Only a few weeks ahead of the inauguration of Joe Biden as 46th president of the United States, the EU is already preparing the terrain for better transatlantic relations after years of turmoil under president Trump. "In recent years, our relationship was tested by geopolitical power shifts, bilateral tensions and retreats to unilateral policies,” the document published by the European Commission said.

The agenda proposed by the EU focuses on four key areas “where our interests converge, our collective leverage can best be used and where global leadership is required.”

A pandemic playbook

It should as no surprise that the first of these areas in which the EU wants to join forces, is the fight against the ongoing covid-19 pandemic. For instance, the European Commission is inviting the US to participate in and help make up the funding gap for the COVAX facility, a global initiative aimed at a fair distribution of vaccines to participating countries. The document also calls for the creation of “comprehensive logistics networks” to organise and accommodate vaccine and medical supplies distribution. A pandemic playbook should be jointly developed in order to be better prepared for similar crisis situations in the future, the EU said. 

Climate change, Big Tech and democracy

However, apart from the desire to collaborate on global health responses and preparedness, the 11-page document also outlined climate change, trade and tech as well as security and democracy as key policy areas to focus on.  

With president-elect Biden’s plans to rejoin the Paris Agreement, the EU is hoping for enhanced cooperation in the fight against the climate crisis, and has proposed the introduction of a “transatlantic green trade agenda.”

Similarly, the document outlined plans for an “EU-US tech agenda”, in order to join forces on solutions regarding cybersecurity, taxation of the digital economy, free data flow, etc. and ultimately “open a transatlantic dialogue on the responsibility of online platforms and Big Tech.”

Finally, the European Commission also suggested closer cooperation in order to protect and strengthen democracy worldwide, saying it would support and “play a full part” in president-elect Bidens’s campaign promise of a Summit for Democracy.