The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, was questioned in the European Parliament on the state of EU-US relations on Tuesday 14 March. The visit of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to Washington on 10 March (see EUROPE 13139/3) raised expectations but provided too few answers, according to most MEPs who spoke in plenary.
“I had hoped that she would come back with an agreement for Europe to have access to the Inflation Reduction Act subsidies. But this is not the case”, lamented Catharina Rinzema (Renew Europe, Dutch).
Her colleague Francisco José Millan Mon (EPP, Spanish) went further: “I would have liked the joint declaration to be more ambitious, not just focussed on critical minerals”. He also regretted the lack of debate on TTIP, the aborted trade agreement between the EU and Washington. “Perhaps if we had got it, we would not be in the current situation with the IRA”, he insisted.
Borrell highlighted that discussions were only just beginning between the EU and Washington on a partnership on critical raw materials and a dialogue on subsidies. “We have to focus on these two issues first; don’t think it’s easy, especially on critical raw materials”, he replied to the Spanish MEP.
Several European Parliament members also asked the High Representative about a common transatlantic strategy on China, but he did not elaborate on this.
The joint EU-US statement of 10 March refers to China as a country with non-market policies and practices. This caused a reaction from some EU member states, who felt that this language did not necessarily reflect the vision of the European Council, according to one source.
In any case, an EU-US summit by the summer could be a good idea, according to the same source. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal with Camille-Cerise Gessant)