“It is very important that we are able to develop standards together, which will help our industries go in the same direction and save us money,” the Romanian politician said during an event at the Atlantic Council think tank.
Wallen spoke after meeting with Pete Buttigieg, the US transportation secretary, as part of a trip to strengthen transatlantic ties.
The commissioner said these standards are essential in areas such as electric trucks, where the European Union (EU) is working on a common charging method.
He also highlighted areas such as the implementation of new fuels, where he said there is a difference in methods between Brussels and Washington as Europe tries to boost demand while the United States chooses to increase production.
“These are things that need to be worked on together and go in the same direction,” Wallen explained.
The commissioner thus answered a question about areas of cooperation between the powers following the announcement of the Inflation Reduction Act in the US in August 2022 – a spending plan that includes million-dollar subsidies for green technology developed in North America The relationship has partially turned sour.
European leaders have warned against discrimination the bloc’s companies could suffer in the country and asked it to develop its own response to encourage local industry, which has raised alarm bells over a possible subsidy war.
In this sense, the European Commission last December presented a plan to increase the production of clean technologies and energy in the EU and be able to compete with the huge subsidies given to this sector by the United States or China.
Brussels plans to facilitate subsidies to green industries, create a European fund to finance them, speed up permits and reduce bureaucracy, improve access to key raw materials and sign new trade agreements, among other actions. have proposed.
To try to resolve tensions between Washington and Brussels over the anti-inflation law, the two powers launched a working group in November 2022 to study the rule’s implementation, which has been meeting regularly.
Last March, Biden and the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, agreed to start negotiations on a trade deal on minerals to favor European companies that manufacture electric vehicles and on subsidies for green energy. Establish “transparent communication”.
