Writing this blog from Seattle on America’s West Coast, while visiting the Microsoft campus to discuss some strategic issues concerning long-term trends, I am once again struck by how quickly the world is changing as it adapts to new circumstances and fast moving information technology.

The US has been in the headlines for us this week with the successful visit of David Cameron - carefully prepared and well-executed, focusing on Afghanistan, the economy and BP - where he will have found US politicians politically absorbed by domestic concerns in the run-up to the mid-term elections where the House of Representatives could well be taken back by the Republicans.

A major priority for Microsoft is to remain focussed on emerging markets, not least China, and to see how best to engage the Chinese government and businesses to take advantage of the huge opportunities available (see blog of 15 Jan). More of this in a future blog.

From a European perspective, what are the likely priorities ahead over the next six months (see more here)? Under the coordinated 18-month work programme of the Council, the following three issues are likely to get most debating time:

• Greater effectiveness, coherence and visibility in the EU’s external actions, as well as the effective implementation of the European area of freedom, security and law. A more coherent EU on the world stage would be welcomed in the US, as it is yet to be seen whether the European External Action Service, implemented with the new budgetary rules of the Lisbon Treaty in place, will make the EU a more results orientated partner.
• Implementation and revision of the legislative package on energy and climate, taking into consideration the Copenhagen Summit. Here it is essential to ensure that ambitious targets are not set which will stifle Europe’s manufacturing base. Will focus be sufficiently strong in enabling investments in alternative technologies and nuclear energy to deal with our energy and climate change concerns?
• Most important will be the economy and the ability to get Europe out of the current economic and financial crisis. This will mean getting the right balance in the austerity debate (see the FT for more). And there will be significant discussions, in particular on greater supervision of the financial markets and social agenda. But will there be sufficient political will to push the Digital Agenda with increased investment in both skills and education in IT, as well as infrastructure?

Much of the success of Europe’s future competitiveness depends on the successful implementation of the EU 2020 strategy. That brings me back to where I started. We cannot make a real success of this strategy without fully understanding the global picture and where Europe fits into this. Readers of this blog will know that long-term trends point towards a diminishing part for the EU and US in economic and wealth terms. Those are themes to which I will return in the autumn but it would be really helpful if Commission President Mr Barroso took the lead to encourage Europeans to think more strategically about the global environment and how the transatlantic partnership can help Europe to solve the challenges ahead.

European Union