U.S. and EU Drop Network Fee Plan, Vow to Cut Digital Trade Barriers

The United States and the European Union issued a joint pledge to tackle what they described as “unjustified digital trade barriers,” signalling a push to ease frictions that hinder cross-border online commerce between the two economies. As part of the understanding, Brussels said it will not move forward with previously floated network-usage fees that would have required large content providers to contribute to the cost of European telecom infrastructure. Washington had criticised the proposal as discriminatory against U.S. technology companies. The two sides also agreed to open talks on rules of origin to ensure that any future trade deal distributes benefits fairly, according to the statement released on 21 August.