Position paper - Senior business executives speak up ahead of the EU-US summit

On 15 June, American and European leaders will meet for the first EU-US summit in seven years. The high-level meeting provides a unique opportunity to set an ambitious agenda for the future of the transatlantic relationship. As business executives leading the operations of American companies in Europe, we are fully committed to strengthening the EU-US partnership, which supports 16 million jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. 

In the midst of a global pandemic with a devastating social and economic impact, the strong policy response in the EU and the US has been critical to weathering the storm. Our economies are so closely intertwined, through mutual flows of trade and investment, that both partners must continue to cooperate closely. The transatlantic relationship is the backbone of the global economy and, as such, a strong EU-US partnership is critical for a successful global recovery.

As they gather next week, we call on transatlantic leaders to seize the momentum and shape a renewed vision for EU-US cooperation. Together, both sides can continue to create jobs, boost global growth and, importantly, tackle the world’s largest challenges, including the fight against climate change and inequalities. Important initial priorities are: 

• Address existing trade disputes (aircraft subsidies as well as Section 232 steel and aluminium tariffs). Recent announcements avoiding escalation demonstrate the commitment of both sides to a positive dialogue that can lead to a swift resolution and find ways to prevent new irritants from arising in the future.
• Negotiate a sustainable mechanism for transatlantic data transfers to replace the Privacy Shield. The Privacy Shield had proven to be an important tool for over 5,000 small and large companies to transfer personal data across the Atlantic.
• Focus on emerging issues where the EU and the US have an opportunity to set the global standards of the future (artificial intelligence, clean technology, etc). We strongly support initiatives seeking to facilitate a transatlantic conversation, such as the Trade and Technology Council or the Green Tech Alliance.
• Cooperate on the re-opening of our economies, including the removal of travel restrictions. As global companies operating in Europe, we rely on the travel of employees from outside the EU. We support the EU digital COVID certificate and would welcome the creation of a transatlantic system, which would enable lifting restrictions in a safe and coordinated manner.

As business leaders, we continue to see great opportunity in the transatlantic economy, a key global innovation hub. Bilateral EU-US flows in research and development (R&D) are the most intense between any two international partners (Transatlantic Economy 2021). We stand ready to support all efforts to advance the transatlantic relationship, including by facilitating dialogue between the EU and the US as well as continuing to strengthen our economies through job creation and investment.

Signatories: 

• Guillaume Alvarez, Senior Vice President for EMEA, Steelcase
• Tomas Brannemo, Vice President and President, Building Solutions Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America (EMEALA), Johnson Controls
• Luciana Broggi, SVP and Global Head of Routes-to-Market, HP Inc
• Christopher Burghardt, Managing Director for Europe, ChargePoint
• Daniel Carrera, President, UPS Europe
• Jérôme Charton, Executive Vice President and President of the Global Regions, Ecolab
• Chris Delaney, President, EMEA, Goodyear
• Sir Martin Donnelly, President, Boeing Europe and Managing Director, Boeing UK and Ireland
• Nuria Garcia, Senior Vice President, Head of EMEA and Chief Executive Officer, MetLife Europe
• Mark Green, President, Eurasia, AES Corporation
• Lars Hanseid, President, Europe, Middle East and Africa, 3M
• Aisling Keegan, Senior Vice President, EMEA, Dell Technologies
• Wendy Mars, President, EMEAR, Cisco
• Melodie Nakhle, Managing Director for Europe, Southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand, Amway
• Karen Reddington, President, FedEx Express Europe and Chief Executive Officer, TNT
• Vitaliy Rusakov, President, Fastening Systems and Head of the European Region, Howmet Aerospace
• Eamonn Sinnott, Vice President, Technology Manufacturing Group, Intel and General Manager, Intel Ireland
• Gilles Thiebaut, Managing Director, Senior Vice President Global Sales for Northern Western Europe, Hewlett Packard Enterprise
• Anton van Beek, President Western Europe, DOW and Chairman of the Board, DOW Benelux
• Massimo Giorgio Visentin, Mid-size Europe Cluster Lead, Pfizer
• Deri Watkins, Regional President, Mars Petcare Europe 

The signatories are members of the Executive Council of the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU). A forum for senior executives responsible for the European operations of some of AmCham EU’s member companies, the mission of the Executive Council is to strive for the continuous improvement of European global competitiveness, through targeted dialogue at the highest levels between its members and senior policymakers of the EU institutions, Member States and international organisations.