Joe Biden and Ursula von der Leyen promised Friday in Washington to avoid harmful competition in the race for the energy transition, which must go through an agreement on certain metals and through an extensive dialogue on public aid on both sides. other.

When the President of the United States received the President of the European Commission by the fire in the Oval Office, there was no doubt that the main subject would be the “Inflation Reduction Act”. This is a huge aid plan for the energy transition launched by Joe Biden, unashamedly supporting “Made in America”, in particular via tax incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles, and whose European manufacturers fear the harmful effects on the European market.

To at least somewhat temper these fears, the two leaders promised, in a joint statement at the end of their meeting, to “immediately begin negotiations for a targeted agreement on strategic metals” of the energy transition.

Avoid a competition

Joe Biden does not intend to change his program much. He nevertheless promised the European leader to “work to avoid zero-sum competition, so that our public aid policies support the development of clean energy and employment without becoming boons for private interests”, according to their joint statement.

Before the bilateral meeting began, Joe Biden recalled promising his interlocutor a “new era” in the transatlantic relationship, sorely tested by his predecessor Donald Trump, and praising their unity in the face of the invasion of Ukraine by the Russia.

“I would like to thank you for your leading role” in reaching an agreement with the United Kingdom on the delicate question of the Northern Irish border after Brexit, said the American president, who follows this subject very closely. close. The United States and the European Union “are good friends”, said Ursula von der Leyen, saying she was “very grateful” for the help provided by the Americans to reduce European dependence on Russian gas.

Ukraine was also on the menu of discussions, the day after a massive salvo of Russian missiles against the country. “We stand together in unwavering support for Ukraine, for as long as it takes,” the joint statement read. Ursula von der Leyen said that the focus had been on sanctions against Russia, their “implementation” and how to prevent them from being circumvented.

China, absent from official statements

At a time when the United States openly accuses Beijing of considering military aid to Russia, Washington would like to finally convince the European Union to adopt a firmer position against Beijing. But the joint statement from Joe Biden and Ursula von der Leyen contains at most a coded allusion to China. The two leaders share their “shared concerns about the challenge posed by, among other things, the policies of economic pressure, the instrumentalization of economic dependencies and non-competitive economic policies. So many practices that Beijing is regularly accused of implementing.