H. Res. 390
In the House of Representatives, U.S.,
November 5, 2003.
Whereas for more than a half century transatlantic policy co-
operation and coordination have been essential for the
preservation of peace and freedom in Europe, have en-
abled the development of free and prosperous economies,
and helped restore stability and unity in the Euro-Atlan-
tic area;
Whereas a central goal of United States policy toward Eu-
rope remains that the development of a Europe united,
free, strong, and at peace is in the best interests of the
United States and Europe so long as the United States
and Europe continue to work as partners, not rivals or
counterweights;
Whereas the central pillar of the United States partnership
with Europe remains a strong and cohesive Atlantic Alli-
ance;
Whereas the United States and the European community are
aware of their shared responsibility, not only to further
transatlantic security, but to address other common in-
terests such as environmental protection, poverty reduc-
tion, combatting international crime and promoting
human rights, and to work together to meet those
transnational challenges which affect the well-being of all;
•HRES 390 EH
Whereas in recognition of the threats posed by global ter-
rorism, terrorist states, the proliferation of weapons of
mass destruction, and the nexus of the three, the part-
nership should be expanded progressively from a trans-
atlantic community of values to an effective transatlantic
community of action by developing a collaborative strat-
egy and action plan for dealing with those challenges of
mutual interest and concern;
Whereas no policy disagreement, such as the dispute with re-
spect to Iraq, should be allowed to significantly disrupt
transatlantic relations nor cause any member of the
Euro-Atlantic community to choose between partners;
Whereas a renewed commitment to strengthen the partner-
ship through increased cooperation, communication, con-
sultation and information-exchange is required to achieve
our common goals, which will continue to ensure peace
and prosperity between the United States and Europe;
Whereas Congress has played a constructive role in this coop-
erative approach to partnership with Europe through
mechanisms such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organiza-
tion (NATO) Parliamentary Assembly, the Transatlantic
Legislators’ Dialogue, and the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary As-
sembly which have for years brought together legislators
of both the United States and Europe for discussions of
issues of common interest in order to further trans-
atlantic understanding and partnership at the parliamen-
tary level; and
Whereas the House of Representatives welcomes and con-
gratulates the newest member nations invited to join
NATO and the European Union and looks forward to
broader dialogue through their participation in these
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transatlantic parliamentary organizations: Now, there-
fore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) affirms the conviction of the United States that,
despite the occasional differences and difficulties, the un-
derlying ties which have historically bound the people of
the United States and of Europe remain strong;
(2) accepts the indivisibility of transatlantic security
which provides an indispensable link between North
America and Europe;
(3) recognizes that both the United States and Eu-
rope face new challenges at home and abroad and must
strengthen and adapt the transatlantic partnership to ef-
fectively meet these challenges;
(4) acknowledges that in order to strengthen the
transatlantic partnership there must be a renewed com-
mitment to regular and intensive consultation, informa-
tion exchange and dialogue between the United States
Government and the governments of Europe and the Eu-
ropean Union; and
(5) commits on its part to continue to improve the
transatlantic partnership by enhancing the communica-
tion between the United States Congress and the legisla-
tures of Europe through the formal frameworks of the
NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the Transatlantic Leg-
islators’ Dialogue, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly,