Meeting for an informal session in Valletta on Friday 3 March, the EU trade ministers did not hide their impatience at being able to begin talking to the administration of new US President Donald Trump, and his trade representative-designate Robert Lighthizer.
"TTIP [the transatlantic trade and investment partnership] negotiations are currently frozen so we are waiting to hear a solid outline of the USA's plans and goals for trade with the EU. There are risks for the multilateral trading system if the USA had to consider any extreme action such pulling out of the WTO", Malta's Economy Minister Christian Cardona told press at the end of the meeting.
"We should get in contact with those people who are now responsible for trade. Then we have to have talks. So far, we know statements and may be reality is something different", Germany's Secretary of State for the Economy Matthias Machnig said, adding that he will travel to Washington in May.
On Friday, the EU trade ministers backed Belgium's idea that they meet the new US trade representative "en bloc". This could be Robert Lighthizer, if it is confirmed by the US Senate – "at a date to be defined for talking to him", a diplomatic source told EUROPE.
"We need to show that there is a common front – a desire not to enter the game of the US administration, which is to divide Europe, to weaken it in order to increase its influence", French Secretary of State for Trade Matthias Fekl said. (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)