Bart M.J. Szewczyk

On July 27, the United States and the European Union announced a trade framework agreement, following a meeting between President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The deal avoided imposition of a 30% reciprocal U.S. tariff on EU goods that was set to take effect August 1, and a potential EU countermeasure targeting up to €93 billion in U.S. exports, scheduled for August 7 ( ., Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1564).

On July 18, 2024, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, was reconfirmed by the European Parliament for a second five-year term. As part of the process, she delivered a speech before the Parliament, complemented by a 30-page program, which outlines the Commission’s political guidelines and priorities for the next five years. The guidelines introduce a series of forthcoming legislative proposals across many policy areas, including on defence and technology security.

In early March, the EU released its first-ever European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS), accompanied by a proposed regulation establishing the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP). The aim is to boost defense capabilities in Europe through greater and more efficient spending.