U.S.-EU Joint Statement of the Trade and Technology Council

I. Introduction

The U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) met outside Washington, D.C., on December 5, 2022.  The meeting was co-chaired by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, European Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager, and European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis, joined by U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Labor Thea Lee, Jamaica Minister for Information Communication Technology Floyd Green, and Kenya Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication and the Digital Economy Eliud Owalo.  
 
The TTC is a key mechanism to support stronger transatlantic relations and to deliver concrete outcomes.  We reaffirm that international rules-based approaches to trade, technology, and innovation that are founded on solid democratic principles and values can improve the lives of our citizens and generate greater prosperity for people around the world.  Through the TTC’s ten working groups, we are supporting sustainable, inclusive economic growth and development, promoting a human-centric approach to the digital transformation, and ensuring that international norms and the international trade rulebook are respected and reflect our shared values. We will continue to work together to modernize and reform the World Trade Organization (WTO) as set out in the WTO MC12 Outcome Document.

Geostrategic challenges, including Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and increased assertiveness of autocratic regimes, have reinforced the importance of our shared democratic values, commitment to universal human rights, and leadership role in upholding an international rules-based order.  The United States and the European Union reiterate our strong condemnation of Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to stand firmly with Ukraine for as long as it takes to ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.  We condemn attacks by Russia on Ukraine’s infrastructure and will continue supporting Ukraine in securing, maintaining, and rebuilding this…