The shortage of semiconductors in the markets is one of the priority topics to be discussed at the inaugural EU-US Trade and Technology Council in Pittsburgh on Wednesday 29 September. According to an European official, results to address this issue in the short term are expected after this meeting, before more in-depth discussions about the long term.
More generally, participants will focus on three main topics. “For our first meeting, we have decided to work on everything from supply chain security, export control cooperation, investment monitoring to the misuse of technology”, said EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, who will attend the meeting, in a speech at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC.
He also recalled that the EU and the US should work together to create global rules and standards in the field of technology.
To this end, the ten working groups are currently drawing up their work programmes, according to the above source.
Involvement of civil society
In addition, the European Commission is seeking to establish a way to involve civil society actors in the work of the Council. “We are working on the idea of a website to make sure there is transparency. I’m not sure about the exact solution, but there will be a communication channel for feedback”, a European official assured.
“We want discussions in the Trade and Technology Council to be inclusive. Parties on both sides of the Atlantic have a legitimate interest in being heard and informed”, the Commissioner for Trade also said.
See Valdis Dombrovskis’ speech at Johns Hopkins University: https://bit.ly/3zP7Rp0 (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)