EU/US Trade and Technology Council (Paris-Saclay – 15&16 May 2022)

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The second Trade and Technology Council (TTC) meeting between the European Union and the United States will be held in Saclay on 16 May as part of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The next Trade and Technology Council (TTC) meeting between the European Union and the United States will take place on 16 May in Paris-Saclay.

Launched in June 2021, the TTC serves as a forum for discussion between the United States and the European Union, for the purpose of coordinating on trade, economic and technology issues. The first meeting was held in Pittsburgh in the United States on 29 September 2021. France is hosting this second meeting as part of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Live event - 14h00 on 16 May 2022

Programme

An informal dinner will be hosted by France on Sunday, 15 May, attended by the French Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Finance and Trade. On the morning of Monday, 16 May, the TTC will be co-chaired by European Commission Executive Vice-Presidents Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Trade Representative Katherine Tai. The afternoon of 16 May will include discussions with French and European stakeholders, a press conference and a tour of a research laboratory.

Objectives

The objective of the TTC is to discuss and coordinate on key global trade, economic and technology issues and to deepen transatlantic relations based on shared democratic values whilst upholding each party’s decision-making autonomy. The TTC is composed of ten working groups on issues such as climate and green tech, the misuse of technology threatening security and human rights (e.g. disinformation) and technology standards cooperation. Other working groups focus on issues including export controls (for sensitive goods), investment screening and secure supply chains.

The TTC is a forum for the US and EU to discuss legislative and regulatory changes and, where applicable, to agree on common positions within international bodies or to initiate transatlantic coordination. The agenda for the second TTC meeting was prepared during the informal meeting of trade ministers on 13 and 14 February in Marseille. While there has been particularly close transatlantic cooperation in response to the war in Ukraine, the meeting between the EU and the US on 16 May will be an opportunity to discuss prospects for cooperation on issues such as the resiliency and security of supply chains, the green and digital transitions, and the promotion of a digital environment that is compatible with democracy and human rights.

Deliverables

The meeting in Saclay on 16 May will be an opportunity for the ten working groups to provide status updates on the work accomplished since the last meeting in Pittsburgh in September 2021. A joint statement by the European Union and the United States is expected to be adopted at the end of the meeting.