Transatlantic To-Do List

Continue adaption of NATO's deterrence and defense posture and quickly upgrade
defense capabilities and readiness

Reach and sustain defense spending of at least two percent of GDP as outlined in the Wales Commitments of 2014

Future-proof the nuclear pillar of NATO, including by reassessing the deterrence posture
and finding ways to include France in relevant NATO debates

Strengthen public understanding and support for security policy, by making the debate more inclusive

Raise the nuclear IQ by fostering expertise, research, and broad public debates on the nuclear posture

Promote confidence-building measures between the major nuclear powers to raise predictability and identify potential avenues for renewed arms control initiatives

Deepen and expand EU-NATO cooperation and relevant EU-US dialogues

Assess and prepare for the implications of the Sino-Russian strategic relationship
for transatlantic security

Advance military hardware interoperability and data sharing

Increase coordination of procurement efforts of EU member states and boost
joint procurement

Incentivize investments in defense production capabilities by providing financing guarantees and long-term contracts

Accelerate pipeline from commercial to military innovation, facilitate technology adoption
in defense, and increase investment in software capabilities

Fortify space assets and enhance transatlantic operational capabilities in space

Set joint standards for the use of Emerging Disruptive Technologies and space/satellite technology

Increase investments in joint intelligence collection and analysis capabilities and intensify cooperation between transatlantic intelligence services by expanding the “Five Eyes” standard

Quickly ratify Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO applications and operationalize their membership

Implement the decisions taken in the NATO Madrid Summit Declaration of June 2022, including on underappreciated initiatives such as the AP4

Formulate ambitious targets for the July 2023 Vilnius Summit to maintain momentum on alliance reinvigoration

Formalize the NATO-Ukraine dialogue by unblocking the NATO-Ukraine Commission

Agree on concrete security guarantees to Ukraine, Moldova, and other “countries/regions at risk”

Agree on an ambitious plan for the reconstruction of Ukraine, coordinate efforts, and ensure long-term support

Increase coordinated engagement in the Western Balkans, the Caucasus, and the Black Sea region and align respective strategies and policy documents

Support countries in the Black Sea region in increasing the resilience of their societies as well as their energy, transport, and communication infrastructure

Promote interregional cooperation and connectivity in Central Asia and Southeast Europe

Use initiatives like the European Political Community to upgrade the political and economic ties between the EU and its neighbors and strengthen Europe’s global role

Strengthen NATO's partnerships particularly to support partners at risk from
Russian coercion and interference and help them reduce their vulnerabilities

Develop tools to detect, assess, and disrupt disinformation campaigns and develop joint standard operating procedures for countering hybrid threats

Facilitate transatlantic trade, market access, and investment, including by ratifying CETA and fostering regulatory alignment

Map and comprehensively address the implications of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Chips Act and recent Executive Orders for transatlantic relations and the overall competitiveness of the alliance

Increase frequency of meetings and further operationalize the Trade and Technology Council to reduce and prevent trade frictions

Align and security-proof norm-setting and regulation,
especially in economic and technology policy

Reduce strategic dependencies on autocratic states by encouraging the diversification of supply chains, production hubs, and direct investments

Set up a transatlantic "Article 5" mechanism for responding to economic coercion

Deepen transatlantic coordination on sanctions policies and expand the toolbox   

Issue Ukraine Sovereignty Bonds building on the Canadian Model to provide additional funds for the reconstruction of Ukraine

Strengthen centrality of Europe and the US in the global financial
system and deepen cooperation on regulation and supervision

Align technology export controls

Secure critical infrastructure, including by aligning investment screening mechanisms and by bolstering cybersecurity cooperation between governments and the private sector

Strengthen government-industry and multilateral coordination on semiconductor policy and apply lessons learnt to other key industries, including AI and quantum technologies

Break down legal barriers that prevent transatlantic cooperation on sensitive cybersecurity issues

Build transatlantic infrastructure to support real-time operational collaboration to counter cyber threats

Prepare cybersecurity and encryption infrastructure for a breakthrough in quantum computing

Increase resilience against cyberattacks by investing in joint back-up systems

Develop joint offensive cyber capabilities and a joint cyber posture review

Implement zero trust cybersecurity architecture as the standard across the alliance

Develop a joint voluntary label for "internet of things" products to increase awareness of device security and incentivize a “race to the top” in the market 

Invest in joint deepfake detection standards and processes

Create a Transatlantic Cyber Safety Review Board on the basis of the US/Estonia model

Defend the free and open internet, including against the introduction of national protocols or the setting of malicious norms, by operationalizing the Declaration for the Future of the Internet from April 2022

Systematically address vulnerabilities of the international rules-based order, democratic processes, and social cohesion, starting with fostering democratic resilience at home

Scale up support for civil society actors around the world

Enhance efforts to track and seek accountability for war crimes

Deepen cooperation and intelligence-sharing on tracing and prosecuting corruption,
kleptocracy, and illicit flows

Close loopholes and increase resources to hold enablers of corruption to account,
including financial and legal services

Improve transparency including on the ownership of companies and real estate

Cooperate on banning imports from products made with forced labor

Increase digital literacy across the alliance and foster public discourse power vis-à-vis strategic competitors

Embrace strategic communication to create strong pro-democratic narratives and counter anti-liberal disinformation

Build on recent convergence to develop a joint understanding of the challenges posed by China, exchange best practices on how to address them, and align strategies to build counter-leverage

Increase transatlantic coordination and European engagement in the Indo-Pacific  and integrate transatlantic and transpacific China approaches

Clearly communicate red lines regarding the future of Taiwan, freedom of navigation, disregard for basic human rights, and the weaponization of economic dependencies

Resist Chinese efforts to use bilateral initiatives to drive wedges between transatlantic partners

Align initiatives on de-risking and diversifying China-dependent supply chains

Strengthen intellectual property protection, including in scientific and academic cooperation

Coordinate policies on critical technologies, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and quantum encryption

Coordinate on policy and personnel questions in international institutions to balance Chinese initiatives, including in organizations like the UN Industrial Development Organization or the International Telecommunications Union

Reduce regional dependencies on the Belt and Road Initiative by offering attractive alternatives as set out in the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment and the EU’s Global Gateway Initiative

Encourage stronger regional alliances and coordination of China-policies in the Indo-Pacific

Create greater opportunities for engagement with Taiwan

Further deepen support for Ukraine and intensify primary and secondary sanctions against Russia

Clearly communicate the purpose, costs, and limits of sanctions to the transatlantic public

Track Russian war crimes and seek accountability, including through the establishment of a Special Tribunal for Ukraine

Identify and freeze assets of Russian kleptocrats and prevent evasion of sanctions

Comprehensively map out and address vulnerabilities to Russian influence and reduce one-sided dependencies

Increase efforts to engage with the Russian public and counter state propaganda

Develop a joint strategic understanding of post-war policies on Russia

Create greater opportunities for engagement with post-Soviet states, including Belarus and Georgia

Incentivize countries such as Turkey and China to use their leverage over Russia

Recalibrate engagement on Arctic security, including in the Arctic Council,
to reflect new geopolitical realities

Develop a transatlantic agenda on building global partnerships, including aligning the design and implementation of recent infrastructure initiatives

Deepen business ties with countries in the Global South and begin to shift the policy framework from aid to investment

Support the development of local value chains and downstream investments in the Global South, including in the field of green energy

Fulfil promises made to Global South countries, including on vaccines and climate finance, and proactively follow-up on the loss and damage initiative launched at COP27

Offer debt relief and make additional funding available to developing countries

Foster domestic support by clearly communicating the purpose
and benefits of development aid to transatlantic publics

Increase trust in the multilateral system by expanding diplomatic fora with the Global South and closely involving anchor countries in their design (building trust through co-design)

Improve representation of the Global South in international organizations

Build trust by dealing openly with accusations of double-standards and questions of reparations and restitutions

Increase investment in cultural diplomacy towards the Global South

Counter Russian and Chinese narratives, including on the war in Ukraine and its global effects, and discourage hedging strategies

Provide opportunities and resources to reduce reliance on technological infrastructure at risk of malign foreign control, particularly in the technology and communication sectors 

Promote sustained investments in pandemic preparedness and response,
including through a Financial Intermediary Fund

Invest in distributed regional manufacturing and delivery systems for vaccines
in low- and middle-income countries

Promote healthcare workforce development, exchange, and mobility

Align and strengthen global pandemic surveillance systems

Scale up short-term food assistance and emergency relief

Work together to get Ukrainian grain onto the markets, both via land and sea routes, and find a long-term solution that replaces the Agriculture Resilience Initiative (AGRI) for Ukraine

Ramp up support for Ukraine’s agriculture sector, including investments to rebuild infrastructure, provide seeds for the next season, and train people in demining

Promote the "Global Alliance for Food Security" through the G7

Ensure that the World Food Programme and other aid organizations are fully funded

Invest in the long-term transformation and resilience of the global food system, including by strengthening smallholder farmers

Harmonize the European and US climate and energy agendas, including on carbon pricing

Foster dialogue on reducing trade barriers and tensions related to domestic industrial policy,
international trade policy, and the flow of energy transition technologies

Work together on green technologies and energy efficiency, including by filling the
"Green Technology Alliance" with life

Set up a transatlantic dialogue on regulations and standards for clean technologies and harmonize approaches to measuring the carbon content of goods

Coordinate efforts to manage the socio-economic repercussions of the energy transition
and the current energy crisis

Build awareness and preparedness for the challenges of an increasingly volatile energy transition amongst policymakers and the public

Sustain transition policy continuity and political predictability to ensure alignment with public and private investments with decarbonization goals

Increase commercial viability of green alternatives by fostering demand,
de-risking investments, and facilitating deployability

Prioritize the investment in and deployment of viable, near-term solutions while fostering technology readiness of longer-horizon technologies

Jointly work on reducing vulnerabilities in green energy supply chains, including in critical raw materials

Support the green transition in developing countries, including by fostering climate finance
and technology transfers

Work on a transparent monitoring mechanism showing climate finance commitments and tracking what has been spent and for which purposes

Strengthen and align green standards of US and European global infrastructure initiatives and cooperate with the UN on connectivity projects, including in green technologies and infrastructure

Agree on a common narrative on the strategic opportunities of climate adaptation
and mitigation efforts

Develop a joint understanding and prioritization of climate-related security threats

Invest in data analytics capacities on climate change and its security implications and develop
joint early-warning mechanisms

Integrate climate security into international peacebuilding and crisis prevention efforts, including by creating positions for climate experts in multilateral missions

Push for a common NATO standard on the energy transition and future self-reliance
of alliance armed forces and use NATO as a platform to foster transatlantic green innovation

Align policies on the management and protection of global commons like
the international seabed