It was four years since the last high-level meeting between the leaders of the European Union and the United States.
In May 2017 that was;
none of the politicians of that time are in office anymore.
At noon today, Council President Charles Michel and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will receive American President Joe Biden in Brussels.
The meeting is also intended to initiate a fresh start between the EU and the United States.
There is now a new opportunity for a "positive agenda," said a senior EU official.
However, the old agenda that Trump designed is still hanging.
And it is less easy to shake off than the EU has hoped.
Thomas Gutschker
Political correspondent for the European Union, NATO and the Benelux countries based in Brussels.
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Hendrik Kafsack
Business correspondent in Brussels.
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This applies to trade disputes, for example.
In the final joint declaration, the EU wanted to set a date for the end of the American protective tariffs on steel and aluminum that Trump had imposed in 2018.
According to the first draft of the declaration drawn up by the EU, both sides should reach an agreement by the end of the year.
As internal reports by the German EU ambassador Michael Clauss show, the Americans were not ready for this.
The FAZ reported on it.
The steel tariffs are simply too popular with Democratic voters for elimination to be in their interest.
According to EU diplomats, the Americans are said to have emphasized that this will only help Trump win re-election.