25th Franco-German Joint Cabinet Meeting and Economic Agenda Announcement
The French government held the 25th Franco-German Joint Cabinet Meeting in Toulon, southern France, on August 29, announcing a Franco-German Economic Agenda to deepen cooperation between France and Germany in energy, trade and economic security, industry, advanced technology, digital sovereignty, competitiveness, and single market simplification.
President Emmanuel Macron, in his meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, referenced the reconstruction of Franco-German cooperation for European competitiveness enhancement and productivity improvement, stating that "Franco-German agreement is a necessary condition for Europe."
Energy Sector Cooperation Enhancement
Power Market Integration Promotion:
- Support for consultations on new power interconnection possibilities by transmission operators including Germany Amprion and France RTE
- Promote cross-border energy market integration
Hydrogen Corridor Projects:
- H2Med: Construct green hydrogen supply network from Iberian Peninsula through France to Germany (Germany supports French, Spanish, Portuguese initiative)
- HY-FEN: Build hydrogen supply infrastructure from southern France to near German border
- Reconfirmed long-term commitment and support for both projects
Technology Development Cooperation:
- Treat all net-zero, low-carbon energy technologies contributing to European climate goals fairly
- Develop common approaches for administrative and regulatory burden reduction
Trade and Economic Security Cooperation
Regular Consultation Institutionalization:
- Conduct Franco-German consultations twice yearly considering increased geopolitical tensions and trade challenges facing European companies
- Focus on fair competition conditions and effective implementation of European economic security strategies
Trade Policy Coordination:
- Support more practical European bilateral trade initiatives
- Promote European company exports through negotiating and concluding ambitious and fair trade agreements
Response to Non-Market Policies:
- Coordinate with all EU measures regarding issues like subsidized overcapacity
- Deepen examination of both individual cases and overall strategies
Industrial Competitiveness and Digital Sovereignty
Industrial Support Measures:
- Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) revision
- Confirmed importance of electricity pricing for energy-intensive industries
Digital and AI Cooperation:
- Strengthen French and German research and investment ecosystems in artificial intelligence (AI)
- Deepen coordination of existing talent attraction programs
- Announced European Digital Sovereignty Summit on November 18