Global Business Briefing with Michelangelo Margherita, Head – Trade, Agriculture and Digital Economy, Delegation of the European Union to the U.S.

The transatlantic relationship, based on shared democratic values, is currently at its strongest point with EU-U.S. bilateral trade reaching historical highs and continuing to grow. The EU-U.S. Trade and Technology Council (TTC) has helped deepen this relationship by serving as a forum to coordinate approaches to pressing global trade, economic, and technology issues. However, the transatlantic relationship faces multiple existential transitions which threaten to lead to fragmentation. These include climate change, the rapid growth of emerging technologies, and geopolitical risks threatening economic security such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine or the growth of Chinese influence. The Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the TTC built on previous discussions and established first steps towards addressing new challenges and maximizing the potential opportunities they offer. This included creating new standards for sustainable trade, developing roadmaps for the safe regulation of emerging new technologies such as AI and 6G, and discussing practices to safeguard democratic values across a rapidly changing geopolitical digital environment.

On June 7, 2023, the Meridian Corporate Council hosted a Global Business Briefing with Michelangelo Margherita. The discussion, moderated by Michaela Chen, Senior Director – Global Public Affairs, BD, covered key areas of transatlantic trade and technology relations and the role that the U.S. private sector can play in facilitating this relationship.

Michelangelo Margherita is Head of Trade, Agriculture and Digital Economy for the Delegation of the European Union to the U.S. Before moving to Washington, he spent most of his career in the Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission in Brussels. His assignments included legislative files, trade negotiations but also public diplomacy and press relations. He was part of the negotiating team for the EU’s FTA with Andean countries, he was posted in Mexico City and subsequently developed the EU legislation on conflict minerals.