EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič to visit US in late April

European Union Commissioner for Trade Maroš Šefčovič is scheduled to visit the United States at the end of April, though it remains unclear whether the visit will include the new and contentious “dialogue” on technology regulation.

Joint statement implementation will be on the top of the agenda, a Commission spokesperson, Olof Gill, told Politico.

According to him, the official will focus on the issue of critical raw materials.

The European Union continues to resist Washington’s pressure to relax tech sector regulations, which the Trump administration views as a technical trade barrier.

European Commission technology spokesperson Thomas Regnier said the EU is “open to clarify misunderstandings with the US.”

Representatives from the Directorate-General for Communications Networks (DG Connect) and the Directorate-General for Competition (DG Competition) may join the discussions, with the final delegation composition still under negotiation.

Despite US efforts, technology regulation was not included in the previously agreed trade truce.

The main focus of the upcoming talks will be implementing the joint statement reached earlier, allowing the EU to meet its commitments by June if negotiations succeed.

The parties will also discuss cooperation on critical raw materials, with EU member states currently requesting additional time to evaluate the proposed memorandum and action plan.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov