European Union Warms Up Relations With the U.S.

Deputies in the European Parliament adopted a resolution on a new agreement for transatlantic partnership during their meeting in Strasbourg on March 26.
European Union Warms Up Relations With the U.S.
3/30/2009
Updated:
3/30/2009
Deputies in the European Parliament adopted a resolution on a new agreement for transatlantic partnership during their meeting in Strasbourg on March 26. The agreement should ensure closer partnership between the European Union and the United States.

A key point in the resolution is the construction of a new institutional structure, including the creation of a Policy Board and Transatlantic Assembly.

The report of Francisco José Millán Mon (Spain) on the state of transatlantic relations after the elections in the United States was adopted by 503 votes in favor, 51 against and 10 abstentions. The main point was the replacement of the existing New Transatlantic Agenda of 1995 with a new institutional structure.

In the adopted resolution the Members of the Parliament (MPs) propose to establish a Transatlantic Policy Board, which will perform the function as a “body for systematic consultation and coordination at high level in the field of foreign and security policy.” The Board will be chaired jointly by Supreme Representative/Vice-President of the Commission on the side of the EU, and by the U.S. Secretary of State. Meetings will be held at least every three months.

The full potential of the Transatlantic Economic Policy Board has to be realized in order to overcome the obstacles blocking economic integration and achieving a united transatlantic market by 2015. In this sense, the MPs require the European Commission to develop a detailed roadmap of existing barriers that need to be removed to achieve this goal.

The adopted resolution emphasized the importance of the Transatlantic Economic Council being used as a framework for macro-economic cooperation between the EU and the U.S. while promoting increased cooperation between the competent financial institutions.

Future Transatlantic Assembly is expected to replace the current legislative transatlantic dialogue. It will consist of an equal number of MPs and members from the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The assembly will hold plenary sessions twice a year to provide “strategic guidance and impetus to the partnership.”

The resolution encourages the U.S. administration to close all places of detention outside the United States, to end the policy of exclusive transfers of detainees, and to accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

The MPs believe that the renewed partnership will help build constructive cooperation with Russia on the challenges, the threats, and the opportunities of mutual interest, including security issues, disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation.

Considering that Iran’s nuclear program has raised serious questions about the functionality of the current system for promoting non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and stability in the region and the world, the European Parliament calls on the transatlantic partners to define “as soon as possible” a common approach to Iran.

The MPs adopted also an amendment to the resolution, in which the European Parliament strongly welcomes the forthcoming summit in Prague on April 5, 2009 between Barack Obama and Presidents of the 27 EU Member States, and hopes that this meeting will provide a strong incentive to strengthen transatlantic relations and establishing a common agenda.