US warns of trade war over EU laws

The Americans are piling on the pressure over the draft EU Data Protection Regulation, with one US diplomat warning that the planned changes could spark a transatlantic trade war.
The target of this ire is the controversial “right to be forgotten” – a measure that has already been blasted as unworkable by the UK Government and Information Commissioner.
Now John Rodgers, economic officer in the US Foreign Service, has warned that “things could really explode” if the EU sanctions the move.
Speaking at a conference in Berlin, he stressed: “We have a right to privacy in our Constitution, but this does not mean a fundamental right to data protection.” Rodgers called for the EU to build bridges with the US, and establish methods of “mutual recognition”.
The move is the latest twist in the long-running saga of the draft Regulation – first unveiled last January – and goes to show there will be no let up in lobbying. It is said that the US has a dedicated taskforce of around 50 members, in addition to countless lobbying groups already present in Brussels.
Last week it was claimed that the US and UK offensive had started to pay off, with one influential group in Brussels voting to water down many of the harshest measures, and most of the stringent changes demanded by the Germans.
However, there is still a long way – and at least five more votes – to go before the final vote in the summer.
The EU’s Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding – the architect of the new laws – claims she is working “very hard” to ensure the new Regulation will be in the statute book within 12 months.