Following last week’s imposition by the US of a 20-percent tariff on all European products, as part of a wider package of global levies, EU foreign affairs ministers responsible will meet in Luxembourg on Monday (7 April).
Ministers are expected to discuss ways to find “a constructive solution” over the US tariffs, but also potential countermeasures to protect Europe's interests, a senior EU diplomat said.
France and other countries such as Austria are in favour of hitting US tech firms as part of the bloc's response to Donald Trump's tariffs, while Ireland — home to many US tech giants such as Facebook, Google and Apple — is reluctant to such a move.
Meanwhile, Germany has argued that all options are on the table.
Talks will also continue over the list compiled by the EU Commission of American products that could be hit with tariffs, alongside countermeasures on US steel and aluminium duties.
This comes after 25-percent US tariffs came into force on steel and aluminium imports, at an estimated annual cost to the EU economy of around $28bn [€25.7bn].
The meeting aims to bring unity, amid fears over US attempts to reach unilateral deals with individual EU countries.
Moreover, EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is also expected to debrief ministers on his recent three-day visit to China.
In late March, Šefčovič said on social media that it was necessary to ensure the EU-China "relationship is based on a level playing field, in terms of trade flows as well as investment, with symmetrical markets opening”.
And in the wake of Trump’s tariffs last week, Brussels and Beijing agreed to restart talks on minimum price commitment on Chinese EVs, according to China’s commerce ministry.
Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is also expected to meet representatives of the automobile, steel and pharmaceutical sectors this week.
Meanwhile, defence spending needs and financial markets will be discussed at the informal meeting of EU ministers for economic and financial affairs (with central bank governors), taking place on Friday (11 April) and Saturday (12 April) in Warsaw.
The eurogroup will also meet in the Polish capital on Friday.
Also this week, a new round of negotiations under the EU-Ukraine Association Council will take place on Wednesday (9 April).
During the meeting in Brussels, Kyiv is expected to call on the commission to extend the suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukrainian exports — which are set to expire on 5 June — until the end of the year.
Duties on products from Ukraine had been suspended since June 2022 following Russia’s invasion — in a bid to support the beleaguered and cash-strapped Ukrainian economy. But, following unilateral bans by Ukraine's neighbours in 2023, the EU moved to revise trade benefits, and tightened the ceiling for tariff-free imports for a number of "sensitive goods".
In parallel, there will be an EU-Ukraine business summit this week focused on the current business climate in Ukraine.
Also on Wednesday, the commission will present the AI Continent Action Plan, aiming to boost Europe’s AI ecosystem through AI factories.
On Monday, MEPs in the internal market committee will hold an exchange with the commissioner for tech, Henna Virkkunen. The following day, they will hear from justice commissioner Michael McGrath and industry commissioner Stéphane Séjourné.
On Wednesday, McGrath will return to address MEPs in the same committee on the European Democracy Shield, which focuses on foreign interference and its impact on democratic systems.
The rule of law conditionality mechanism, the European Defence Industry Programme, and Ukraine will be on the agenda of the budget committee, meeting on both Monday and Thursday (10 April).
On Tuesday (8 April), EU commissioner for international relations Jozef Síkela will speak to MEPs in the development committee. The session will also cover the recent earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand, as well as developments in South Sudan and Lebanon.
That same morning, competition and Green Deal commissioner Teresa Ribera will join the economic and monetary affairs committee for an exchange of views, followed in the evening by financial services commissioner Maria Luís Albuquerque.
MEPs will also discuss the digital euro with a member of the executive board of the European Central Bank.
Still on Tuesday, environment commissioner Jessika Roswall will appear before the environment committee.
Meanwhile, agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen and health commissioner Olivér Várhelyi will attend the agriculture committee meeting on the same day.
Elena is EUobserver's editor-in-chief. She is from Spain and has studied journalism and new media in Spanish and Belgian universities. Previously she worked on European affairs at VoteWatch Europe and the Spanish news agency EFE.
Elena is EUobserver's editor-in-chief. She is from Spain and has studied journalism and new media in Spanish and Belgian universities. Previously she worked on European affairs at VoteWatch Europe and the Spanish news agency EFE.