Testing times for Europe as levy deadline looms

With the clock ticking down to the July 9 deadline for the delayed introduction of the United States' tariffs on imports from the European Union, lawmakers in the 27-nation bloc are facing a tense wait to see how negotiations go, and what the economic consequences might be.

US President Donald Trump has consistently talked about the EU in a negative way, saying as long ago as February, before the wider tariff program was unveiled, that the EU "was formed in order to screw the US, ... and they've done a good job of it, but now I'm president".

With the prospect of 50 percent tariffs looming, European authorities are looking for ways to defuse the potential for confrontation, and one area that has reportedly been suggested is that of digital markets.