President Biden and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, are set to meet at 2 pm in the Oval Office. The meeting will focus on EU-US cooperation on global and geostrategic priorities, including discussions on maintaining transatlantic leadership in clean tech and collaborating on innovation and secure supply chains for clean tech. They will also address the world’s need to achieve a global net zero emissions goal. Among the main topics for discussion are the IRA, Ukraine, and China.
According to US and EU officials, both leaders will announce the start of negotiations on a limited trade agreement focused on critical minerals for electric car batteries. This may be an executive agreement that does not require Congressional approval.
This meeting is particularly significant because of the leaders’ interest in reducing dependence on China, as mentioned in Ursula von der Leyen’s January speech at the World Economic Forum. This speech discussed building “a critical raw materials club working with like-minded partners.”
The EU delegation to the US has listed several officials joining Ursula von der Leyen at the White House, including His Excellency Stavros Lambrinidis, Ambassador of the European Union to the United States, and Mr Björn Seibert, Head of Cabinet of the President.
The meeting between President Biden and Ursula von der Leyen will have a strong focus on global cooperation, clean tech, and critical minerals for electric car batteries, with potential negotiations on a limited trade agreement.
