This timely event, just two weeks ahead of the inaugural meeting of the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on 29 September 2020,  provided an excellent  opportunity for the transatlantic partners to set out their objectives and thinking on the TTC. Both the EU and the US sides conveyed a positive message in terms of their commitment to a successful dialogue, stressing the shared interests and values of the transatlantic partners, which were much greater than the issues that divided them. “The truth is that what divides us is nothing compared to what unites us, and the challenges we have bilaterally are minor compared to the global challenges we face together”, said US  Deputy Assistant Trade Representative Dan Mullaney.

European Commission Deputy Director-General for Trade Rupert Schlegelmilch, explained the work of the 10 TTC working groups, which would aim to operationalise political decisions into deliverables, coordinate the technical work and report to the political level. ‘With the TTC we need to make sure that the trade-economic digital space, the nexus between technology, trade, digital development and national security is discussed in a comprehensive manner”, he added. 

Speakers discussed some of the challenges facing both sides, particularly from China, when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, its continued subsidising of privileged market access for state-owned and non-market economies and its dominance in a number of technologies, and the need for the EU and the US to agree a common approach.  Other issues of concern such as standards setting and the WTO reform were also addressed.