Joe Biden and Ursula von der Leyen in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, March 10, 2023 ANDREW HARNIK / AP
Joe Biden and Ursula von der Leyen vowed in Washington on Friday to avoid damaging competition in the energy transition race, which must go through an agreement on specific metals and an extensive dialogue on public aid on both sides.
When the President of the United States received the President of the European Commission by the fireplace in the Oval Office, there was no question that the main topic would be the Inflation Reduction Act. This is a huge energy transition bailout plan launched by Joe Biden, who is outspoken in support of the “Made in America” concept, particularly via tax incentives for EV purchases, and whose European manufacturers fear detrimental effects on the European market.
In order to allay these fears, at least a little, the two heads of state promised in a joint press release at the end of their meeting to “immediately start negotiations on a targeted agreement on strategic metals” of the energy transition.
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Avoid a competition
Joe Biden has no plans to change his program much. Nevertheless, he promised the European leader “to work on avoiding zero-sum competition, so that our public support policies support the development of clean energy and jobs without becoming a boon to private interests,” according to their joint statement.
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Before the start of the bilateral meeting, Joe Biden recalled promising his interlocutor a “new era” in transatlantic relations, which had been badly hit by his predecessor Donald Trump, and praised their unity in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“I want to thank you for your driving role” in reaching an agreement with Britain on the thorny issue of the Northern Ireland border after Brexit, said the US President, who is following the issue very closely. The United States and the European Union are “good friends,” Ursula von der Leyen said, and was “very grateful” for American help to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian gas.
Ukraine was also on the agenda the day after a massive volley of Russian missiles hit the country. “Together we steadfastly support Ukraine for as long as it lasts,” the joint statement said. Ursula von der Leyen pointed out that the main issue was the sanctions against Russia, their “enforcement” and the means to prevent them from being circumvented.
China, absent from official statements
At a time when the United States is openly accusing Beijing of considering military aid to Russia, Washington is finally looking to persuade the European Union to take a tougher stance against Beijing. But the joint statement by Joe Biden and Ursula von der Leyen contains at most a coded allusion to China. The two heads of government share their “common concern about the challenge presented, among other things, by policies of economic pressure, the exploitation of economic dependencies and uncompetitive economic policies. So many practices that Beijing is regularly accused of implementing.
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