New EU Office to open in San Francisco to facilitate dialogues with Big Techs

A new EU office in San Francisco aims to foster positive dialogues with Big Tech companies, moving away from confrontational approaches. Led by Gerard de Graaf, the office will collaborate with the delegation in Washington D.C. to facilitate policy discussions and partnerships with tech giants, enhancing relations under the Trade and Technology Council. Scheduled to open on September 1, 2022, the office will engage in constructive interactions at the state level, in line with the Digital Diplomacy Council’s conclusions.

According to Euractiv, a senior European Commission official stated that the new EU office in San Francisco would aim to engage in more constructive relations with the US tech giants instead of more conflictual ones. The plan for the new EU office was first mentioned in the EU Council’s conclusions on Digital Diplomacy on 18 July 2022. The office would be an “antenna” of the EU delegation to the United States, acting in conjunction with the one in Washington D.C. Gerard de Graaf, the Commission’s official who oversaw the drafting and approval of the Digital Services Act package, will head the new office. After its opening on 1 September 2022, the San Francisco office will facilitate policy dialogues at the state level, encourage collaboration between the US Big Techs and the EU and support policy discussions in the context of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC).

Source: Euractiv