Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Transatlantic Growth Enterprise Act”.
Transatlantic Growth Enterprise Act
A BILL
To strengthen United States relations with certain countries of Central and Southeast Europe and develop a comprehensive strategy to strengthen democracy, rule of law, and civil society, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Table of contents
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 3 Findings
Congress finds the following:
The United States has a strong and unwavering interest in promoting peace, security, democracy, good governance, and rule of law in Central and Eastern Europe.
Many countries in Central and Eastern Europe are strong and reliable NATO partners that serve as indefensible allies to the United States and transatlantic security.
In recent years, de-democratization in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly in Hungary, has greatly undermined the United States bilateral relationship with those countries and have enabled malign actors like China and Russia to gain a foothold in the transatlantic alliance.
Russia’s illegal war of aggression in Ukraine and China’s significant support for Russia’s war of aggression pose a significant economic and security threat to the European continent.
Strengthening the United States security and economic relationship with Central and Eastern Europe while countering malign action in the region is in the vital interest of the United States.
Sec. 4 Sense of Congress
It is the sense of Congress that—
a strong security and economic relationship between the United States and countries in Central and Eastern Europe is vital to United States national security;
Central and Eastern European countries play an important role in NATO and the transatlantic security architecture and serve as a bulwark against Russian malign influence and aggression;
the United States can better counter the influence of the People’s Republic of China around the world through transatlantic cooperation including with countries in Central and Eastern Europe; and; and
United States investments in Central and Eastern Europe and strengthened business to business ties between the United States and Central and Eastern Europe strengthen the economic security of the transatlantic relationship and contribute to increased prosperity and energy security around the world.
Sec. 5 Establishment of Transatlantic Growth Enterprise
Enterprise authorized— The Secretary of State shall, in coordination with the Chief Executive Officer of the Development Finance Corporation, and other relevant Federal agencies, carry out a program, to be known as the “Transatlantic Growth Enterprise”, in support of strengthening United States relations with participating Enterprise countries, with a particular focus on strengthening business to business ties and fostering a robust investment environment in participating Enterprise countries as well as expanding energy security and security cooperation within Enterprise countries.
Objectives— The objectives of the Enterprise shall be the following:
Strengthen United States relationships with like-minded participating countries.
Expand business-to-business ties, including by working with relevant Chambers of Commerce, between United States industry and important economic and security sectors in participating countries.
Expand energy sector cooperation between the United States and Enterprise countries, including in the nuclear energy sector.
Strengthen people-to-people ties between the United States and participating countries.
Strengthen security cooperation and efforts to counter Russian malign influence and aggression on the European continent.
Counter the People’s Republic of China’s growing private sector footprint in Enterprise countries;
Meetings— The Secretary shall seek to convene appropriate stakeholders of participating Enterprise countries at least twice per calendar year to discuss shared goals and priorities for the Enterprise. Such stakeholders shall include, as practicable, government officials, business leaders, and civil society representatives.
Limitation— To the extent that projects or activities are undertaken or supported by the Secretary, the Enterprise may only engage with counterpart government officials of Enterprise countries that the Secretary has determined are not undermining United States interests in the region—
through cooperation with Russia or China; or
by undermining democracy in the region including through the conclusion of a bilateral agreement with the People’s Republic of China or the Russian Federation that enables the stationing of that country’s police or military forces on the enterprise country’s territory.
Reports—
Implementation report— Not later than 180 days after enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary, in coordination with the heads of the Federal agencies described in subsection (a), shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report detailing the activities of the Enterprise, which shall also include—
an overview of the diplomatic engagements undertaken in the Enterprise;
an assessment of the progress of achieving the objectives described in subsection (b); and
recommendations for future initiatives for the Enterprise to undertake.
Form— The report required by paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified annex.
Energy strategy— Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the heads of the Federal agencies described in subsection (a), shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that includes the following:
An overview of ongoing energy cooperation between the United States and participating Enterprise countries.
An overview of the dependency of enterprise countries on the Russian and Chinese energy sectors and the impacts of these dependencies on United States and transatlantic trade and energy security.
A list of opportunities in the energy sectors of participating countries, including in energy infrastructure, that would enhance the work of the Enterprise, further United States national security, support decoupling from energy sector dependencies on Russia and China, and strengthen United States bilateral relations with enterprise countries.
An assessment of required appropriations or additional needed authorities for the United States to carry out public sector opportunities listed pursuant to subsection (c).
An assessment of actions required by the private sector and opportunities for the United States to provide support to the private sector to carry out private sector opportunities listed pursuant to subsection (c).
Sec. 6 Definitions
In this Act:
Appropriate congressional committees— The term appropriate congressional committees means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
Enterprise country— The term Enterprise country means the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, or Bulgaria, and may include any other country in Central and Eastern Europe that the Secretary of State determines appropriate to participate in the Enterprise authorized by section 5.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization— The term NATO means the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.