On Thursday, 16 April, the Member States of the European Union took stock of ‘Pax Silica’—the US initiative to create a global alliance on semiconductors for the tech sector—with the European Commission and the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Whereas the EU27 had not been able, on 27 March, to endorse the European Commission’s signature so as to allow the EU to join this initiative (see EUROPE 13839/27), the Cyprus Presidency was unable, during a working group meeting, to give a new date for when Member States’ ambassadors (Coreper) would examine the issue. Although 22 April is being considered as a possibility, no decision has been made regarding the timeline for its adoption. The EU and the United States are, however, said to be organising an event on the subject in mid-May so as to make the EU’s entry into this initiative—which, to date, only Finland has joined bilaterally—official.
During this session, the European Commission reportedly reiterated that it is in the EU’s best interest to participate in this initiative, notably in order to ensure the resilience of the supply chains with its most important partners. It pointed out that the ‘Tech Sovereignty Package’, expected on 27 May, would also help define the EU’s position.
To reassure the countries that had reservations (seven on 27 March), the European Commission reportedly indicated that it had received assurances from the United States that the agreement was not legally binding and that there were no financial obligations. In addition, it reportedly assured the EU27 that the United States is not seeking to undermine the EU’s autonomy.
The United States and the European Commission would thus like to formalise a signature in mid-May.
Italy, Finland, and Denmark as well as Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands have called for this instrument to be signed promptly. France is purportedly no more enthusiastic at this stage, according to sources. On 16 April, it reportedly insisted that the EU’s real weight in the governance of the initiative needed to be assessed. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)