The EU-US Pittsburgh Statement, Annex V, provides on the TTC Working Group on Global Trade Challenges focuses, as one of its work strands, on promoting and protecting labour rights and decent work, and on trade and environment issues.
The EU and US intend to promote together and in an inclusive way the protection of fundamental labour rights, including by combatting the scourge of forced and child labour, with each side using relevant trade policies and tools, including FTAs and unilateral measures, such as preference and other programs, and cooperating in the International Labour Organization, World Trade Organization and other appropriate multilateral fora. Both sides intend to promote responsible business conduct, with the aim of enhancing the sustainability of global value chains. In pursuit of these objectives, we intend to:
- Share information and best practices;
- Cooperate and jointly support work in multilateral fora;
- Discuss the impact of technology on labour markets, working conditions, and worker rights
- Exchange information on the implementation of labour provisions in our respective trade agreements.
The EU and US also underlined the positive role that trade can play in addressing environmental challenges such as climate change, achieving climate neutrality, and supporting the transition to a more circular economy. In this regard, the EU envisions to focus on the following:
- Dialogue on environment/climate measures with potential trade or investment implications
- Exchange of information/best practices and identification of risks/opportunities in the transition to a more circular and low carbon economy, including for example on green/sustainability/labour criteria in government procurement
- Cooperation in international fora, including the World Trade Organization, to promote stronger alignment
- Exchange of information on the implementation of environment-related provisions in our respective trade agreements
In this context, and in order to allow a targeted discussion on the priorities to be pursued, the EU invites stakeholders to participate to event on avoiding new and unnecessary barriers in products and services of emerging technology that will take place on 2 December 2021, 16h00-17h30 CET.
The discussion will be structured around the following questions:
a) For trade and labour:
- For each of the 4 identified actions above, what do you think should be the top priorities and why?
- What concrete actions/co-operation would be needed from the EU and the US side to take these priorities forward?
- Any additional priorities the EU and the US should pursue in this TTC work strand on trade and labour?
- Other suggestions/concerns/questions relating to EU-US cooperation on trade and labour issues?
b) For trade and environment:
- Do you agree that each of items envisioned should be proposed as priorities for EU-US cooperation on trade and environment/climate issues? What should be the order of priority (if any) among those items?
- What should be the concrete actions/exchanges under each of the cooperation items that the EU and the US should prioritize and why?
- Which additional priorities, actions, exchanges do you suggest for this work strand on trade and environment in the Working Group on Global Trade challenges?
- Other suggestions/concerns/questions relating to EU-US cooperation on trade and environment issues?
Stakeholders are invited to share their views and comments during the event (interest can be indicated during registration), as well as submit inputs, and other questions and comments in advance of the event by using the Futurium online platform (EU-US Trade and Technology Council / Working Group 10 Global Trade Challenges).
Practical details
- Date and time: 2 December, 16h00-17h30 CET
- Venue: online via WebEx
- Registration: please REGISTER before Tuesday 30 November 2021 17h00 CET. Attendance is limited to 2 participants per organisation. Registered participants will receive a confirmation e-mail with further information on how to connect in due course. Any change of name should be communicated no later than by 2 December 9h00 CET (day of the event) to TRADE-D1-REQUEST-BOX@ec.europa.eu
Useful information
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