U.S.-EU tech trade summit clouded by French reservations

FILE PHOTO: U.S. and European Union flags are pictured during the visit of Vice President Mike Pence to the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 20, 2017. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -France is seeking to water down a planned joint EU-U.S. declaration on technology cooperation, against the wishes of other EU countries, EU diplomats said on Tuesday.

Senior U.S. and European Union officials aim to discuss semiconductor shortages, artificial intelligence and tech competition issues at the inaugural meeting of the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) on Wednesday.