See question(s) : E-004923/2021
EN – E-004923/2021
Answer given by Executive Vice-President Vestager
on behalf of the European Commission
(31.1.2022)
The Commission values the input and support of the European Parliament (EP) in its engagements with the United States (US) on the Trade and Technology Council (TTC). The EP has been closely informed and involved through existing working structures. Multiple engagements have taken place at technical level. Executive Vice-President (EVP) for a Europe fit for the digital age and EVP for an economy that works for people have debriefed the Committee on International Trade (INTA) of the first TTC meeting in September 2021, also in the presence of representatives of the other relevant parliamentary committees. The two EVPs also took part in the plenary debate on 11 November 2021. The Commission will continue to engage with the EP before and after every TTC meeting.
The TTC serves as a forum for the EU and the US to exchange on policies at the nexus of trade and technology, while at the same time safeguarding each side’s regulatory autonomy and democratic scrutiny mechanisms. The Joint EU-US TTC Statement underlines this principle where it specifies that: “The cooperation and exchanges of the TTC are without prejudice to the regulatory autonomy of the EU and the US and should respect the different legal systems in both jurisdictions1.”
Competition-related discussions in the International Competition Network and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the EU-US Joint Technology Competition Policy Dialogue are intended to take place at the technical level between competition authorities, and therefore the participation of legislators would not be appropriate. To ensure transparency to the European Parliament, EVP for a Europe fit for the digital age reports regularly about these ongoing discussions, including in the context of the structured dialogue on the topic.
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1 Joint EU-US Trade and Technology Council Inaugural Statement of 29 September 2021 (point 5): “The cooperation and exchanges of the TTC are without prejudice to the regulatory autonomy of the European Union and the United States and should respect the different legal systems in both jurisdictions.”