ESTABLISHING KEY CONTACTS IN EU INSTITUTIONS FOR A NEWLY ESTABLISHED U.S. GOVERNMENT OFFICE

In March 2024, the European Union Visitors Programme (EUVP) provided me with the opportunity to meet with EU officials from the European Parliament, Commission and Council who work on digital policy issues to learn about their work and to introduce the newly established Office of Information and Communications Technology and Services (ICTS) within the Bureau of Industry and Security of the US Department of Commerce, where I serve as a government official. Thanks to the EUVP, I was able to serve as the first official from my Office to travel in an official capacity overseas to provide an overview of the ICTS Office’s mandates to EU officials. 

Over the course of the week, the EUVP organised 26 bilateral meetings for me in Brussels. These engagements significantly increased my understanding of the EU agencies dedicated to technology policy and the digitalization of the EU as is relevant to the ICTS Office. I also was able to discuss with my EU interlocutors ongoing digital legislation and policy developments in the EU, and possible areas of mutual understanding between the US government and the EU on ICTS supply chain issues. In particular, I benefited from learning first-hand about the EU Economic Security Strategy to include the five new initiatives within the strategy and how each initiative compares to the tools and authorities in place in the US. I also expanded my knowledge of DG CONNECT’s 5G Connectivity Toolbox and the EU’s plans for various cybersecurity labeling schemes.

Just as importantly, the EUVP afforded me with the chance to provide a high-level overview of the various workstreams of the ICTS Office to EU Officials, including our rulemaking processes for a proposed rule for Infrastructure as a Service providers (IaaS) to address malicious cyber-enabled activities and a proposed rule to safeguard connected vehicles (CVs) before CVs become ubiquitous on US roads. The subsequent US-EU Trade and Technology (TTC) Ministerial Meeting that took place in April 2024, provided a forum for US and EU officials to have further discussions on pressing issues surrounding trade and technology, including the need for both governments to coordinate to effectively regulate CVs. 

Since completing my EUVP experience in Brussels, I have been able to assist with the organisation of introductory meetings between my Office’s leadership and the EU Delegation to the US in Washington, DC. I look forward to continuing to assist with the organisation of engagements with visiting EU officials for the ICTS Office, as well as US government delegations to Brussels.