\Brussels, April 14, 2025 (Lusa) - Portuguese Socialist MEP Bruno Gonçalves proposed on Monday, in a letter to the President of the European Commission, the creation of a tax in the European Union (EU) on technology giants, following the "aggressive tariffs" in the US.
"The Commission should be prepared to propose a common tax on digital services in the EU," said the PS MEP in his letter to Ursula Von der Leyen, signed by more than 40 MEPs from all political groups except the far right.
"Can we expect such a proposal in the context of the [US President Donald] Trump administration's aggressive ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs and/or the recent exchange of views between EU heads of state and government on new own resources, as mentioned in the most recent European Council conclusions?" asked Bruno Gonçalves in the letter, to which Lusa had access.
In December 2020, the EU committed to establishing a digital tax as a new own resource, but this approach was abandoned following a multilateral solution within the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) for a global minimum level of corporate taxation.
The missive came at a time of heightened trade tensions following Donald Trump's announcements to impose 25% tariffs on European steel, aluminium and cars and 20% reciprocal tariffs on the EU bloc, the latter of which have since been suspended for 90 days.
This suspension calmed the markets, which had been experiencing serious losses, and was welcomed and supported by the EU, which suspended, for the same period, the 25% tariffs on US products that it had approved on Wednesday in response to those applied by the United States to European steel and aluminium.
At the end of last week, in an interview published in the British newspaper the Financial Times, Ursula von der Leyen announced that she would impose tariffs on US digital companies if an agreement couldn't be reached in 90 days to reduce Donald Trump's wave of tariffs against Europe.
The European Commission, which is responsible for trade policy in the EU, has opted for caution and this caution is supported by countries like Portugal.
In this 90-day pause, Brussels wants to be able to negotiate with Washington, having already proposed zero tariffs for industrial goods in trade between the two blocs.
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Lusa
