Brussels, Dec 24 (IANS) The European Commission on Wednesday strongly condemned a US decision to impose travel restrictions on five European individuals, including former European Commissioner Thierry Breton, warning it would act “swiftly and decisively” to defend the bloc’s regulatory autonomy if needed.
“Freedom of expression is a fundamental right in Europe and a shared core value with the United States across the democratic world,” a Commission spokesperson said in an attributable response to Xinhua.
The spokesperson stressed that the European Union is “an open, rules-based single market,” and retains the sovereign right to regulate economic activity in line with its democratic values and international commitments.
The EU’s digital rules are designed to ensure “a safe, fair, and level playing field for all companies,” and are applied fairly and without discrimination, the spokesperson said, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The Commission has requested clarifications from US authorities and remains engaged, the spokesperson added.
The US State Department issued visa restrictions on five individuals from the EU and Britain in a statement on Tuesday, claiming that they are involved in content censorship on US social media platforms.
Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers later revealed the five names on X, including Breton, whom she claimed was “a mastermind of the Digital Services Act.”
Earlier in the day, French President Emmanuel Macron criticised US visa restrictions against former European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton and four other European figures, calling the measures as “intimidation and coercion” aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty.
“France condemns the visa restriction measures taken by the United States against Thierry Breton and four other European figures. These measures amount to intimidation and coercion aimed at undermining European digital sovereignty. The European Union’s digital regulations were adopted following a democratic and sovereign process by the European Parliament and the Council,” Macron posted on X.
“They apply within Europe to ensure fair competition among platforms, without targetting any third country, and to ensure that what is illegal offline is also illegal online. The rules governing the European Union’s digital space are not meant to be determined outside Europe. Together with the European Commission and our European partners, we will continue to defend our digital sovereignty and our regulatory autonomy,” he added.
–IANS
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