Economic ties, missile defence and visas highlighted in debate on EU-US relations

 

On the economic front, the EP supports the initiative by the German Presidency to launch a New Transatlantic Economic Partnership, with a road map for achieving a barrier-free transatlantic market, covering investment, intellectual property, innovation, public procurement and the relation between trade and security.

 

Parliament stresses that bringing the WTO Doha Development Agenda to a successful conclusion with full respect for the development dimension and make progress in the matter of developing countries' access to medicines is a priority for both parties.

 

 

MEPs call on the US to redouble its efforts to consult and explain its planned missile defence system within NATO in order to allow the Alliance and Europe to remain united, and they stress the importance of "pursuing consultations on the system within the NATO-Russia Council". The EP urges the US and all other countries which apply entry visas to selected EU Member States to immediately lift the visa regime and treat all citizens of EU Member States equally.

 

 

On environmental and energy questions, the US is pressed to reconsider its position regarding ratification of the Kyoto Protocol and both parties are urged to develop alternative energy production methods and pursue greater energy efficiency.

 

 

Among a wide range of international issues, Parliament calls on the Council and the USA to intensify efforts, through the Middle East Quartet, to foster negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians for a peace solution on the basis of two secure and viable states. It welcomes the formation of the Palestinian national unity government and urges both transatlantic partners to engage in a constructive dialogue with it.  On Iran, Parliament welcomes the close cooperation between the EU and the US on the Iranian nuclear issue, encourages both partners to continue cooperation in strengthening the IAEA and underlines the value of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. 

 

 

Among other issues, Parliament also calls on the EU Presidency and US Government to signal to the President of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz, that his withdrawal from the post would be a welcome step towards preventing the World Bank's anti-corruption policy from being undermined.

 

 

Lastly, the EP insists on the wider involvement at all levels of the Congress and the European Parliament and wants the existing interparliamentary exchange to be transformed into a de facto 'Transatlantic Assembly'. The EP asks the Commission to discuss with the relevant EP committees its negotiating strategy before engaging in negotiations, when legislative issues are involved.

 

 

 

 

For the Council Presidency, Günter GLOSER, German Minister of State for Europe, began by stating that the message that the European Union and the United States of America can be "a vital force for good" in the world would be brought to the forthcoming EU-US summit in Washington.  He made particular reference to the issues of energy security and climate change.

 

Mr Gloser thanked the European Parliament for its role in the transatlantic relationship and for its commitment.  He went on to say that the transatlantic relationship is built on a solid basis, including the "common values of freedom, democracy, the state of law and tolerance" and that experience shows that this basis, which has sometimes been put to the test, "has withstood the test of time".  Mr Gloser pointed out that the transatlantic relationship is not just about bilateral issues but also about global issues.  He said that "it would be unrealistic to expect that we would always see eye to eye" but that the important thing is, that "in dealing with these questions, we do not allow ourselves to become divided."

 

Mr Gloser referred to the questions of combating terrorism, strengthening the transatlantic economy, the mobility of citizens between the EU and the US and the forthcoming EU-US aviation agreement.  He also spoke of initiatives that could be taken in the future to strengthen the relationship - in such areas as investment conditions, financial market rules, intellectual property.  He paid particular attention to future cooperation in the area of research and development and to the question of energy security which he said "is going to be the issue for the 21st century."

 

Mr Gloser concluded by saying that "no country is in a situation to solve the conflict problems of the modern world by going it alone ..[..]..  we must succeed in bringing together the experience of the EU and the US."

 

 

Commissioner Vladimir ŠPIDLA saw the EU-US summit as a new chance to enhance cooperation between the two sides.  The first goal of the summit, he said, was to promote economic convergence across the Atlantic by removing barriers to trade. He welcomed Angela Merkel's proposals for a "new ambitious economic partnership".

 

The EU and the US have much in common on foreign policy, stressed the Commissioner, and planned to "tackle a number of key areas" for example "in Kosovo and Afghanistan we will make every effort to bring about stability, prosperity and the rule of law."  Nato members were trying to work "to revive the political process with Israeli and Palestinian government leaders" to develop international aid mechanisms.

 

The "historic open skies agreement" was another key area.  This was set "to bring huge economic benefits", estimated at about €12 billion and 80,000 new jobs.  But the EU would also be working on a comprehensive agreement on airline services.

 

Tackling climate change and energy would also require cooperation between the two sides, and the EU would be pushing the US to accept a policy based on clean technology, market mechanisms but above all a "global approach".  Mr Spidla hoped for "a clear statement to emerge from the summit for the Climate Change Conference to be held in December 2007".

 

Turning to civil liberties issues, the Commissioner said the EU would "call on President Bush to commit himself to ensuring that all EU citizens can travel to the US without a visa".  There is no impediment to US citizens coming to the EU, so the "discrimination against EU citizens" must be eliminated.  The US would also be urged to find "a solution to the transfer of passenger data", with a new framework to replace the current interim regulations.

 

Lastly, the two sides must seek closer cooperation on combating terrorism, "in harmony with our obligations under international law".

 

 

On behalf of the EPP-ED group, Joseph DAUL (FR) began by saying that "the strong transatlantic ties are based on personal ties".  During the 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, we had an opportunity to think about the fact that without American help (such as the Marshall Plan), European reconstruction would not have been possible. Our group has been the most ardent defender of the transatlantic relationship. We need to strengthen our ties to the US Congress, and I am happy that "the first EP office to open abroad will be in Washington, DC".  He also proposed that the President invite the new Speaker of the House to address us here in Strasbourg.

 

Turning to policy issues, Mr Daul said "I also hope that the Congress' new temporary committee on climate change will be able to work with our new committee. We must talk in a fully frank way with our partners in the US".

 

One of his preoccupations was "the danger that stricter customs barriers in the US may become non-tariff barriers to our products".   Another was that "The fight against terrorism and organised crime must always be based on an appropriate legal basis".  

 

On foreign policy, Mr Daul said "We have worked together positively in Belarus and the Ukraine". We also need to extend this cooperation to Africa: the tyranny in Zimbabwe and genocide in Darfur. The Doha round talks also need to be concluded in the interests of the developing world. "Nuclear proliferation also poses a great danger, and the EU and the US need to find a common solution to the Iran issue". He concluded by saying "The EU and the US are together defending a common civilisation".

 

For the Socialist group, Jan WIERSMA (NL) said "everyone can see that a new wind is blowing in Washington", giving a new chance for cooperation with the EU.  The Democrats controlled Congress and within the Bush administration, the influence of the State Department and Condoleeza Rice had grown. Having taken part in Parliament's delegation to Washington the previous week, Mr Wiersma said “it was clear a sea change is under way with more support for the effective multilateral approach, they are much keener to cooperate.”  There was, he said, recognition that the methods used in Iraq had failed and that new ways to tackle security problems were needed. The Americans were looking for more dialogue with both the Europeans and the Russians.

 

On the Middle East, he wanted to emphasise that “the new national unity government in Palestine is not left in lurch, we want to support this development.”  There was also, he said, a new US domestic agenda on issues like health, environment and working conditions. Criticism of secret prisoner camps and data protection problems must be pursued, he said, but there was now a good basis for cooperation. He concluded by saying that the EU-US summit should focus on the role of the World Bank in the fight against corruption. 

 

ALDE group leader Graham WATSON (UK) recalled that after 11 September 2001, Le Monde had said “nous sommes tous americains” – but times had changed since then.  “The United States administration had been shredding the values that made America respected around the world.”  Whether it was to resist unilateralism on trade, Kyoto or respect for international law, a “frank, forthright and occasionally fraught dialogue” was needed, covering issues like open skies or the visa waiver programme too. “Bush succeeds in divide and rule in Europe at least as well as Putin,” said Mr Watson.

 

Removing trade barriers and harmonising standards across the Atlantic was a top priority, but this should not be at the expense of the Doha round.  Describing climate change as “the greatest security threat of modern times” he said we needed to get US agreement to stabilise and reduce CO2 emissions.  Allegations of torture and the issue of extraordinary renditions should also be raised at the summit, he said.  He suggested that problems like the SWIFT affair and air passenger data transfer could only be solved in a wider democratic context including Parliament and the US Congress in a kind of “transatlantic Schengen area”.

 

The turmoil in Iraq, said Mr Watson, was “proof of what happens when we get the balance wrong.”  There was now a duty for Europe and America to help repair the damage.  He noted that of the 2 million refugees who had fled Iraq, the United States at taken only 466.  It was time for a comprehensive aid budget and a burden sharing system for asylum seekers.  He said Europe's leaders should send the message to Paul Wolfowitz of the World Bank that it was time for him to go.  They would be judged as individuals for the courage they mustered in Washington, he added.

 

For the Greens/EFA, Angelika BEER (DE) began by stating that "of course we want to strengthen transatlantic relations on a new basis", but stressed that this basis must be connected to European values. A bridge between Europe and the US "must mean that we would call on the US administration to ensure that its future policies are based on democratic values." The Americans should have a moratorium on the death penalty, for example. This opportunity, Mrs Beer continued, means that "fundamental principles can be redefined." We would not agree to call recent US behaviour "combating terrorism", she said, because this behaviour "restricts the rights of individuals." There is also the need to take the initiative "as Europeans." In Afghanistan we need to ensure sufficient funding ourselves "so that peaceful developments are available", and in Kosovo, "we simply cannot wait for the Americans to solve the problems for us."

 

For his group, Francis WURTZ (GUE/NGL, FR), told the House "Merkel has stated that the key project in transatlantic relations will be harmonisation of and cooperation in market regulation. Minister Würmeling was more frank: he stated that the goal is to progress towards a barrier-free transatlantic market. But the definition of such a project is a heavy deregulation of the market. The Transatlantic Business Dialogue is a lobby that has been pushing for this for a long time. This is not true cooperation--it is a battle for markets."  He also asked "Are we going to keep silent on issues such as PNR, the ICC, Guantanamo, GMOs, SWIFT, CIA renditions just to satisfy the Transatlantic Business Dialogue lobby?"

 

Speaking on behalf of the Independence and Democracy Group, Godfrey BLOOM (UK) said the EU should be "extremely careful to avoid gesture politics in our relationships with the United States of America". Everything the EU did had "a global dimension", said Mr Bloom. "We must be extremely careful before we burn any bridges we have when we deal with the United States", since they are the UK's "biggest trading and investment partner".

 

For his group, Frank VANHECKE (ITS, BE) said that the new partnership between the EU and the US had to be "an affair based on mutual recognition mutual aid, mutual respect for each other's interests". The summit in April "will also be an opportunity to think more about our common fight against international terrorism, especially against the increase in fundamentalism in Islam", Mr Vanhecke said. "Let's not forget that that struggle is based on the values which we share, on the western values which we share".  Lastly, he said that "foreign policy in the US is often the target of criticism, but the way in which it is criticised here in the Parliament is one-sided and negative". The EU should "not forget that the US is a country with which we have had a lot of misunderstandings and different opinions, but they are our allies, not our enemy".

 

For the non-attached members, Roger HELMER (UK) began with a warning to those who criticise the US, for example on the issue of climate change. He reminded the House that "here in Europe we ratified Kyoto but we're not delivering." It still seems, Mr Helmer continued, "that perhaps only two Member States will actually hit their Kyoto targets." Furthermore, Mr Helmer stated that "in recent years, the US trend on emissions has been better than the EU trend." In economics, the US "has already adopted a global approach." Finally, Mr Helmer stated that it is time that "we in this House stopped our moral posturing" and started treating the US with respect.

 

 

Sarah LUDFORD (ALDE, UK) said that on a parliamentary visit last week to Washington, we learnt more about the high level contact group on security than we have in Brussels, and also about renewed transatlantic discussions among officials on the legal basis for rendition. She insisted "Congressmen as well as MEPs must be not only informed but included in that debate".  She added "The tactics of the GWOT - the global war on terror - have failed, according to Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism chief. He said yesterday that Al Qaeda had not only survived the six-year onslaught but possessed momentum".

 

We must also insist on respect for fundamental rights. "If the information shared is based on dubious profiling or data-mining exercises or tainted by torture, what value does it have? As one of the officials in Washington said 'garbage in, garbage out'". We must have more cooperation between Congress and Parliament in order to bring democratic accountability and the desired goal of a transatlantic Schengen-type zone.

 

According to Charles TANNOCK (EPP-ED, UK), "the next EU-US Summit will prove an historic one". He fully supported the German Presidency's initiative for extensive economic partnership between the EU and the United States, "in particular Chancellor Merkel's ambitious aim for a transatlantic market without barriers by 2015".

 

"Some in this House regrettably would call this instead of 'partnership' a 'transatlantic rivalry' because for them the EU is in competition with the United States. If that is indeed the case, then America is clearly winning", said Mr Tannock.  "The healthy long-term prospects of its free enterprise economy are in sharp contrast with the EU's gradual decline in a sea of over-regulation." He continued "On the world stage we should be grateful to the US that it is willing to bear a disproportionately large burden in fighting global terrorism with its uncompromising stance on Iran's acquisition of a nuclear bomb which now demands a similar response from EU governments."

He believed that "America is also helping make Europe more secure by its deployment of missiles and missile shields".  Finally, together we must urge Russia to behave as a reliable energy supplier and uphold its commitments to democracy and human rights.

 

Jonathan EVANS(EPP-ED), told that House that, as chairman of the Transatlantic Legislators Dialogue, he last week briefed Congress in Washington on the findings of the EP Temporary Committee on rendition flights in Europe. Their US counterpart, Congressman Delahunt of Massachusetts, had thanked the EP for its work on this issue. In fact Congress was "the first parliamentary body which had asked Parliament's committee to share and discuss its findings", even though the EP's criticisms "have also been directed at European governments and national parliaments which have to date failed to follow the Congressional lead".

 

This weekend he would be leading a small delegation from Parliament for high level discussions in the margins of Monday's EU-US Summit.  He pointed out that the three presidents, Barroso, Bush and Merkel, would be holding a formal briefing session with the TABD, the global corporate CEOs, but have so far not scheduled any such meeting with either US or EU legislators. "I hope that is an omission that they will put right at future summits", said Mr Evans.

 

Avril DOYLE (EPP-ED, IE) stressed that while "we need a new ambitious economic partnership between the US and the EU" it must "be hand in hand with a new ambitious environmental partnership".

 

There was transatlantic accord at the recent G8 Environment Ministers meeting, when they agreed with the peer-reviewed science of 2500 world scientists that human-induced climate change is accelerating and that climate change has wide-ranging consequences. "There was, however, less accord" on what those policy responses should be.

 

However, with the Stern report, recent elections in the US, the IPCC report and the increased demand from citizens on both sides, said Ms Doyle, "I feel that transatlantic dialogue and cooperation on climate change is increasing and will, or has to, lead to an agreement for the post-Kyoto 2012 period that includes the United States".

 

 

Replying for the Council, Mr GLOSER said that the best way to tackle the big challenges in transatlantic relations, such as climate change and terrorism, is to talk to and learn from each other.

 

Data security issues such as air passenger name records and SWIFT banking data transfers will be discussed openly, not side-stepped, he promised.

 

On visa freedom, there should be no split within the EU, and all Member States should be treated equally.

 

Mr Gloser felt that the EU had succeeded in moving from unilateralism to multilateralism, and getting the US on board, with regard to Iran, Russia and China. However, more progress is needed in the Middle East, he said, hoping that the 30 April EU/US summit would provide solid foundations for addressing the critical points. 

 

Commissioner ŠPIDLA welcomed Parliament's view that every effort should be made to find multilateral solutions to common challenges, including climate change.

 

He hoped the EU/US summit would bring progress with regard to Iran, Sudan and Afghanistan, and to the Middle East Quartet's work.

 

On human rights, the Commission backs Council efforts vis-à-vis the USA, said Mr Špidla, recalling President Bush's observation at the 2006 summit that the Guantanamo Bay detention camp should be closed and the detainees released.

 

Dialogue between MEPs and their US Congress counterparts is a pillar of transatlantic relations that deserves to be strengthened, inter alia by holding the annual transatlantic dialogue meeting before the EU/US summit, and involving legislators more extensively in the process, he said.

 

On carbon emissions, renewable energies and biofuels, the Commission is looking to establish quantifiable targets, as agreed by the European Council.

 

On visas, it is too soon to expect big changes, said the Commissioner, reiterating the position that all EU citizens should be able to visit the US without having to get visas, just like US citizens visiting the EU. A deal on passenger data protection should be possible by the end of July, he suggested.

 

Bank transfer data protection for EU citizens should be provided in an appropriate form in the USA, said the Commissioner, who expressed disappointment that although dialogue was under way, negotiations had not yet begun on a formal agreement.

 

The "anti-missile shield" issue needs to be debated at EU level, because even though it is not a defence union, it would doubtless be affected, said Mr Špidla. 

 

On the "BAVAK" case, Mr Špidla said that a decision to discriminate against a bank's clients on the basis of nationality would have to be notified to the Commission, and that no such extra-territoriality could be accepted in the European system.

 

Efforts are under way to foster economic growth on both sides of the Atlantic, and not just through deregulation concluded the Commissioner.