EU Is Scrambling to Counter the US’s Clean-Tech Push

Welcome to the Brussels Edition, Bloomberg’s daily briefing on what matters most in the heart of the European Union.

The EU is under pressure to counter the impact of the US’s massive clean-tech package. Eurogroup President Paschal Donohue yesterday urged a debate to evaluate new common instruments. Finance chiefs will also discuss the bloc’s response today, after Competition Chief Margrethe Vestager sent a letter seeking their views on how much Europe should ease state-aid rules. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is also set to address Brussels’ response to Washington’s climate bill in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos today, we’re told. Meanwhile, Trade Chief Valdis Dombrovskis meets with US Trade Representative Katherine Tai later today, but EU officials don’t expect any major concessions from the US and are seeking instead to come up with their own solutions.