Ambassador Kirk is in Brussels to meet with European Union (EU) officials, business leaders, and environmental NGO and labor leaders, and to attend the Brussels Forum of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. During his meetings, Ambassador Kirk will discuss bilateral and multilateral trade issues.
While in Brussels, Ambassador Kirk will meet with European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, EU Commissioner for Trade Karel De Gucht, EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy John Dalli, and EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Dacian Cioloş. On March 26 at 6:15 p.m. CET Ambassador Kirk will participate in a joint press conference with Trade Commissioner De Gucht.
Ambassador Kirk will also host roundtable discussions with local business, NGO, and labor leaders and will give remarks at the joint EU American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), BusinessEurope and Belgian AmCham lunch on March 26. He will meet with the chairs and vice-chairs of several committees of the European Parliament. During the German Marshall Fund Brussels Forum, Ambassador Kirk will participate in the panel on ‘Overcoming Unemployment - the Counterpunch of the Economic Crisis.'
U.S. goods and services trade with the EU totaled $975 billion in 2008, or about $3 billion each day, and the EU is the number one export market for the United States. By some estimates, transatlantic investment is indirectly responsible for roughly 12-14 million jobs in the United States and the EU.
