Nijs thinks it’s especially important to take a good look at so-called ‘derisking’. “We have to work on the risks in those things that we depend on.”
In addition to the relationship with China, the discussion during the Trading Technology Council (TTC) will also cover the problems between the US and the EU itself. The EU is angry about US climate subsidies to companies. We can’t compete with that,’ says Nijs.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has already said the EU should set up a similar Green Deal in response to the US one Inflation Reduction Act. The question is whether the TTC is the right platform to discuss it. “It’s a bit of a strange club and can’t make real decisions,” says Nijs. ‘They have all kinds of working groups, even on climate and clean technology. But whether we can make progress with this for our Green Deal is the question.’
Artificial intelligence
There is also talk of the use of rare metals for electric cars and of norms, rules, for artificial intelligence. ‘How can we keep it a little under control, and keep faith in what? artificial intelligence everything for us as human beings.’
At the G7 summit in Japan, it was said on the use of artificial intelligence that the “human dimension” should be the protagonist of this technology. According to Nijs, it is particularly important that the US and the EU do not go too hand in hand, as has been done with privacy legislation. “Europe is much stricter than the United States, and this affects companies a lot.”
But the real interlocutor to talk to is not at the table. This is China. “They do a lot of things with artificial intelligence of which we say, do we really want this?’