Working groups | Track-Star

"Shared values of human dignity, individual rights and democratic principles"

About the Working Gropus

Europe and the United States account for about a third of the world’s trade and the standards we set reach every corner of the world.

Our shared values of human dignity, individual rights and democratic principles make us natural partners to harness rapid technological change and face the challenges of rival systems of digital governance. This gives us an unprecedented window of opportunity to set a joint EU-US tech agenda and to strengthen open and fair trade.

The following Policy Dialogue EU – US Working Groups are being facilitated by the TRACK-STAR project and the sections below set out the initial Terms of References for each of the 7 WGs.

WG Coordinator: Jonathan Miles, James Madison University

The Energy Working group will create an open dialogue between key stakeholders in the EU and US to design a mutually beneficial agenda for broader transatlantic cooperation. Our energy working group will seek to identify a range of issues that address fossil fuels and carbon reduction, the transition to renewable energy and electric vehicles; distributed energy, energy storage, demand-side management, and smart grid; energy security; solar and wind supply chains; international energy standards; energy workforce development; and the US-EU Energy Council.

In terms of policy dialogues of immediate importance for transatlantic cooperation in Energy, the EU and US should consider several initiates, including:

Open a transatlantic dialogue on the fair and equitable transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, to develop strategies that advance the transition in a manner that considers the global distribution of energy resources and technologies, existing energy infrastructures, and access.
Develop a common transatlantic approach for deploying distributed energy systems and advanced energy storage technologies as a means to enable more robust, resilient, and efficient electricity transmission networks that incorporate intelligent demand-side management and smart grid technologies, while enabling greater energy independence.
Develop best practices for promoting energy security in order to maintain proper balance between supply and demand as well as to defend against cyber-attack.
Enhance policies and regulations to enable fair trade of products and materials as pertain to solar power, wind power, and energy storage technologies, as well as to promote a robust global supply chain, and to enable EU-US partnerships that pursue offshore wind development and deployment.
Advance cooperation on regulations and standards that govern electricity use in both developed and developing countries, from generation to use, that invoke safety and performance requirements, and promote sustainable, resilient, and affordable energy services.
Examine existing shared EU-US energy curricula and workforce training and develop strategies to increase joint EU-US energy education and training capacity.

ENERGY

CLIMATE

CHANGE

WG Coordinator: Case Watkins, James Madison University

The Climate Change working group will open dialogues and alliances between key stakeholders in the EU and US to design a mutually beneficial agenda for broader transatlantic cooperation. Our Climate Change working group will identify and integrate a range of issues and strategies intersecting local, national, transatlantic, and global responses to global climate change with emphasis on racial, social, and environmental justice. Discussions will span a range of policies and proposals for enhanced livelihoods and healthy relationships between people and planet, including access to productive land, clean and safe jobs and living wages, and other structural changes supporting just transitions to a post-carbon economy at multiple scales from local to global.

In terms of policy dialogues of immediate importance for transatlantic cooperation on climate change, the EU and US should consider several initiatives, including:

Open transatlantic dialogues on just and efficient responses to global climate change for implementation at multiple scales from local to global.
Develop transatlantic discussions and collaborations on interconnected issues related to land, environment, economic well-being, social and racial justice, and climate change. For example, connect opportunities and challenges related to the Farm-to Fork strategy implemented in the European Green Deal with various policy proposals in the US (including those related to a nascent Green New Deal).
Design and implement a transatlantic organizing strategy that connects and coordinates climate justice issues and organizations with public policy proposals.
Building on these efforts, develop a transatlantic climate justice agenda to include a portfolio of proposed policy solutions for responding to global climate change while synergizing efforts toward racial, social, and environmental justice.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY & BIODIVERSITY

WG Coordinator: Robert Alexander, James Madison University

The Circular Economy and Biodiversity Working Group will engage in dialogue that interrogates current EU and US-based conceptualization of ‘circular economy’ through a biodiversity lens to produce a mutual agenda for pursuing biodiversity-informed circular economy policies and strategies that connect EU and US stakeholders. This Working Group will integrate both researchers and practitioners investigating this emergent challenge shared by EU and US proponents of circular economy strategies.

First, the Working Group will explore how the concept of ‘circular economy’ has evolved in the EU/US policy contexts, seeking both convergent as well as divergent paths and patterns.
Then, the Working Group will construct the framework for a mutually agreeable biodiversity ‘lens’ through which current EU/US circular economy approaches may be examined.
Finally, the Working Group will use this lens to interrogate circular economy strategies and policies within their shared spaces and contexts and develop the scaffolding for creating EU/US biodiversity-informed circular economy initiatives.

Essential to the success of this Working Group are the abilities to generate shared understanding of key concepts that bridge practitioner and academic spaces, to examine emerging literature and practice on the topic, and to system map the relationships between biodiversity and circular economy strategies for the purpose of identifying leverage points in the system.

DEMOCRACY & TRANSPARENCY

WG Coordinator: John Hulsey, James Madison University

The Democracy and Transparency Working Group will create a dialogue between key stakeholders in the EU and US to build transatlantic cooperation around democracy and party promotion focusing broadly on the need to reevaluate approaches in the context of both challenges to shared understanding of the endpoints of democracy promotion and to practical bases of democracy.

The working group will pursue policy dialogues aimed at shaping transatlantic cooperation in several areas, including:

Develop a common transatlantic approach to democracy and party promotion that takes into account changes in the connection between parties and voters, especially those driven by new technologies and media.
Build an understanding of the implications of the adoption of big data and targeting techniques in both established and emerging democracies, including implications for transparency and party support.
Develop a framework for understanding the tension between the promotion of stability and the promotion of democracy.
Push forward best practices rooted in the dynamics and limits of external intervention in supporting and shaping political competition.
Open a dialogue on renewed transatlantic cooperation on sustainable democratization around frozen conflicts.

DIGITAL ECONOMY

WG Coordinator: Dan Caprio, Lares Institute

The Digital Economy Working group will create an open dialogue between key stakeholders in the EU and US to design a mutually beneficial agenda for broader transatlantic cooperation. Our digital economy working group will seek to identify a range of issues including online platforms and Big Tech, 5G, digital supply chain cybersecurity, transatlantic artificial intelligence, free flow of transatlantic data; and the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC).

In terms of policy dialogues of immediate importance for transatlantic cooperation in the Digital economy, the EU and US should:

Open a transatlantic dialogue on the responsibility of online platforms and Big Tech - to find global solutions for fair taxation and market distortions in the digital economy.
Create an EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC).
Develop a common transatlantic approach to protecting critical technologies in light of global economic and security concerns – starting by discussions on 5G.
Work on an AI Agreement and intensify cooperation to facilitate free data flow with trust.
Facilitate free flow of data.
Enhance cyber capacity building including situational awareness and information sharing.
Engage in collaborative antitrust enforcement.

REGULATORY COOPERATION

WG Coordinator: William O’Gorman, Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT)

The Regulatory Cooperation Working Group (WG) of Track-star will create an open dialogue forum between key regulatory stakeholders in EU and US in order to establish and reinforce bilateral regulatory cooperation in areas where the stakeholders identify common interests and where this cooperation would benefit citizens, entities subject to regulation, including businesses of all sizes, and the public interest. Their main goal will be to design a mutually beneficial transatlantic agenda for EU-US regulatory cooperation based on common values, interests and global influence. The WG will strive to identify opportunities where the EU-US transatlantic alliance can positively lead global regulatory policies, standards, and best practices in environmental issues, technology, innovation, cyber-security, security, human rights, sustainable finance, and health and science, amongst others, whilst facilitating trade and investment. [full list from TTIP (site below in footnote) in public health and safety; human, animal and plant life and health; working conditions; and animal welfare; ii) the environment; iii) consumers; iv) social protection and social security; v) personal data and cybersecurity; vi) cultural diversity; vii) financial stability.

In terms of policy dialogues of immediate importance for transatlantic cooperation in regulatory cooperation, the EU and US should:

Create open dialogue between transatlantic Regulatory Bodies EU-US.
Perform an in-depth analysis of the new US Administration’s policies as regards regulatory cooperation in relation to environmental issues, technology, innovation, cyber-security, security, human rights, sustainable finance, health and science.
Identifying opportunities for unified EU-US Regulatory Policies, Standards and Practices and re-establish transatlantic alliances between EU-US Regulatory Authorities.
Design a new transatlantic agenda for EU-US regulatory cooperation based on our common values, interests, and global influence and identify opportunities whereby the EU-US transatlantic alliance can positively lead global regulatory policies, standards, and best practices in environmental issues, technology, innovation, cyber-security, security, human rights, sustainable finance, health, and science.

TRADE AND INVESTMENT

WG Coordinator (Acting): James Clarke, Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT)

The Trade and Investment Working Group (WG) of Track-star will create an open dialogue forum between key trade and investment stakeholders in EU and US in order to re-establish transatlantic alliances between EU-US Trade and Investment institutions. The overall goal of the WG will be to create a proactive dialogue forum for re-engagement between EU-US trade and investment networks and establish a new EU-US Trade and Technology Council to help, facilitate trade, develop compatible standards and promote innovation in the EU – US trade relationship.

In terms of policy dialogues of immediate importance for transatlantic cooperation in Trade and investment, the EU and US should:

Re-engage policy makers and trade and investment networks for identifying opportunities for unified EU-US Trade and Investment policies.
Work together to lead WTO reform efforts to solve bilateral trade irritants through negotiated solutions.
Establish a new EU-US Trade and Technology Council to help, facilitate trade, develop compatible standards, and promote innovation.
Perform an in-depth analysis of the new US Administration’s policies towards trade, investment, tariffs/barriers and sanctions.
Re-establish transatlantic alliances between EU-US Trade and Investment institutions.
Open up dialogue on ‘green trade and investment’ policies and practices.
Contemplate a replacement for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).