10/07/2023 (Agence Europe) – The EU and the United States are hoping to conclude an agreement on critical minerals before the end of the year, but Washington is cultivating the hope that this will happen much sooner, a senior US Treasury official told EUROPE on Monday 10 July. And the official recalled that such an agreement had been negotiated quickly between the United States and Japan. “We are in a position to move forward as quickly as possible on the European side”, said this source, pointing out that the EU had already adopted its negotiating mandate (see EUROPE 13201/28). For Washington, it is important that the agreement contains binding standards on the environment and human rights, which should not pose any difficulties for the EU, according to this senior official. (LM)