US, EU to Discuss Emerging Tech Export Controls This Week

The U.S. and the European Union will hold export control discussions this week to share information on emerging technology restrictions and countries and companies of concern, according to the European Commission and the U.S. Commerce Department. The discussions, scheduled for Dec. 15 and 16, will include senior officials from Commerce and the State Department and high-level trade officers from the commission and EU member states, a commission spokesperson said in a Dec. 14 email. Others participating include export control and technology experts from EU member states, a representative from the German presidency of the Council of the EU and the commission’s chief trade enforcement officer.

The sides plan to discuss a range of “export control developments,” the spokesperson said, including the EU’s new dual-use export control regime (see 2012110049) and the U.S. “tightening” of controls this year. Both sides will also speak about their “approaches to the control of emerging technologies.” The commission said it hopes the dialogue will minimize “unnecessary disruptions to global supply chains.”

The two sides held a similar dialogue last year, which included Matt Borman, Commerce’s deputy assistant secretary for export administration (see 1912100033). The State Department didn’t comment.