On Friday 27 March, Member States’ representatives will be invited to give the green light to the European Commission to negotiate a non-binding legal instrument with the United States to enable the EU to join the Pax Silica initiative on semiconductors.
In principle, the Member States are expected to give authorisation to the Commission, according to one source. EU27 ministers meeting in the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 30 March are then expected to endorse this decision.
Pax Silica is a US-led strategic initiative launched in December 2025 to secure global supply chains for AI semiconductors, critical minerals and advanced technologies, explains a note from the Cyprus Presidency of the EU Council.
It aims to reduce reliance on single sources by building a secure silicon supply chain – “spanning from mining and processing of raw materials to semiconductor design, AI manufacturing, and infrastructure like data centres – as well as fostering a trusted, resilient network of allies in order to ensure technological and economic security”. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)