P6_TA(2005)0238

Transatlantic relations

European Parliament resolution on ensuring the success of the forthcoming EU-US Summit in Washington DC on 20 June 2005

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Transatlantic Declaration on EC-US relations of 1990 and the New Transatlantic Agenda of 1995,

- having regard to the Conclusions of the Brussels European Council of 16 and 17 December 2004 and in particular to the sections entitled "An international order based on effective multilateralism" and "Working with partners",

- having regard to its resolution of 22 April 2004 on the state of the Transatlantic Partnership on the eve of the EU-US Summit in Dublin on 25/ 26 June 2004 [1],

- having regard to the outcome of the EU-US Summit held on 25 and 26 June 2004 in Dublin,

- having regard to its resolution of 13 January 2005 on transatlantic relations [2],

- having regard to its previous resolutions of 17 May 2001 on the state of the transatlantic dialogue [3], of 13 December 2001 on EU judicial cooperation with the United States in combating terrorism [4], of 15 May 2002 on the Commission Communication to the Council on reinforcing the Transatlantic Relationship: Focusing on Strategy and Delivering Results [5] and of 19 June 2003 on a renewed transatlantic relationship for the third millennium [6], and to its recommendation of 10 March 2004 to the Council on the Guantánamo detainees' right to a fair trial [7],

- having regard to US Congress Draft House Resolution 77 on Transatlantic Relations presented on 9 February 2005,

- having regard to the statements made after the meeting of European Union Heads of State and Government and the President of the United States on 22 February 2005 in Brussels,

- having regard to the Commission Communication of 18 May 2005 entitled "A stronger EU-US Partnership and a more open market for the 21st century" (COM(2005)0196),

- having regard to the hearing of the Committee on International Trade on 26 May 2005 concerning transatlantic economic relations,

- having regard to the document produced by the OECD, setting out the benefits of liberalising product markets and reducing barriers to international trade and investment ("Preferential Trading Arrangements in Agricultural and Food Markets — The Case of the European Union and the United States", published in March 2005),

- having regard to Rule 103(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas democracy, human rights and the rule of law, sustainable economies and sustainable development have proven to be common values capable of forming a solid basis for both the transatlantic partnership and European integration, which together have brought about stability, peace and prosperity in our societies during the last 60 years,

B. whereas, as the European Security Strategy makes clear, the transatlantic partnership is very important,

C. whereas, however, new threats and conflicts in the new international environment challenge those values and achievements to such an extent that only cooperation between the transatlantic partners on the basis of a firm institutionalised structure can bring any hope of success,

D. whereas the New Transatlantic Agenda has succeeded in considerably increasing the integration and cohesion of the transatlantic economy but has also proved insufficient to resolve high-level political issues such as decisions regarding the use of force and issues regarding world order,

E. whereas the moment has therefore arrived for the New Transatlantic Agenda of 1995 to be urgently revised in order to take account of current realities and further deepen transatlantic relations on the clear assumption that working together brings more benefits to each partner than working in different, or indeed opposing, directions,

F. whereas international treaties are the basic elements upon which to lay the foundations of an effective multilateral framework and whereas in several policy areas, such as those relating to the International Criminal Court, the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change, data protection principles and support for the development of large civil aircraft, differences in analysis, diagnosis and policy approach exist between the EU and the US,

G. whereas the persistent situation at Guantánamo Bay is creating tensions in transatlantic relations,

H. whereas the fight against terrorism can be successful only if the action is carried out through a strengthened transatlantic partnership which also pays full attention to the causes of terrorism and to a sincere commitment to upholding and promoting human and fundamental rights, data protection principles and all other founding values upon which the partnership has been built,

I. whereas this resolution provides an initial response to the recent Commission Communication on EU-US relations,

1. Welcomes the improving climate of transatlantic relations, as evidenced in the recent handling of both global and bilateral issues by governmental and legislative leaders on both sides of the Atlantic; believes that this positive backdrop offers genuine opportunities for the European Union and the United States to work closely together in the years to come on a wide range of policy challenges of common concern;

2. Stresses that at the EU-US Summit on 20 June 2005 in Washington new impetus should be given to transatlantic relations by the updating of the New Transatlantic Agenda and its replacement with a Transatlantic Partnership Agreement to take effect from 2007;

3. Takes the view that this Transatlantic Partnership Agreement should expand the existing Agenda in the political, economic and security fields, on the understanding that the partnership should primarily remain one of political engagement; considers that, as regards the economic relationship which, according to a recent OECD study, could increase GDP per capita in Europe by 2 to 3 %, the remaining barriers to transatlantic trade and investment should be identified and a route map developed which outlines a course of action to strengthen the transatlantic market within a clear timetable by prioritising areas of action, to be accompanied by the establishment of an area-specific regulatory dialogue to assist the process;

4. Notes that the new Reinsurance Directive will create a single market for regulations and supervision; calls upon the USA to end its discrimination against European companies through the imposition of costly collateral requirements which distort competition in favour of US companies;

5. Believes that a broader framework of this nature will allow the EU and the US to combine more effectively their efforts to encourage others to move towards upholding the vital principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law around the world;

6. Welcomes in this respect the above-mentioned Commission Communication of 18 May 2005, which represents a valuable first step towards the establishment of a Transatlantic Partnership Agreement, but criticises its lack of courage; recognises that the EU-US Summit process should provide a vital forum for the discussion of major priorities of both a global and bilateral nature, imparting strategic impetus to the relationship;

7. Calls, in this framework, on the US to assume its shared responsibility for economic stability in an increasingly interdependent world and expresses its concern about the potentially dangerous impact of the large US federal budget deficit on the global economy and the balance of international currency markets;

8. Reiterates its rejection of the proposed lifting of the embargo on arms exports to China, unless and until the human rights situation in that country improves substantially; believes that it would be helpful for a high-level group to be established at the EU-US Summit on 20 June 2005 to develop a joint EU-US approach to the question of exports involving technology transfer;

9. Notes that visa policy is now a policy of exclusive Community competence; asks the Commission, therefore, to commence negotiations with the US Administration without delay in order to make the Visa Waiver Program valid for all European citizens and to remove current discrimination, in particular against the citizens of the new Member States;

10. Recommends that the proposed Transatlantic Partnership Agreement establish a transatlantic "community of action" for regional and global cooperation and address challenges through joint action, in particular:

a) the promotion of democracy, human rights and the rule of law and support for effective multilateralism,

b) the advancement of the peace process in the Middle East in agreement with the governments and people of the region and on the basis of the Quartet's Road Map,

c) the quest for global security, by working together on the following issues:

i) fighting international terrorism,

ii) the development of a joint strategy towards a multilateralisation of the non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and the use of nuclear energy,

iii) promotion and development of common approaches to relationships with other major geopolitical actors such as China, India, Japan, Latin America and Russia,

iv) the revival of negotiated arms control and disarmament at multilateral level, within the UN system, and at bilateral level,

v) rapid reactions to sudden and unexpected political changes, such as recently experienced in the Ukraine, Lebanon and Kyrgyzstan,

vi) an active commitment to reform of the UN, and in particular its Security Council, including its composition, on the basis of full respect for the Security Council's authority to grant permission for the use of force to solve international conflicts and in order to make it more effective and accountable and increase its capacity to implement its decisions,

d) enhancement of the transatlantic economic partnership in the framework of the above-mentioned Transatlantic Partnership Agreement, complemented by a Transatlantic Aviation Agreement and an effective Financial Market Regulatory Dialogue;

11. Recalls that the conclusion of the multilateral WTO Doha Development Agenda is a real priority for sustainable global growth, to which end the EU and the US should work together in full cooperation; considers that bilateral EU-US economic initiatives will be complementary to this process, especially in the regulatory field;

12. Expects that the EU-US Summit will make substantial progress towards establishing a joint effective response and a clear financial commitment — on the shared basis of the Millennium Development Goals — to address new global challenges which cut across national boundaries, notably poverty reduction, communicable diseases and degradation of the environment, in particular by promoting dialogues on climate protection and transport emissions;

13. Considers it equally essential that political issues on which there is disagreement, such as the Guantánamo case, or where there are strong differences of opinion over certain international instruments, be discussed by both partners in a spirit of cooperation; stresses the importance of a full understanding of the values at stake, such as strict respect for human rights provisions and the quest for an effective multilateral approach, which must be taken as a basis for joint discussions, as they have been the distinctive characteristics of our democratic approach towards the rest of the world since we jointly founded the United Nations system;

14. Reiterates the view that NATO should develop its potential as a forum for political debate in a true partnership of equals, where a sensible balance must be struck between the instruments of prevention, crisis management and military capability; recommends to this end a closer security relationship between NATO and the European Union; believes that a stronger EU-US partnership will complement, rather than undermine, this relationship;

15. Calls on the EU-US Summit to start strengthening the parliamentary dimension of the Transatlantic Partnership by transforming the Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue (TLD) into a Transatlantic Assembly able to hold legislators' summits prior to EU-US summits, and to build synergies between the TLD and the New Transatlantic Agenda dialogues, inter alia by launching new jointly-funded programmes for exchange between legislative staffers and by creating a small TLD secretariat;

16. Believes that the role of other dialogues under the New Transatlantic Agenda should also be reassessed; believes in particular that the Transatlantic Business Dialogue will need to be reshaped in order to provide fully representative business input on these issues with a view to strengthening the economic partnership;

17. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the President and Congress of the United States of America.

[1] OJ C 104 E, 30.4.2004, p. 1043.

[2] Texts Adopted of that date, P6_TA(2005)0007.

[3] OJ C 34 E, 7.2.2002, p. 359.

[4] OJ C 177 E, 25.7.2002, p. 288.

[5] OJ C 180 E, 31.7.2003, p. 392.

[6] OJ C 69 E, 19.3.2004, p. 124.

[7] OJ C 102 E, 28.4.2004, p. 640.

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