MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
10 May 2001
pursuant to Rule 37(2) of the Rules of Procedure
by Enrique Barón Crespo, Imelda Mary Read and Margrietus J. van den Berg,
on behalf of the PSE Group
on transatlantic dialogue
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B5-0345/2001
B5‑0345/2001
European Parliament resolution on transatlantic dialogue
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the Commission's communication, ‘Reinforcing the Transatlantic Relationship’,
– having regard to its resolutions of 18 November and 15 December 1999 on the WTO Millennium Round and the Ministerial Conference in Seattle,
- having regard to its resolution of 15 December 1999 on climate change,
- having regard to the EU-US agreement in principle to resolve the dispute on trade in bananas,
A. whereas Europe and the USA have a common and vital interest in the continued spread of democracy, human rights and the rule of law throughout the world,
B. whereas US-European cooperation, including that within the Atlantic Alliance, has been decisive in preserving the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic region,
C. whereas the European Parliament reaffirms the need to deepen transatlantic political dialogue, regards as a positive signal the presence of President Bush at the Gothenburg Summit, and hopes that the transatlantic agenda will develop new and more sophisticated mechanisms for identifying and managing areas of disagreement,
D. whereas the House of Representatives and the European Parliament have developed, since January 1999, a Transatlantic Legislators’ Dialogue, building on the existing interparliamentary delegation,
1. Welcomes the Commission's recent Communication on 'Reinforcing the Transatlantic Relationship' (COM(2001) 154 final) and endorses the Communication's objective of revitalising the relationship's high-level political dimension;
2. Insists that the central task of Transatlantic dialogue must be to define the terms of the strategic partnership between the United States and Europe as equal partners, addressing the roles of each in global and regional affairs, the commitment of both to multilateralism and a rule-based international system, the contributions which the EU and the USA will make to global arms control and arms reduction, and the principles which should underlie an equitable burden-sharing in the economic, security, humanitarian, environmental and diplomatic fields;
3. Insists that close cooperation between the United States and the European Union is not only essential both to US and European interests, but also to global interests in tackling issues such as the fight against poverty, safeguarding the environment, global trade, cultural and information diversity, the digital divide and organised crime;
4. Shares the Communication's insistence on the importance of stronger parliamentary links and more effective EU lobbying of Congress and calls for greater resources to be devoted by the European Parliament and Commission to these activities;
5. Will give a further detailed response to the Communication's proposals on the basis of a report from the responsible committee;
6. Calls on the USA and the European Union, at the forthcoming Gothenburg Summit, to demonstrate clear progress towards agreement on building a strategic EU-US partnership; on resolving bilateral trade disputes, on a common approach to European regional security, including the Balkans, on a commitment to tackling the problem of climate change, and on the launching of a new WTO Round in Qatar in November, which must address in particular the issues of third world development, environmental and social standards, and transparency and democracy in the world trade system;
7. Emphasises that global security and stability are best promoted by a strong commitment of leading nations to multilateralism in international relations and within international organisations (UN, IMF, World Bank); regrets that some early actions of the new US Administration have raised doubts about the strength of its commitment to multilateralism; invites the USA to confirm that commitment, including by settling its debts and making its financial contribution to UN bodies;
8. Is concerned that the USA’s MDS proposals could lead to a new arms race which would reduce rather than enhance global security; considers that US security depends at least as much on the strength of US political and diplomatic relations worldwide as on enhancing an already massive technological and military ascendancy; believes that these relations could be jeopardised if the USA proceeds with the MDS without convincing its allies, its principal rivals, and neutral countries that MDS does not threaten their security;
9. Points out that the European Union has in recent years, demonstrated its will and its capacity to assume a share of the burden of defending itself, initially through the Petersberg tasks and the development of the European security and defence policy;
10. Asks the US, therefore, not to develop a missile defence system without genuine and thoroughgoing multilateral consultations, and not to withdraw unilaterally from the ABM Treaty;
11. Insists that the most important step that the United States and the European Union can take, in the interests of their own and global security, is to work together to tackle the urgent threats to security which now come from nuclear proliferation, poverty, ethnic and religious conflict, terrorism, lack of democracy and environmental degradation;
12. Deplores the US Administration's unilateral announcement in March 2001 that the USA would not implement the Kyoto Protocol; recalls that the United States is the world's biggest polluter and single biggest contributor to climate change and that an overwhelming consensus of international scientific opinion has identified climate change as the gravest environmental threat facing the world; considers that the international reputation of the USA will be gravely damaged if it does not accept its responsibility to make a commensurate contribution to a solution;
13. Insists that multilateral talks on the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol must continue and invites the United States to participate constructively in those talks;
14. Hopes that a final agreement on the trade in bananas will pave the way to the solution of other outstanding trade disputes;
15. Welcomes the decision taken jointly by the European Parliament delegation to Seattle in 1999 and the agricultural caucus of the American Congress to pursue their regular exchanges of views on agricultural issues;
16. Believes that the impact of WTO Disputes Panel findings on sensitive areas of domestic policy on either side of the Atlantic - including, for example, tax law, food safety and consumer sovereignty - demonstrates the need both for reform of WTO rules and procedures, and for the EU and USA to devote greater effort to achieving, where possible, diplomatic and negotiated solutions to problems of transatlantic trade;
17. Considers it necessary, in the context of transatlantic dialogue, to call on the various States of the USA where the death penalty exists to abolish it;
18. Wishes to launch a dialogue with the USA on the best means of putting an end to the intolerable situation of women in Afghanistan;
19. Calls on the USA to ratify the Treaty on the establishment of an International Criminal Court, and to take no action which would prejudice its ratification by other countries;
20. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the governments of the Member States, the President of the United States and the Majority and Minority Leaders of the US Senate and House of Representatives.