BERLIN (Reuters) -The European Commission has asked leading European companies and CEOs to detail their U.S. investment plans, according to two sources familiar with the matter, in a bid to gain ammunition in crunch trade talks with Washington.

Members of the Confederation of European Business, an alliance of 42 business federations across the region, received a survey on Monday asking for information on upcoming U.S. investments with the instruction to respond as soon as possible, one source said.

A similar note asking for investment plans for the next five years went to the 59-person European Roundtable of Industry, a second source said, with a note highlighting that the request came personally from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.