Brussels edition: Imminent Brexit truce

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Welcome to the Brussels Edition, Bloomberg's daily briefing on what matters most in the heart of the European Union. A truce in the Brexit sausage wars could come today or tomorrow, the EU's lead negotiator told lawmakers in Northern Ireland. "I remain confident that we can find a solution within the next 48 hours that will address both sides' needs and concerns," Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic said. The U.K. has requested a three-month extension on a grace period for checks on chilled meats transported to Northern Ireland from elsewhere in Britain, which is due to expire tomorrow . While the EU has yet to formally respond, granting the request would provide breathing room for a longer-term solution — and avoid a trade war. In another positive development, a fresh spat over post-Brexit fishing rights has been averted for now after the British isle of Jersey extended a transition period for French vessels, allowing them to fish in its waters for three extra months. — Kevin Whitelaw and Peter Flanagan What's Happening Vacation Blow | Europe's tourist destinations took another blow when Portugal and Spain succumbed to EU pressure and imposed new restrictions on U.K. visitors to limit the spread of the delta variant. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged the bloc to coordinate closely and be more cautious about allowing entry to travelers from external countries. Passports Coming | Some 20 EU countries are issuing digital vaccine certificates under the new EU system that's set to go live on July 1. Slovenia and Slovakia joined over the weekend, a Commission spokesman said. Member states that aren't yet live are Cyprus, Hungary, Ireland, Malta, the Netherlands, Romania and Sweden. Rate Split | The European Central Bank is increasingly lonely as it works to support Europe's nascent economic rebound even as counterparts such as the U.S. Federal Reserve shift toward likely rate increases. The divergence could augur wild swings in financial markets and potentially push up borrowing costs throughout the region.    Covid Rebound | Switzerland, France and Spain now lead European nations in Bloomberg's assessment of the best countries to be in as nations try to emerge from the Covid-19 era. The U.S. topped the list for the first time this week. For more, check out our full Covid Resilience ranking. Heists Galore | Check out how Netflix pulled off a smash success with Lupin, a French heist drama that became a global hit for the streaming service. Or, if you prefer something more grounded in the commodities world, Businessweek's Heist issue also explores how Turkish thieves turned $40 million of valuable metal into worthless stones.  In Case You Missed It Stimulus Needed | Europe's economy is picking up quickly as infections drop, ECB Executive Board member Fabio Panetta said yesterday, but it's unclear how long the demand surge will last. He said the current mix of fiscal and monetary stimulus is "clearly superior" to before the pandemic, when political leaders were focused on reducing debt. Orban Ally | Czech President Milos Zeman defended Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in his conflict with the EU over LGBTQ rights, calling transgender people "utterly disgusting" as vitriolic comments toward sexual minorities by political leaders from the EU's eastern wing increase. Data Deal | The EU formally adopted a plan that guarantees the free flow of data between the bloc and the U.K. To address concerns Britain could move away from the EU's robust privacy protection rules in the future, the Commission added a so-called sunset clause, which leads to a review of the data-transfer accord every four years. Nuclear Diplomacy | U.S. airstrikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria show the Biden administration won't hesitate to protect its interests in the region, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after the move injected new uncertainty into diplomacy over Iran's nuclear program. French Malaise | The outcome of next year's French presidential election looks increasingly uncertain after incumbent Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who lead national polls, registered dismal showings in a regional ballot on Sunday. Chart of the Day Euro-zone inflation data due tomorrow may end up around the ECB's definition of price stability of below but close to 2%. Officials are likely to reiterate their view that a recent surge is temporary and shouldn't deflect them from keeping up extraordinary stimulus to drive home the economy's rebound from the pandemic. Today's Agenda All time CET. 12:15 p.m. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen opens the Brussels Economic Forum via video link, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivers a lecture. Other speakers include ECB's Lagarde, WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni and Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU's trade commissioner. 2 p.m. Commission and national debt officials address the relationship between EU and sovereign debt in a Bruegel think tank event EU agriculture and fisheries ministers continue a two-day meeting in Luxembourg G-20 foreign affairs ministers meet in Matera in southern Italy Like the Brussels Edition? 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