Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-03-25-Speech-3-276"
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"en.20090325.27.3-276"2
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".
Mr President, firstly I would like to thank the shadow rapporteurs, particularly Mr Severin, Mr Lambsdorff and Mr Lagendijk, as well as the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the draftsmen, Mr García-Margallo and Mrs Quisthoudt-Rowohl. I thank them all for the cooperation they have given me in drawing up this report on relations between the European Union and the United States.
In this way, we have managed to produce a report with a broad consensus on an important subject. The report that we will vote on tomorrow therefore constitutes a strong and convincing message from the European Parliament at a very appropriate time. The reason I say that this is an important subject is that it is clear that the European Union and the United States are two very significant actors on the world stage, which need to work together closely, as is right for those sharing the same principles and values, and many of the same interests.
The key message of the report is that we find ourselves at a very opportune time for strengthening the transatlantic relationship. There are three fundamental reasons for this. The first is the new administration in the United States, which is pragmatic, which knows that no country can tackle the global challenges alone and which has aroused great expectations in the general public in Europe and around the world. The second is a stronger European Union that is more able to act externally than the EU of 1995, when the New Transatlantic Agenda was agreed; furthermore, soon it will be an EU buttressed with the Treaty of Lisbon’s instruments on foreign policy and defence. The third reason is a new context, featuring global challenges such as the economic crisis and climate change, and no longer only military challenges, as used to be the case.
In facing the new challenges, cooperation with the European Union will be very useful to the United States. This transatlantic relationship should be strengthened in two dimensions: the institutional dimension and the physical dimension, involving cooperation in practice. We should make use of the Treaty of Lisbon in order to strengthen institutional structures: two annual summits, not just one, which the new permanent president of the European Council will attend; the creation of a transatlantic political council, bringing together on a quarterly basis the High Representative – and Vice-President of the Commission – and the Secretary of State; the upgrading of legislators’ dialogue by creating a transatlantic assembly; and improvements to the Transatlantic Economic Council. All these improvements will enable coordination to be more intensive and effective; they should be combined in a new transatlantic association agreement, and negotiations should start when the Treaty of Lisbon enters into force.
The report’s second objective is to strengthen cooperation in practice. This means setting an agenda to tackle jointly many challenges and conflicts, as well as bilateral issues. In order to produce this joint agenda, the Council and the Commission should in the coming months step up their contacts with the new government in Washington. I am therefore pleased about the summit in Prague on 5 April with President Obama, as pointed out by the amendment tabled by my group.
The report lists several global challenges to which the United States and the European Union should seek a common approach; for example, the economic crisis, effective multilateralism to include emerging powers, the Millennium Development Goals, climate change, the promotion of human rights, etc. It also mentions various regional issues on which we should act in a coordinated manner; these are conflicts such as the one in the Middle East, and the nuclear programmes in Iran and in Afghanistan; relations with Russia and the countries of Latin America are also mentioned. Disarmament and security are further areas in which improved coordination is needed, including the fight against the serious threat of terrorism, which should be conducted in full compliance with international law and with respect for human rights.
Ladies and gentlemen, the report also refers to certain bilateral matters in the sphere of justice and internal affairs, including the problem of visas. It also stresses the need for the transatlantic partnership to enjoy wide support from civil society, particularly from young people. Economic and trade relations are also included in the report, which emphasises that we need to make progress on the integration of the transatlantic market. On these subjects, of course, I have incorporated many suggestions from the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen: I believe that if this report is adopted tomorrow, Parliament will be sending a clear message. We are calling for strengthened European Union/United States relations, including on the institutional level. I believe that this strengthening will benefit both parties and also the international community as a whole."@en1
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