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On Wednesday, 22 April, AmCham EU hosted a roundtable on Ukraine’s recovery with Jurand Drop, Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Finance of Poland and Michał Kapa, Deputy Head of the Team Poland initiative and Director for International Partnerships, PFR Group. The discussion brought together AmCham EU members with counterparts from Polish companies and focused on the investment conditions and policy instruments needed to meet the challenge of Ukraine’s reconstruction and modernisation. Liam Benham (Boeing), Chair, and Yana Humen (IBM), Chair Ukraine Task Force, AmCham EU also underlined the importance of a supportive policy environment to help mobilise private investment and strengthen cooperation in support of Ukraine’s long-term recovery. They highlighted how US companies can work with European partners on making sure Ukraine’s integration with the EU is a success.

On Wednesday, 16 April, AmCham EU met with Michael J. Vaccaro, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, US Department of State. The exchange with members focused on transatlantic defence industrial cooperation, regulatory issues shaping European Defence Markets and the ability of US companies to support European rearmament. Malte Lohan, CEO, AmCham EU also highlighted the importance of an open policy environment across the Atlantic to support cooperation and enable companies to contribute to Europe’s security and defence industrial base.

Getting the revision of the Defence Procurement Directive right is critical to delivering the capabilities Member States need to deter aggression by 2030 and to strengthen the capacity and innovation of the European defence industrial base. Reform efforts should focus on removing practical barriers such as administrative complexity, production bottlenecks and limited visibility that delay capability delivery. Through targeted simplification, the Commission can accelerate procurement, support joint acquisition and ensure access to best-in-class technologies. By contrast, introducing stringent European preference requirements, such as headquarters-based eligibility criteria or rigid content thresholds, risks reducing competition, increasing administrative burdens and overlooking the deep investments many US companies already have in the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base. Readiness by 2030 requires inclusive access and cooperation with allies to ensure that European defence spending translates into a formidable and enduring deterrent.