The Co-Chairs of the Transatlantic Legislators’ Dialogue, Radek Sikorski (EPP, Poland) and Jim Costa, pledged at their meeting on 20-21 July that they would not only “reset this essential relationship” between the EU and the US, but would strive to rebuild it “even stronger so that we can work together to address jointly the many significant challenges” of the day.
In a statement on 23 July, the Co-Chairs returned to the Covid-19 pandemic, with the European side calling for reciprocity from the US in lifting travel restrictions. “We called on everyone to be vaccinated as soon as they can and for vaccines to be made available to middle- and low-income countries as soon as possible”, added Mr Sikorski and Mr Costa.
They also said that the EU and the US should take a joint lead on climate change, saying that they had “not only the opportunity, but the moral obligation to future generations to act now”.
Mr Sikorski and Mr Costa also welcomed the progress made in resolving long-standing transatlantic trade disputes. They hoped that solutions could be found for the remaining issues and stressed the need to find a permanent and broader settlement to address subsidies and overcapacity. The Co-Chairs welcomed the establishment of the Trade and Technology Council.
Finally, they discussed how best to develop a common approach to a rising China. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)