| Welcome to the Brussels Edition, Bloomberg's daily briefing on what matters most in the heart of the European Union. There is sudden optimism that the EU will be able to delay a showdown with the U.K. over sausages and chilled meats with negotiators close to a six-month truce in a thorny post-Brexit tussle. The dispute over Northern Ireland trade rules was an unwelcome source of tension at this month's Group of Seven summit and risked a larger trade war that could jeopardize the bigger Brexit deal. British officials will first have to satisfy the EU that it will use the delay constructively to resolve the larger fight over border checks for goods crossing into Northern Ireland. EU diplomats are expected to discuss it today, people familiar with the matter said. — Joe Mayes, Alberto Nardelli and Tim Ross What's HappeningAfter Trump | German-U.S. relations seem to be swiftly improving after the ill will of the Trump years. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Berlin today for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel to prepare her trip to Washington on July 15. Her visit could be a chance to swap notes on China and to work toward ending the dispute over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Global Tax | Poland backs a global minimum corporate-tax rate as long as it doesn't impede its ability to lure foreign investors by offering tax relief, Finance Minister Tadeusz Koscinski told us in an interview. Along with Ireland and Hungary, Poland has been seen as a potential European holdout in the minimum tax plan backed by the G-7. Boosting Tourism | Travel rules continue to loosen around Europe and beyond as the U.K. prepares to allow fully vaccinated Britons to travel to more than 150 countries without quarantining on their return. But any big shift likely won't come until August, and this week's green-list adjustments are expected to be much more modest. Vaccine Shortages | A string of nations across Africa, Asia and other regions have run out of Covid-19 vaccines or are on the brink of doing so, months after receiving their first shipments from the Covax program. Of 80 lower-income countries that have received supplies, about 40 are either out of vaccines or on the verge, according to a World Health Organization adviser. Brexit Business | Britain's financial markets regulator is considering additional changes to the country's stock-market listing rules — an attempt to capitalize on Brexit to attract more business to the City of London. The move by the Financial Conduct Authority is the latest in a series of steps by the U.K. government to review regulations since Britain fully left the EU. In Case You Missed ItAntitrust Champion | Europe's new antitrust hero is Andreas Mundt, the mild-mannered president of Germany's Federal Cartel Office, wielding powers that could extract big concessions from the giants of Silicon Valley. But Margrethe Vestager, the bloc's antitrust chief, is snapping at his heels: Yesterday, she announced a formal investigation into Google's advertising technology. Nuclear Slip | Iran raised the possibility that talks to rescue its nuclear deal with world powers could extend beyond August, when President Hassan Rouhani is set to be replaced by a hardline successor. Oil markets are watching for signs of how soon U.S. penalties could be removed and how quickly Iran will ramp up oil production and exports. Rate Hikes | The increments may be small, but money-market traders are pricing rate hikes in Europe again. The shift in expectations is being fueled by optimism over the economic recovery and reflects the quicker path of tightening signaled by the Federal Reserve last week, which is putting upward pressure on rates markets globally. Gas Plants | Germany has an opportunity to phase out coal power plants almost a decade ahead of schedule — but it will require a fleet of natural gas plants to do it, according to a new study. The bigger question is whether Germany would go for replacing one fossil fuel with another. Plant Evangelist | With the coronavirus pandemic spawning a range of mental-health issues, a Prague plant evangelist is pushing an offbeat prescription: spend more time with greenery. Alexandra Strelcova, who runs a retail store, is channeling much of her passion into a non-profit group that is greening the Czech capital. Chart of the Day Consumer confidence in the euro area improved to well above its pre-pandemic levels in June as coronavirus infection rates fell and restrictions began to be lifted across the bloc. The region is on track for a strong rebound in the second quarter, with the European Central Bank foreseeing economic growth of 4.6% in 2021. ECB President Christine Lagarde said this week that monetary and fiscal stimulus must continue "well into the recovery." Today's AgendaAll times CET. - 9 a.m. Japanese Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo speaks at EPC event
- 11:15 a.m. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and U.S. Secretary of State Blinken hold a press conference in Berlin
- 1 p.m. German Chancellor Merkel takes questions in the Bundestag
- 2 p.m. Alex Patelis, chief economic adviser to the Greek prime minister, and Maarten Verwey, the Commission's director general for economic and financial affairs, speak at Bruegel event on the spending plans for the EU's recovery funds
- Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visits France and Belgium for the next legs of her NextGenerationEU tour
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