April 2008

Apr 3: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Nancy Nord and European Consumer Protection Commissioner Meglena Kuneva met in Brussels. In a joint press point afterwards, they fielded questions on global safety standards, joint U.S.-EU initiatives toward China, and the detection and disposal of unsafe products. They both emphasized shared goals on consumer product safety and a commitment to close, ongoing dialogue to narrow regulatory differences and improve safety standardization throughout the production chain. They said they would both be traveling to China this year, and Commissioner Kuneva invited Chairman Nord to attend the European Consumer Safety Week in November 2008, where Chinese representatives will also be present.

November

Nov 20: Hugo Teufel, Privacy Officer from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Justice Privacy Officer Ken Mortensen spoke in Brussels at a conference on "Public Security, Privacy and Technology" hosted by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Justice, Freedom and Security (JLS). Teufel emphasized the crucial role transparency plays in carrying out DHS's mission of safeguarding security while protecting privacy. JLS Commissioner Franco Frattini echoed Mortensen’s message that calls for a “balance” between privacy and security are misleading since the two are not mutually exclusive -- we must seek to maximize both. JLS Director General Jonathan Faull opened the conference, in which U.S. and EU speakers from government, private sector and civil society participated.

Nov 16: U.S. Ambassador to the EU Gray hosted one of the leading minds on climate change, Professor Robert Stavins from the Harvard Project on International Climate Agreements, at a roundtable discussion in Brussels with high-level business, government, and diplomatic attendees. Stavins spoke along with co-author Joe Aldy about their new book and research on post-2012 climate architecture, specifically what a new international framework convention on climate change might look like after the Kyoto Protocol expires. The debate -- held at the Brussels-based think tank The Centre and sponsored by the Public Affairs section of USEU -- was lively about how countries could agree on terms of a climate change frameworks that is scientifically, economically, and politically feasible for both developing countries and the EU and U.S.

Nov 9: The U.S. and the EU held the first meeting of the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC) in Washington, D.C. Established by President George W. Bush, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and the European Commission President José Manuel Barroso at the April 2007 U.S.-EU summit, the TEC aims to oversee and guide joint efforts to lower transatlantic barriers to trade and investment. Al Hubbard, U.S. National Economic Council chairman, and European Commission Vice President Günter Verheugen co-chaired the meeting, which also involved a number of U.S. cabinet secretaries, their EU counterparts, and Portuguese Council Presidency representatives. The TEC adopted a joint statement on dismantling regulatory barriers.

Nov 8-9: Officials from the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the International Trade Administration's (ITA) Office of Standards Liaison and the Office of EU met in Brussels November 8 with the three European Standards Organizations, CEN, CENELEC and ETSI, and representatives of the European Commission and EFTA to discuss standards and regulatory-related matters. These included product safety (especially toys), ICT standardization, and e-Accessibility, among others. Day-long talks November 9 that included officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the European Commission's Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry-Unit for Standardization focused on topics of transatlantic importance and mutual interest, some of which were to be discussed later that week under the Transatlantic Economic Council. The agenda covered convergence of technologies, EU and U.S. initiatives in international standardization, biofuels, standardization activities in China and India, energy efficiency, and the upcoming Interoperability Conference (Warsaw, 6-7 February 2008).  

Nov 8: Susan Dudley, Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and European Commission Director General for Enterprise and Industry Heinz Zourek convened the third High Level Regulatory Cooperation Forum in Washington, DC. U.S. regulators from the Food and Drug Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Consumer Product Safety Commission, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Customs and Border Protection met EU regulators from the European Commission Directorate General (DG) for Enterprise, DG Health and Consumer Affairs, and DG Customs and Taxation for a frank discussion of ways to address mutual import safety concerns and the importance of coordination before considering regulation to avoid dampening important technological advances. Afternoon sessions with stakeholders focused on considering international effects when developing regulations (moderated by U.S. Ambassador to the EU C. Boyden Gray), and on EU-U.S. Cooperation – Lessons Learned and Challenges Ahead (moderated by EU Ambassador to the U.S. John Bruton).

October

Oct 16: The Federal Trade Commission's Kathryn Ratte and Tom Karygiannis of the National Institute of Standards and Technology participated in a European Commission expert group meeting in Brussels focused on the privacy and security issues related to the development of Radio Frequency Identification (RFIDs) technologies. They presented U.S. government guidelines on how to ensure privacy and security in RFID systems, and U.S. goverment experience of outreach to consumers on RFID and privacy-related matters.

Oct 15-17: U.S. Customs and Border Protection Assistant Commissioner Michael Mullen was in Brussels for meetings with the World Customs Organization, the EU and industry representatives to discuss ongoing cargo security efforts such as the filing of advance trade data for security reasons, mutual recognition arrangements and 100% scanning of maritime cargo pilot program (Secure Freight Initiative). He also participated in a Secure Trade Forum organized by Business Europe.

October 4: U.S. Ambassador to the EU C. Boyden Gray participated in a hearing of the Europen Parliament's Climate Change Committee in Brussels. He joined a panel of experts from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and representatives from the China and Japan, who set out their views on how to deal with climate change.

October 2-3: U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Karen P. Tandy was in Brussels to talk with EU and NATO officials about DEA’s work in Afghanistan. She spoke about DEA’s effort to build the capacity of the counternarcotics police and the necessity of developing an independent and sustainable Afghan authority; about the impact DEA activities has on the security and stability in Afghanistan, and how international efforts could be best coordinated. Tandy also discussed the continuing linkages between narcotics trafficking and the insurgency.

September

September 19: The U.S. Mission cosponsored an open forum debate with CaféBabel, a multilingual European web magazine, in the historic Halles Saint Gery, situated in the oldest district in Brussels. Catherine Witherspoon, former Executive Director of the California Air Resources Board, Jos Delbeke, Director for climate change and air at the European Commission, and Matthias Duwe, Director of Climate Action Network, an NGO, engaged over 70 young European professionals in an open and lively dialogue about climate change initiatives and challenges in Europe, California, and elsewhere. (Video of event)

September 19-20: U.S. diplomats from around Europe came to Brussels for briefings at NATO and at the EU. The two-day USNATO-USEU POL-MIL Workshop, organized annually by the U.S. Mission to NATO (USNATO) and the U.S. Mission to the EU (USEU), focuses on defense, security and crisis response issues. Christopher Murray, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Mission to the EU, spoke on the U.S.-European security relationship during the second day of the conference,, which took place at the Council of the EU. Javier Solana, High Representative for the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy, opened the EU day of the workshop.

September 10-20: U.S. Ambassador to the EU Gray and Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality James Connaughton traveled through Europe meeting with government representatives planning to attend the September 27-28 meeting of major economies in Washington. The goal is to develop by the end of 2008 a new post-2012 international framework to address climate change. From Europe, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the European Commission, and Portugal, holder of the EU Presidency, have been invited. During their European tour, Ambassador Gray and CEQ Chairman James Connaughton briefed on U.S. objectives and heard concerns from the Europeans about how this process would fit in with work being done under the UN Framework Convention.

July

July 2: U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach signed three confidentiality agreements while visiting counterparts in Brussels: one with the European Food Safety Authority, and two with European Commission Directorate General (DG) for Enterprise covering cosmetics and medical devices. He also met with representatives from DGs Health and Consumer Protection, Research and Enterprise. Much of the discussion centered on potential linkages between the European Innovative Medicines Initiative and the U.S. Critical Path Initiative, which are both intended to smooth the path forward for medical research. Other items of discussion included nanotechnology, eHealth and the Transatlantic Economic Council.

June

June 25: P.T. Wright, Acting Deputy Director of US-VISIT, outlined U.S. plans to move from taking two digital fingerscans to 10 fingerscans from visitors to the United States. In a press event held in the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy to Brussels, he briefed on the upcoming changes in U.S. airports and at embassy consular sections and answered questions about the use of biometrics in travel documents and a plan being considered in Congress to require online pre-registration for travelers. Wright also demonstrated how the new machines will work in embassy consular sections and when people arrive in the U.S.

June 18: James Kunder, Acting Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) (second from right) participated in a dialogue sponsored by the European Policy Centre on Effective Development Aid: American and European Approaches. He was joined at the Brussels event by Danny Leipziger, World Bank Vice President for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (far right), Acting European Commission Director in the Directorate General for Development Athanassios Theodorakis (far left), and the EPC moderator.

May

May 30: Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives, met with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and other EU officials in Brussels. They discussed climate change and energy issues. Pelosi was in Europe on a tour that earlier took her to Germany, current holder of the EU Council presidency.

May 10: Fulfilling a 2006 U.S.-EU summit goal, U.S. policymakers met in Brussels with their EU counterparts and experts and industry from U.S. states and EU Member States to explore the possibility of transatlantic collaboration on eHealth initiatives – healthcare practices supported by computers and the Internet. Dr. Robert Kolodner, the Director of the Office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), led the U.S. delegation. Discussions at the U.S.-EU eHealth Policy Workshop covered issues such as certification processes and the promotion of international standards, applications such as electronic health records and prescriptions, and security and privacy policies. The event brought together 110 people, including panelists from 10 Member States and participants from many more. The European American Business Council organized and supported the workshop along with the European Commission's Information Society Directorate General,  ONC, HHS's Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the U.S. Mission.

May 7: Jane Horvath, Chief Privacy Officer at the U.S. Department of Justice, and Hugo Teufel, Chief Privacy Officer at the Department of Homeland Security, were in Brussels the week of May 7 to discuss U.S. data privacy policy and legislation. They met with a number of members of the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties committee, European Union Data Protection Supervisor Peter Hustinx, European Commission Director General for Justice, Freedom and Security Jonathan Faull and other EU officials, and industry experts. They also spoke at an event at The Centre think tank.

April

April 16-17: Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Matthew Bryza, and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kathleen Stephens were among the U.S. officials in Brussels for twice-annual meetings on Central, East and South Asia. With the German Special Envoy for CIS countries, representing the EU Presidency, they discussed issues and developments in the Caucasus and Central Asia. South and East Asia discussions with German Director-General for Asian and Pacific Affairs centered on Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India, as well as North Korea, China, Taiwan, Japan, Burma and East Timor. Both sides agreed the dialogue provided yet another opportunity to share perspectives and to identify additional areas for enhanced cooperation.
 

April 4-5: U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff was in Berlin for meetings with his German, Russian and EU counterparts. He was joined by U.S. Ambassador to the EU C. Boyden Gray and Kenneth Wainstein, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, and other members of the U.S. delegation. They discussed U.S.-EU-Russian cooperation in areas of common concern, most notably security issues.

February 2007

February 13-15: The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Attache at the U.S. Mission explained CBP's cargo security strategy and supply chain security partnerships and efforts at the 3rd Annual European Cargo and Border Security Summit in Prague. Key topics addressed at the forum included implementation of the World Customs Organization's Security and Facilitation Framework of standards, cargo security efforts, detection technology capabilities and aviation, maritime and port security initiatives and legislation. Of particular interest to the 270 attendees was recent U.S. legislation mandating 100 percent screening of air and sea cargo, EU regulations regarding Authorized Economic Operator, harmonization of supply chain security programs and mutual recognition, data integration efforts, use of sniffer dogs, and the level of cooperation between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the EU on a host of security and border issues.

February 7: Officials from the European Commission’s Directorate General for Justice, Liberty and Security and the U.S. Mission to the EU in Brussels, and from the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, held a digital video conference on U.S. and EU efforts to address the problem of identity theft.

February 6-7: Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Eric John came to Brussels to discuss the situation in Burma , East Timor, Indonesia and the Philippines with officials in the Council of the EU’s Asia Task Force, representatives from the European Commission’s External Relations and Development Directorate Generals, the chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with South East Asia, and Belgian Foreign Affairs Ministry officials. Discussions centered on human rights, nation-building, economic development and democratization in the respective countries. John shared U.S. concerns as well as offered his vision of the way forward in addressing some of the critical issues in South East Asia, while EU representatives outlined development assistance and political dialogue initiatives underway in the region.

February 5-6: The U.S. Mission to the EU, the European Policy Centre and the Atlantic Council of the United States organized a Brussels workshop on “Transatlantic Cooperation for Clean Air.” U.S. officials from the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy joined representatives from the EU, industry and NGOs for discussions on the use of market incentives and new technologies for clean air, the best way of measuring and enforcing clean air regulations, and opportunities for strengthening U.S.-EU cooperation. European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas and U.S. Ambassador to the EU C. Boyden Gray opened the conference.

February 1-2: U.S. and European administrative law experts came together in Brussels for a workshop focusing on the EU’s regulatory system. The American Bar Association is undertaking an analysis of the EU regulatory system from a U.S. practitioners’ perspective, a project initiated by U.S. Ambassador to the EU C. Boyden Gray when he was leading the ABA’s Administrative Law section. The U.S. Mission to the EU and the European Commission provided resources for this event, which was credited with improved the understanding of American and European experts of each others’ systems. European Commission Deputy Secretary General Alexander Italianer and Ambassador Gray participated in the workshop discussions. The U.S. and EU plan to hold a regulatory dialogue upon completion of this report (expected in late 2007) to discuss its findings.

January 2007

January 30-February 1: U.S. and EU representatives met in Geneva and Brussels to discuss intellectual property rights (IPR) issues related to implementation of the Action Strategy for the enforcement of intellectual property rights against piracy and counterfeiting endorsed at the June 2006 U.S. –EU summit . The Geneva session provided an opportunity for over 40 European and American rights holder associations and/or companies to discuss ways to improve intellectual property rights enforcement in third countries in a coordinated manner. The Brussels session provided an opportunity for government officials to determine next steps in the Action Strategy's implementation. The U.S. delegation included officials from the U.S. Trade Representative’s office, the Commerce and State Departments, and Department of Homeland Security. Directorate Generals Trade, Customs and Taxation (TAXUD), Enterprise, EuropeAid and Internal Market represented the European Commission.

January 15:  Robert Wexler, U.S. Congressman and Chairman of the Europe sub-committee in the House of the Representatives, discussed the Middle East, Lebanon, Iran, Kosovo and the Doha trade round with High Representative Javier Solana and other EU officials in Brussels. 

January 10-11: A U.S. government delegation came to Brussels for talks with EU officials on moving forward a stalled transatlantic air services (“Open Skies”) accord. Lead U.S. negotiator John Byerly, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Transportation Affairs (at right), said the U.S. would like to conclude the agreement during the German presidency of the EU, although there was no deadline.

January 10-11: Randall S. Kroszner, a member of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board of Governors, visited Brussels for talks on regulatory issues and U.S. economic policies and trends with European Commissioner for Internal Markets Charlie McCreevy, European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Joaquín Almunia, and other EU officials.

January 8: U.S. Ambassador to the EU C. Boyden Gray participated in the meeting between President Bush and European Commission President Barroso in Washington, D.C.

 

October 2006

June 2006

June 21: Ambassador Gray attended the U.S.-EU summit in Vienna, where President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, and other European leaders.

June 14-15: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill and Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher met in Brussels with their EU counterparts to discuss current developments in Burma, Indonesia, East Timor, China, Japan, the Korean Peninsula, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. This bi-annual dialogue on Asia, called the COASI Troika, includes representatives from the current EU presidency, the incoming EU presidency, the European Council and the European Commission as well as high-level U.S. Government representatives who oversee Asia. It aims to ensure a better understanding of U.S. and EU priorities in Asia and enhance cooperation and collaboration. The next COASI Troika will occur in October in Washington, D.C.

June 6-7: Brussels think tank The Centre, in cooperation with Washington think tank The Atlantic Council, hosted the fourth and final event in a series on energy and climate change in Washington. Cosponsored by the U.S. Mission, this final event took place in Washington. Representatives from the Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, State Department, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, and Congress participated in roundtable discussions on the topic of energy security. "Securing the Future" explored how the U.S. and EU could increase energy security in third countries, strengthen existing international energy and climate technology partnerships, and promote energy efficiency and alternative fuels. European participants included two members of the European Parliament, Commission representatives from Energy and Transportation, Enterprise, Environment, External Relations, and Research Directorate-Generals, as well as representatives from the member states, industry and non-governmental organizations. White House Council on Environmental Quality Chairman Jim Connaughton and Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Andy Karsner gave luncheon keynote addresses to the group, and EU Ambassador to the U.S. John Bruton was the dinner keynote speaker. All three called for closer cooperation and strengthened relations between the United States and the European Union on energy and climate issues.

May 2006

May 22: Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs E. Anthony Wayne briefed a well-attended session at the European Policy Centre (EPC) on U.S. government perspectives on energy security. Wayne, who was also in Brussels for talks on energy security challenges with EU officials, discussed the need for strong transatlantic leadership “to maintain sufficient, affordable, and reliable world energy supplies…while sustaining global economic growth and environmental stewardship.” He noted that he is participating in discussions on a potential U.S.-EU energy security plan of action and that energy diversification, security of energy infrastructure, accelerating development of new technologies, and promoting energy efficiency are key elements of that dialogue. (Audio and video)

May 13-16: Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson made his first trip to Brussels, where he met with European Commission officials from the Directorate Generals Environment, Research, and Energy and spoke at a think tank event on How the U.S. and the EU Could Better Cooperate on the Environment. His message was that the U.S. and the EU are both working toward the same goals, although they may differ on the means.

May 11-12: Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Alex Azar led a U.S. delegation that participated in a joint U.S.-EU conference on nutrition, diet and physical activity in Brussels. Azar, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras, and European Health Commissioner Kyprianou spoke at the conference, which included a dinnertime healthy cooking demonstration starring Belgian chef Yves Mattagne, Azar, Kyprianou, and some local high school students. Conference delegates engaged in discussions of U.S. and EU policies aimed at informing citizens about proper nutrition and the dangers of obesity, the benefits of self-regulation vs. legislation, and public-private partnerships to promote better health.

April 2006

Apr 20: Ambassador Gray joined EU Ambassador to the U.S. John Bruton and U.S. and EU lawmakers in Vienna for a Transatlantic Legislator's Dialogue workshop on the U.S.-EU economic initiative.  During the three-day Transatlantic Legislator’s Dialogue, a 10-member Congressional delegation, led by Representative Jo Ann Davis of Virginia, met with some 25 members of the European Parliament to discuss political and security issues, including Iran, MEPP, terrorism, the Balkans, energy security, development issues, avian flu, and various economic and trade issues.

Apr 6-7: The U.S.-EU Working Group on Employment and Labor-related Issues hosted a joint seminar in Brussels on "Labor Mobility in the EU and the U.S.: Trends and Challenges Ahead." Officials from the U.S. Labor Department, the European Commission’s Directorate Generals for Employment and for the Information Society, and member state labor ministries discussed fostering geographical mobility; examined job flexibility, job security, and advancement in the European and U.S. labor markets; and looked at the link between skills and mobility. They were joined by U.S. Ambassador to the EU C. Boyden Gray, academics, and representatives of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, trade unions and employers. The Working Group has sponsored a number of meetings since its establishment in May 1996. Two events have already taken place this year in Washington – a “Roundtable on the Connections between Education and Workforce Development” (Jan 23-24) and an “Information Exchange on Exploring Employment and Retention Strategies for People with Disabilities” (Feb 7-8). A “Seminar on Gender Issues from an Employment Perspective” is slated for the fall in Washington.

March 2006

March 24: Ralph Braibanti, Director of the Department of State's Office of Advanced Technology, led a U.S. delegation to the U.S.-EU dialogue on space in Brussels. Mr. Braibanti, officers from the U.S. Mission to the EU and other government officials from Washington met with their European counterparts from several Commission Directorate Generals and the European Space Agency.

Mar 16-17: A delegation led by Chris Israel, U.S. Coordinator for Intellectual Property Enforcement, visited Brussels to participate in the second meeting of the newly established U.S.-EU Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Working Group. The delegation also included officials from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. Trade Representative, and the State Department, Commerce Department and Department of Homeland Security. During the meeting, U.S. and EU officials met with European stakeholders to discuss how business and government could work together to address their IPR enforcement priorities. The U.S. and the EU also discussed specifics of an action plan on transatlantic coordination. The first meeting of the U.S.-EU IPR Working Group, established by the U.S.-EU’s Economic Ministerial in November 2005, took place in Washington, D.C. on January 26-27.

Mar 10-14: Food and Drug Administration Deputy Commissioner Murray Lumpkin and FDA Assistant Commissioner for International Programs Melinda Plaisier were in Brussels for annual bilateral regulatory meetings with officials of the European Commission’s Directorate-General (DG) for Enterprise. Lumpkin and Plaisier also met counterparts in DG Health to deepen regulatory cooperation, and talk with The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) about concerns related to FDA’s areas of competence.

Mar 7-9: Representatives from the U.S. Mission to the European Union and U.S. Customs and Border Protection met with counterparts in the EU's Taxation and Customs Union Directorate (TAXUD) to discuss possibilities for cooperation on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) enforcement. An expert working group of customs officials has been set up to study areas for cooperation and joint action. The group will also be seeking to promote the need for businesses to register their products with both the EU and the U.S. in order to maximize their intellectual property protections.

Mar 2-3: Representatives from the U.S. Mission to the European Union, the Department of State, the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security traveled to Vienna to discuss the Freedom, Justice and Security agenda with Austrian and EU counterparts. The U.S. delegation included Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Elaine Dezenski, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Elizabeth Verville, and Department of Justice Deputy Assistant Attorney General Bruce Swartz. During the Austrian Presidency, the U.S. and the EU are working on broadening and deepening cooperation on migration, borders and visa issues; counter-terrorism and security; and justice and law enforcement. Such meetings take place at the beginning of each EU presidency.

February 2006

Feb 27: U.S. Ambassador to the European Union C. Boyden Gray presented his credentials to Austrian State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Dr. Hans Winkler, representing the EU Council Presidency, at the Council's Justus Lipsius building in Brussels.

Feb 23-24: Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Southeastern Europe and Central Asia Matthew Bryza was back in Brussels, for the second time in three weeks, leading the U.S. delegation participating in the U.S.-EU Troika on the Caucasus and Central Asia (COEST). He also discussed Turkey/Cyprus issues with senior Council officials dealing with enlargement, and had talks on European energy security.

Feb 22: Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Kramer came to Brussels for the COEST Troika consultations on Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus. He also held meetings with European Commission and Council officials and member state Political and Security Committee (PSC) ambassadors on the presidential elections in Belarus and other regional issues.

Feb 21: Ambassador C. Boyden Gray told the East West Institute's Security Conference in Brussels that it is "evident that the EU and the U.S. provide a sterling example of working cooperatively to ensure our collective security."

Feb 20: Ambassador C. Boyden Gray presented his credentials to European Commission President José Manuel Barroso.

Feb 13-14: Brussels think tank The Centre hosted a conference on climate change that was cosponsored by the U.S. Mission. Bryan Hannegan, Chief of Staff for the White House Council on Environmental Quality, led a U.S. delegation from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and the Department of State’s Office of Environmental Science. The "Less is More" conference was the second in a four-part series on Transatlantic Perspectives on Global Energy and Climate Challenges. The discussions focused on the role of energy efficiency in ensuring a more secure future in the areas of energy and climate change. The sessions sought to explore areas where joint or complementary actions could help U.S. and European economies become more energy efficient. Approximately 40 participants attended the event from European Commission's Environment, Enterprise, Energy and Transportation, and External Relations Directorate Generals, as well as representatives from the European Parliament, EU member states, industry and non-governmental organizations.

Feb 6-8: Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab was in Brussels for meetings with European Union and Belgian officials on a wide range of trade issues, including the next steps in the Doha Round negotiations, the U.S.-EU bilateral trade agenda, and enhanced transatlantic regulatory and intellectual property cooperation.

Feb 8: A task force meeting on energy security brought Matthew Bryza, the deputy assistant secretary of state for Southeastern Europe and Central Asia, to Brussels, where he also discussed Turkey, Cyprus, and the EU.

Feb 1: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Tom Shannon was in Brussels for talks with European Commission and Council officials and members of the European Parliament, as well as NATO and EU member state officials. They discussed a range of Latin American issues, including opportunities for the U.S. and the EU to work together to help consolidate democratic institutions, strengthen civil society, and increase capacity.

January 2006

Jan 31: Securities and Exchange Commissioner Paul Atkins came to Brussels for talks with European Parliamentarians, European Commission officials and accounting professionals, and for presentations to the Fourth Annual Financial Services Conference and the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) think tank.

Jan 25-26: As part of an ongoing effort to make the U.S. and EU regulatory systems more compatible, U.S. officials from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transport, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and the U.S. Mission (including new Ambassador C. Boyden Gray) participated in a EU–U.S. High-level Regulatory Cooperation Forum Conference on Good Regulatory Practices in Brussels. On the European side were officials from the European Commission's Enterprise and Industry and Health and Consumer Protection Directorate Generals and the Austrian Presidency, as well as members of the academic community. The first day consisted of a European Commission-OMB Dialogue on Good Regulatory Practices, while during the second day participants discussed regulators' perspectives on applying good regulatory practices and reviewed EU and U.S. regulatory reform and simplification efforts.

Jan 25: European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security Franco Frattini and U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Robert Mueller met in Brussels to discuss U.S.-EU law enforcement cooperation.

Jan 24: Elaine Dezenski, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Acting Assistant Secretary for Policy Development, participated in a Brussels conference on "Reinforcing the Area of Freedom, Security, Justice and Prosperity in Europe and its neighboring countries.” In a panel on “Security and migration policies: Border management, fight against human trafficking, smuggling, illegal migration and other forms of organized crime,” she explained the U.S. experience in managing migration at its borders and with its European partners across the Atlantic.

Jan 19-20: More than a dozen officials from U.S. investigative agencies, prosecutorial offices, and the State Department came to Brussels to explain the American criminal justice system to EU officials and Member State judicial and law enforcement personnel. The seminar, the second of two, focused on the building of cooperation in the field between law enforcement agencies and the intelligence community, counter-terrorism cooperation, organized crime prevention and international judicial cooperation.