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Posted on 08/01/2025 11:02:12 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
How the European Union became the world’s regulatory superpower.
In a world where global power is measured by military strength, technological innovation, or cultural influence, it is striking that the European Union, without housing major tech giants or centers of disruptive innovation, has turned bureaucracy into a tool of global power. It shapes the behavior of global companies, including American big tech firms, which adapt their products to comply with European norms. This phenomenon is known as the “Brussels Effect” and has positioned the EU as the world’s regulatory superpower, fueling growing tensions, particularly with the United States following the re-election of Donald Trump.
The European market comprises 450 million consumers with significant purchasing power, making it an essential destination for global companies. However, access to this attractive market comes with detailed regulations based on the precautionary principle, ostensibly prioritizing consumer and environmental protection, and enforced by an efficient bureaucracy capable of implementing and enforcing rules with precision. This combination encourages companies to align their global operations with European standards, as maintaining different product versions for each region is costly and complex. In practice, this exports European standards worldwide.
American big tech companies such as Apple, Google, and Meta exemplify the impact of the “Brussels Effect,” as they face the requirements of legislations like the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA). These laws have forced companies to overhaul their business models, often at high cost and with significant implications. The DMA, for instance, forced Apple to allow alternative app stores and third-party payment systems on iOS, leading the company to announce, in 2024, global changes to its app policy affecting users even outside Europe, with cost estimates in the billions of dollars to restructure its infrastructure and...
(Excerpt) Read more at fee.org ...
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The Muscle of Brussels; used to be the nickname for
Jean Claude Van Damme, a Belgian martial artist who has made a string of B’ Level action films.
A Dutch version of Steven Seagal, if you will.
Buyin’ bread from a man in Brussels
He was six-foot-four and full of muscle
I said, “Do you speak-a my language?”
He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich
I read it as The Mussel of Brussels at first.
Oh him, that guy who is said to be ‘as happy as a Clam!’
Brussels could do with a 1793 style of cleansing.
These noodle-arm Brussels simps wouldn’t last one minute in a firefight. Europeans need to remove them before the Mohammadans do it.
The eurotrash just need to remember that there are plenty of places with more resources and people that are sh!tholes, and it’s not a long trip there.
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