This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.
Today, the Commission launched an online consultation platform on the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC), allowing stakeholders to share their views and provide common proposals on the work ahead.
Following their first meeting in Pittsburgh last month, representatives of the European Union and the United States agreed on the importance of and commitment to consulting closely with diverse stakeholders on both sides of the Atlantic on their coordinated approaches to key global technology, economic, and trade issues. It is in this context that the Commission has set up a one-stop-shop on its online “Futurium” platform, to collect input from all interested parties relating to the TTC.
Businesses, think tanks, labour, non-profit and environmental organisations, academics, and other parties that form the civil society at large are invited to contribute, as essential actors to successful EU-US cooperation. The platform is open to everyone after a simple registration. It allows interested parties to have their voice heard in the work of the ten specific TTC Working Groups. Via this website, they can not only feed in their views, but also receive important information and updates on the progress of the different working groups.
Executive Vice-President for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age, Margrethe Vestager, said: “Robust and regular engagement with all interested parties on both sides of the Atlantic is an absolute must for the success of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council. Following a promising inaugural meeting in Pittsburgh, we are happy to open a structured channel for input, feedback and expertise. This new platform will ensure transparency and allow enhanced participation, helping shape our common approaches for a successful transatlantic cooperation in digital and tech.”
Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, said: “The EU – US Trade and Technology Council is a critical initiative to cement transatlantic leadership on these key topics. We want it to become a successful platform with a broad stakeholder’s involvement by listening to everyone who has a stake in these issues. This platform is only part of our outreach. In line with our transparency commitments on trade issues, we will also be taking stock on a horizontal basis with civil society through our regular Civil Society Dialogues.”
Background
The European Union and the United States launched the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC) at their summit in Brussels on 15 June 2021. The TTC serves as a forum for the EU and the US to coordinate approaches to key global trade, economic and technology issues, and to deepen transatlantic trade and economic relations based on shared democratic values. The working groups include the following topics: Technology Standards; Climate and Clean Tech; Secure Supply Chains, Information and Communication Technology and Services (ICTS) Security and Competitiveness; Data Governance and Technology Platforms; Misuse of Technology; Threat to Security and Human Rights; Export Controls; Investment Screening; Promotion of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME); Access to and Use of Digital Tools; Global Trade Challenges.
On 29 September 2021, an inaugural meeting of the TTC took place in Pittsburgh, USA. It was co-chaired by Commission Executive Vice-Presidents Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis, together with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and Trade Representative Katherine Tai. Following the meeting, a joint statement was published, with a first set of concrete deliverables, i.e. declarations on investment screening, export controls, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and global trade challenges. The next meeting of the TTC is planned in 2022.
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