: The European Union was expected Monday to agree new sanctions on Israeli settlers over violence against Palestinians, the bloc&#39;s top diplomat said, as a change of government in Hungary ends months of blockage.. &quot;I expect political agreement on the sanctions on violent settlers, hopefully we will get there,&quot; EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ahead of a meeting of the bloc&#39;s foreign ministers. The move in response to rising violence and settlement expansion in the Israeli-occupied West Bank had been stalled by former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban. But nationalist leader and Israel ally&#39;s ouster by rival Peter Magyar now appears to have paved the way for the veto to be lifted. EU officials said seven settlers or settler organisations were set to be blacklisted. The bloc was also set to sanction representatives from Palestinian militant group Hamas. The occupied West Bank has been gripped by almost daily violence since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, involving both Israeli troops and settlers. There has been a surge in deadly attacks by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank since the start of the Iran war on February 28, Palestinian officials and the United Nations have said. While the EU is moving ahead with the sanctions on Israeli settlers, there remains no consensus among the bloc&#39;s member states to take further steps against Israel such as curbing trade ties.

Middle East

EU foreign ministers are expected to approve sanctions on violent Israeli settlers and Hamas figures, after Hungary’s new government lifted its veto amid escalating West Bank violence and settlement expansion

EU expected to agree long-stalled sanctions on Israeli settlers: Kallas

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Friday that he will hike US tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union next week, charging that the bloc is not complying with an earlier trade deal. The pact, which was struck last summer, had capped the US tariff on EU autos and parts at 15 percent, which is lower than the 25-percent duty that Trump imposed on many other trading partners. These sector-specific duties were not affected by a Supreme Court ruling earlier in the year that struck down a swath of Trump&#39;s global levies. But the US leader said Friday: &quot;Based on the fact the European Union is not complying with our fully agreed to Trade Deal, next week I will be increasing Tariffs charged to the European Union for Cars and Trucks coming into the United States.&quot; &quot;The Tariff will be increased to 25%,&quot; he wrote on his Truth Social platform. Trump did not say how believed the EU is failing to live up the trade deal or give a further reason for the planned hike. But the announcement came a day after his renewed criticism of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Trump told Merz to focus on ending the Ukraine war instead of &quot;interfering&quot; on Iran. Germany would likely be hit hard by a sharp tariff on cars and parts, as it is responsible for a significant amount of EU auto exports. In late March, EU lawmakers gave their green light to the bloc&#39;s tariff deal with Trump, but with conditions. While many EU lawmakers agreed to cut EU tariffs on some US imports, as a first step towards implementing the 2025 deal, they also sought additional safeguards. While the European Parliament has given its conditional approval to the EU-US trade pact, before the deal is implemented by the bloc, it still needs to be negotiated with EU states. In April, EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic was in Washington to meet with counterparts including US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and trade envoy Jamieson Greer. At the time, he said that the EU was also seeking more progress in easing the effects of still-steep US steel tariffs, adding that talks were going in a positive direction. The United States is the second largest market for new EU vehicle exports, after the United Kingdom, according to a 2025 fact sheet by the European Automobile Manufacturers&#39; Association. Over a fifth of EU vehicle exports went to the United States. Germany alone exported some 450,000 vehicles to the United States in 2024, according to the VDA industry group. But that figure has since slipped.

Taxation

Business

Donald Trump says the United States will raise tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union to 25 percent, citing non-compliance with a trade deal.

Trump says will raise US tariffs on EU cars, trucks to 25%

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar spoke by phone with EU Vice President and High Representative Kaja Kallas on Wednesday, discussing the evolving regional situation and its wider economic implications. According to the Foreign Office, the two sides reviewed recent regional developments and stressed the importance of continued dialogue and diplomatic engagement. Kallas appreciated Pakistan&rsquo;s &ldquo;constructive and facilitative role&rdquo; in promoting regional peace and stability, the statement said. Dar reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to supporting dialogue and engagement, saying Islamabad would continue its efforts to reduce tensions and encourage peaceful solutions. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2049762340116353403&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=04e0aaccf35584dbdd98f5f0c9c8cbbc73cb1743&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 770px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div> The discussion also covered Pakistan-EU economic cooperation.&nbsp; DPM Dar welcomed the recent successful convening of the EU-Pakistan Business Forum in Islamabad, saying the platform had helped strengthen partnerships and open&nbsp;new opportunities for businesses on both sides. The forum was described as an important step in expanding trade, investment and private-sector linkages between Pakistan and the European Union. Both Dar and Kallas agreed to remain in close contact as diplomatic efforts continue.

Foreign Affairs

Ishaq Dar and EU’s Kaja Kallas discussed regional developments, economic implications and peace efforts, while reaffirming dialogue, stronger Pakistan-EU business ties and continued diplomatic contact.

Pakistan DPM Dar discusses regional situation with EU VP Kallas 

BRUSSELS: The EU said on Wednesday that Meta is failing to prevent children under 13 from using Facebook and Instagram, potentially exposing them to inappropriate content -- and putting the tech giant at risk of a massive fine. The European Union has in recent months stepped up efforts to protect children online, with several member countries considering social media bans for under-16s. The EU executive is also exploring a possible bloc-wide age limit on social media after coming under intense pressure to take broader action, following Australia&#39;s groundbreaking ban on the use of such platforms by under-16s. In its latest move to enhance protections for children online, the EU said a probe found Meta had broken digital content rules and told the US firm to &quot;strengthen&quot; its measures to prevent, detect and remove under-13s on Facebook and Instagram. Under Meta&#39;s own terms and conditions, the minimum age to access the social media platforms is 13. In its preliminary view, the EU found Meta had ineffective measures to enforce its own age restrictions. &quot;Terms and conditions should not be mere written statements, but rather the basis for concrete action to protect users -- including children,&quot; said EU tech tsar Henna Virkkunen. If the regulator&#39;s views on Meta are confirmed, the EU can impose a fine of up to 6% of the company&#39;s worldwide annual turnover. Meta disagreed with the EU&#39;s findings. &quot;We&#39;re clear that Instagram and Facebook are intended for people aged 13 and older, and we have measures in place to detect and remove accounts from anyone under that age,&quot; a Meta spokesperson said, adding the company would continue to engage with the EU. Ongoing Meta probeThe EU has vowed to ensure Big Tech gets to grips with the many online dangers for children. In February, it gave the unprecedented warning to China&#39;s TikTok to change its &quot;addictive design&quot; or risk heavy fines. Wednesday&#39;s preliminary findings against Meta come after the EU opened an investigation in May 2024 under the Digital Services Act (DSA), an online content law that has been fiercely criticized by US President Donald Trump&#39;s administration. The DSA is part of reinforced legal weaponry adopted by the EU in recent years to curb what Brussels describes as Big Tech&#39;s excesses. European regulators found Meta had &quot;no effective controls&quot; to check if children were simply creating accounts by entering false birth dates. The EU also said Meta&#39;s tool to report the presence of children on Facebook or Instagram was &quot;difficult to use and not effective, requiring up to seven clicks just to access the reporting form&quot;. Meta also &quot;inadequately&quot; identified the risks of children under 13 accessing the apps, and the potential for exposure to &quot;age-inappropriate experiences&quot;. An EU official said the risks to children included &quot;bullying, harassment&quot; and &quot;violent content&quot;. Brussels added that Meta&#39;s risk assessment &quot;contradicts large bodies of evidence&quot; from across the EU, indicating that around 10-12% of under-13s access the platforms. Meta can avoid fines by offering remedies for the breaches. &#39;Addictive&#39; design concerns&nbsp;The May 2024 probe into Meta is wide-ranging. EU regulators are still looking into how Meta protects users&#39; physical and mental well-being, as well as the &quot;addictive&quot; design of Facebook and Instagram. Alongside the EU&#39;s investigations into online platforms, Brussels this month said an EU-developed age-check app was ready to go. During a press conference in Strasbourg, Virkkunen urged EU member states to accelerate the app&#39;s rollout so European citizens can use it by the end of 2026. Wednesday&#39;s moves are part of several measures taken by the EU.

Says Meta failed to stop under-13s using Facebook and Instagram, exposing children to harmful content; company faces possible fines of up to 6% of global turnover.

EU finds Meta failing to keep under-13s off Facebook, Instagram

BRUSSELS: The EU unveiled Wednesday plans to address the energy crisis triggered by the war in the Middle East, including improved monitoring of jet fuel supplies as the prospect of shortages rattles Europe ahead of the summer travel season. Rather than any flagship measures, Brussels outlined recommendations for member states and initiatives to be presented as part of what the European Commission called a &quot;toolbox&quot; to help navigate current and future straits. Here are some of the steps that EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said &quot;will bring both immediate and more structural relief measures to European citizens and businesses&quot;. Jet fuel&nbsp;The commission said it would establish a &quot;fuel observatory&quot; to track EU production, imports, exports and stock levels of transport fuels. While Brussels has said there is currently no evidence of &quot;actual shortages&quot;, focus will initially be on aviation fuels. The commission will coordinate with member states, fuel suppliers, airports and airlines on the sourcing of alternative jet fuel supply and propose measures to optimise its distribution across the bloc to ensure availability. About 20% of jet fuel consumed in the 27-nation EU relies on imports via the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed by the war. Next month, the EU will also issue guidance on &quot;flexibilities&quot; allowed by current rules on the handling of airport slots and of anti-tankering -- provisions limiting how much fuel a plane can take off with -- as well as public service obligations. EU transport chief Apostolos Tzitzikostas said Tuesday that Brussels was also considering importing more jet fuel from the US and requiring member states to hold minimum reserves. Gas and fertilizers&nbsp;The EU said it would coordinate both gas storage filling to avoid price hikes and, as for jet fuels, any possible oil stock releases that might become necessary. It suggested that nations consider filling gas tanks a little less than usual, up to 80% of capacity rather than 90%, and added that it could further lower the threshold to 75% if needed. Since the beginning of US and Israeli strikes against Iran, the EU has spent an additional 24 billion euros ($28.2 billion ) on energy imports because of higher prices, according to Brussels. For fertilizers, whose prices have also skyrocketed, the EU will present an action plan in May to diversify supplies and support European production. Relaxed rules and best practices&nbsp;The commission will adopt a temporary state aid framework to allow member states more wiggle room to support the &quot;most exposed sectors&quot;. European countries will be able to help heavy industry, agriculture, and fishing, among others. Brussels will share best practices from across the bloc to reduce energy consumption and speed the uptake of renewables, such as incentives for heat pumps and solar energy. By the summer, it will present an &quot;electrification action plan&quot; to further accelerate &quot;the shift to homegrown clean energy&quot;, which is to include a new &quot;electrification target&quot;. The commission said it would propose a review of production criteria for renewable hydrogen to speed up the development of hydrogen-based alternative fuels such as Sustainable Aviation electro-Fuels (eSAF).

France's Government Spokesperson and junior Minister for Energy and Digital economy Maud Bregeon speaks next to France’s junior Minister for Public Accounts David Amiel during a press conference following the weekly cabinet meeting at the Elysee President

Rather than any flagship measures, Brussels outlined recommendations for member states and initiatives to be presented as part of what the European Commission called a "toolbox" to help navigate current and future straits.

EU unveils plans to tackle energy crisis

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, urged stronger cooperation between the United Nations and the European Union in a statement at a UN Security Council meeting on the EU&#39;s partnership with the UN, saying deeper collaboration had become strategically vital at a time of mounting global instability. According to the ambassador&rsquo;s statement released by Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, he said the widening geopolitical divide was putting growing strain on multilateralism and pushing the rules-based international order towards a dangerous tipping point. The ambassador said Pakistan valued the EU&rsquo;s longstanding support for multilateralism, international law and the UN Charter, and welcomed its continued commitment to working with the UN as the central pillar of international cooperation. The statement said the ambassador warned that strategic competition was increasingly replacing cooperation at a time when the world most needed collective action to bridge development gaps and promote shared prosperity. In that context, he said cooperation between the UN and regional and sub-regional organisations under Chapter VIII of the UN Charter should be treated as a strategic necessity.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2043868463551397947&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin%2F&sessionId=695618f6f280be58ce22ef01cddd46d57957413f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>Referring to the role of regional bodies, the ambassador said organisations such as the EU were important partners in advancing peace and security, sustainable development and human rights. He also recalled Security Council Resolution 2788, adopted during Pakistan&rsquo;s presidency of the Council last July, which recognised the contribution of regional and sub-regional organisations in complementing UN efforts to prevent conflict and encourage peaceful dispute resolution, according to the statement. The statement said Ahmed pointed to ongoing conflicts in West Asia, Europe and the Middle East as evidence that crises no longer remain confined to their immediate geographic areas. He said Pakistan&rsquo;s position remained anchored in the UN Charter and in support for dialogue, de-escalation and peaceful settlement of disputes. The ambassador also expressed appreciation for EU backing for Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic efforts towards a peaceful outcome in West Asia. On Palestine, the ambassador said the EU remained a significant diplomatic and humanitarian actor and acknowledged its support for a just and lasting two-state solution in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions, the statement said. He added that the bloc could play a greater role in efforts to ease Palestinian suffering and advance Palestinian rights, including self-determination and statehood. The statement said the ambassador also voiced hope for a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Ukraine and highlighted a range of global challenges disproportionately affecting the Global South, including food insecurity, freshwater scarcity, energy volatility, supply chain disruption, pandemics, climate change and natural disasters. He further praised EU support for the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement, humanitarian assistance and reform of the international financial system, while also commending EU-UN cooperation in peacekeeping and peacebuilding, according to the statement. Highlighting bilateral ties, Ahmad said the EU was Pakistan&rsquo;s largest trade and investment partner and described the GSP Plus framework as a mutually beneficial model that had supported growth in Pakistan-EU trade, the statement added.

Pakistan’s UN ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad urged stronger UN-EU cooperation at the Security Council, saying global instability, conflict and development challenges require deeper multilateral partnership, while also highlighting Palestine, Ukraine, peacebuilding and Pakistan’s growing economic ties with the bloc.

Pakistan calls for deeper UN-EU partnership at UNSC

CANBERRA: European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese struck a long-awaited free trade deal on Tuesday, compromising to boost exports in the face of global uncertainty over trade. Von der Leyen&#39;s visit to Australia with trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic in tow comes as the 27-nation bloc and the import-reliant nation navigate renewed energy vulnerability sparked by the war in the Middle East. The accord is the latest agreed by Brussels in a push to diversify trade as Europe faces challenges from the United States and China. The two sides also inked an agreement to step up defence cooperation as well as critical raw materials. Addressing the Australian parliament on Tuesday, von der Leyen described a world that was &quot;brutal, harsh and unforgiving&quot;. In that context, she said the EU and Australia were bound by common values and must work together to mitigate over-reliance on countries like China for critical minerals. &quot;We cannot be over dependent on any supplier for such crucial ingredients, and that is precisely why we need each other,&quot; she said. &quot;Our security is your security, and with our new security and defence partnership, we have each other&#39;s back.&quot; She told lawmakers Tuesday&#39;s agreement on trade was a &quot;fair deal, and one that delivers for your businesses and one that delivers for our businesses&quot;. Key sticking points on Australian use of European geographical names and access for Australian beef to Europe were overcome to reach the deal, inked after eight years of negotiations. A compromise will see Australian winemakers allowed to use the term &quot;prosecco&quot; domestically, but stop using it for exports after 10 years. Australia will be allowed to keep using some geographical names, such as feta and gruyere, in cases where producers have used the name for at least five years. European car makers will benefit from Australia raising the threshold for a luxury car tax on electric vehicles -- three-quarters of EVs will now become exempt. Under the trade deal, the EU said it expected exports to Australia to grow by a third over a decade. The quota of Australian beef allowed into the EU will increase more than 10 times the current level over the next decade, although that falls short of the level Australian farmers had been seeking. EU firms exported 37 billion euros ($42.9 billion) of goods to Australia last year, and 31 billion euros of services in 2024. Global uncertaintyAustralia&#39;s largest export market is China, and the United States is its largest source of investment. But Canberra has redoubled efforts to diversify export markets for farmers since a 2020 dispute with Beijing saw agriculture exports blocked for several years, and last year&#39;s global imposition of US trade tariffs. Likewise, the European Union is on a drive to strike new partnerships in the face of US levies and Chinese export controls. Von der Leyen&#39;s visit was overshadowed by the war in the Middle East, which has sent oil prices soaring. In Canberra, International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol warned Monday the world faced an energy crisis not seen in decades if the conflict was not resolved. And von der Leyen this month said the conflict had served as a &quot;stark reminder&quot; of Europe&#39;s vulnerabilities. On Tuesday, she called for an immediate end to hostilities in the Middle East in the face of a &quot;critical&quot; situation for energy supply chains globally. Australia -- which is heavily reliant on fuel from abroad -- has also felt the pressure from the global energy squeeze.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (R) and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese walk through the corridors of Parliament House in Canberra on March 24, 2026. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)

The accord is the latest agreed by Brussels in a push to diversify trade as Europe faces challenges from the United States and China. 

Australia, EU agree to sweeping new trade pact after eight years

BRUSSELS: The EU&#39;s trade chief said Tuesday his US counterparts had told him Washington stands by a key trade deal with the bloc, following an adverse Supreme Court decision on President Donald Trump&#39;s tariffs.&nbsp;After the Supreme Court ruled last week that Trump lacks authority to impose levies under a 1977 law, the US leader responded with fresh tariffs of 10% on imported goods -- which Trump has vowed to hike further to 15%.&nbsp;That raised complex questions about what the new duties mean for the EU deal clinched last year with Trump, which imposed 15% tariffs on most EU goods.&nbsp;&quot;I have been in constant touch with my counterparts, and they both reassured me they stand by the deal with the European Union,&quot; Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic told EU lawmakers.&nbsp;The top trade negotiator also touched on another sensitive topic in transatlantic ties: Trump&#39;s 50% duties on steel and aluminium imports, which the EU has been pushing to bring down.&nbsp;The president expanded levies on the metals in August to include several hundred products that contain steel or aluminium.&nbsp;Sefcovic said he discussed how to address the issue with his US counterparts.&nbsp;&quot;I hope we can find solutions in this matter very soon,&quot; he told the European Parliament&#39;s trade committee.&nbsp;The bloc&#39;s parliament put the EU-US deal on ice Monday as it sought more clarity on the fallout from the Supreme Court ruling, only a day before the committee was due to give its green light.&nbsp;Sefcovic said he understood the body&#39;s decision, but added: &quot;It is imperative we keep the process moving forward in implementing our commitments.&quot;&nbsp;EU member states&#39; representatives in Brussels heard from the EU executive on Monday, and a European diplomat said everyone agreed &quot;a deal is a deal&quot;.&nbsp;The EU executive told senior diplomats that if imports face a blanket 10% levy, pre-existing duties could mean some products are taxed at a higher rate than the trade deal&#39;s 15%.&nbsp;Another concern is that Trump&#39;s new flat levy could apply indifferently to the EU and to countries that made fewer trade concessions to Washington -- and were therefore previously taxed at a much higher rate.&nbsp;&quot;The EU now loses a comparative advantage vis-a-vis other countries, which was what made the deal palatable in the first place,&quot; the diplomat told AFP.

Americas

The EU says US officials reaffirm commitment to last year’s trade deal despite a Supreme Court ruling limiting tariff powers.

US told EU it 'stands' by tariff deal: trade chief

BRUSSELS: Google must provide rival AI services equal access to its features and other search engine platforms access to data, the EU said on Tuesday, as it said it would help the giant over six months to comply with rules.&nbsp;The EU executive said it would launch proceedings to help <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/eu-launches-antitrust-probe-into-googles-data-use-for-ai" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google</a> prepare measures in line with its flagship rulebook, the Digital Markets Act (DMA).&nbsp;Under the DMA, the world&#39;s biggest tech companies must open up to competition to give consumers more options and limit abuses linked to market dominance.&nbsp;US President Donald Trump&#39;s government has railed against the law and its sister content moderation law the Digital Services Act, accusing Brussels of unfairly targeting US firms.&nbsp;The European Commission wants to ensure Google gives rival AI service providers equal access to its Android operating system, and demands the American titan grants competing search engines access to search data.&nbsp;Brussels believes the move will allow rivals &quot;to optimise their services and offer users genuine alternatives to Google Search&quot;.&nbsp;The EU step is not a formal investigation that could lead to fines.&nbsp;But if Brussels is not satisfied with Google&#39;s efforts, it can later conclude the company is not complying.&nbsp;And any DMA violations can lead to fines of up to 10 percent of a company&#39;s total global turnover.&nbsp;&quot;We want to help Google by explaining in more detail how it should comply with its interoperability and online search data sharing obligations under the Digital Markets Act,&quot; EU competition chief Teresa Ribera said in a statement.&nbsp;Google pushed back, insisting Android is open by design.&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;re already licensing search data to competitors under the DMA,&quot; Google&#39;s senior competition counsel Clare Kelly said in a statement.&nbsp;&quot;However, we are concerned that further rules which are often driven by competitor grievances rather than the interest of consumers, will compromise user privacy, security, and innovation.&quot;&nbsp;The commission said it would conclude the proceedings within six months.&nbsp;Google already faces a fine under the DMA for favouring its own services in a probe launched in March 2024.&nbsp;The giant has also been subject to a separate DMA probe since November over suspicions it pushed down news outlets in search results.&nbsp;The scrutiny does not end with the DMA. Google also faces cases under the bloc&#39;s competition rules.&nbsp;In December, the EU said it had opened a probe to assess whether Google breached antitrust rules by using content put online by media and other publishers to train and provide AI services without appropriate compensation.&nbsp;That came after the EU slapped Google with a 2.95-billion-euro ($3.5 billion) fine in September for breaking competition rules.

Artificial Intelligence

The EU told Google to give rival AI and search engines equal access under the Digital Markets Act, launching a six-month compliance process. Non-compliance could trigger major fines, as Google already faces multiple EU probes.

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