On Thursday, 29 January, AmCham EU hosted a roundtable focused on defence policy with Andrew Puzder, US Ambassador to the European Union and Matthew Whitaker, US Ambassador to NATO. With senior leaders from US companies active in Europe’s defence markets, the discussion focused on the evolving defence policy landscape at the EU and NATO and the importance of transatlantic industrial cooperation in responding to today’s security challenges. Participants exchanged views on how openness of EU regulation, procurement and funding initiatives can better support speed, scale and interoperability among NATO Allies while building on the strengths of the transatlantic defence industrial base. 

On Tuesday 27 January, AmCham EU met with Aingeal O’Donoghue, Irish Ambassador to the EU to exchange views on Ireland’s Presidency priorities. Discussions focused on how the upcoming Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU can support a more competitive, resilient and sustainable Europe, with a particular focus on trade, security and investment. AmCham EU shared its perspectives on strengthening Europe’s global economic position and how to ensure that EU policymaking supports long-term growth. The exchange reinforced the importance of close engagement between policymakers and the business community as preparations continue for Ireland’s Presidency in July. 

Cisco is strengthening France’s role in the global digital economy with the launch of its Global AI Hub, announced at the 2025 Choose France Summit. The hub will focus on secure, energy-efficient artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, innovative cooling solutions for data centres and support for the startup ecosystem. To address future workforce needs, Cisco will also train 230,000 people in France over the next three years through its Networking Academy, covering fields such as cybersecurity, data science and AI. Building on nearly 400,000 individuals already trained in France, this investment supports Cisco’s EU-wide commitment to train 1.5 million people by 2030. Read more on Invested in Europe. 

On Tuesday, 27 January, AmCham EU was joined by senior journalists from Bloomberg, EURACTIV, the Financial Times, and POLITICO to explore the issues set to dominate the headlines in 2026. The reporters first took stock of what has happened in the past weeks – a year already marked by instability, policy uncertainty and a deteriorating transatlantic relationship, before turning to the consequences of these shifts. Afterwards they examined deepening geopolitical fragmentation and the realignment of global trade, and how these trends are reshaping competitiveness and policy priorities. 

The panel included Henry Foy, Brussels Bureau Chief, Financial Times; Matthew Karnitschnig, Editor-in-Chief, EURACTIV; Suzanne Lynch, Brussels Bureau Chief, Bloomberg and Joanna Roberts, Senior EU Policy Editor, POLITICO. The discussion was moderated by Thibaut L'Ortye, Senior Director of Public Affairs, AmCham EU. 

The European Parliament’s November 2025 draft report on revitalising EU securitisation strengthens the Commission’s proposal by pushing further simplification, but it overlooks a central flaw in the framework: the misalignment between EU and non‑EU securitisations that continues to restrict EU investors’ access to global markets. Investor access should depend on whether sufficient information is available for due diligence, not on the use of a specific reporting template.

MEPs can make this fix by removing the template‑based verification requirement in Article 5(ii)(e) and anchoring investor due diligence in a clear, substance‑based ‘sufficient information’ standard. When combined with the Parliament’s encouraging simplification proposals, this targeted fix would lower operational costs, enable proportionate due diligence and strengthen market depth – all without weakening core safeguards.

Ahead of the Committee on International Trade’s (INTA) meeting in the European Parliament on Monday, 26 January 2026, AmCham EU reiterates its call to advance the Commission’s tariff reduction proposals as part of the wider EU-US Framework Agreement. We understand MEPs’ caution following a week of renewed transatlantic tensions, but do not see the tariff reduction proposals as the right avenue for addressing these issues. The Framework Agreement remains the best available option for securing a more positive, productive EU-US trade and investment climate that helps businesses plan ahead.  

As part of the Agreement, the EU and the US made a range of initial commitments. Last September, the US took its first step by updating its tariff schedule on EU products. The two tariff reduction proposals are how the EU shows its commitment to follow suit. This is just the start of the longer-term process of implementing the deal. Later, there will be opportunities to address other issues important to businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. A functioning EU-US economic relationship is critical to millions of American and European businesses and livelihoods.