Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-03-25-Speech-3-317"
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"en.20090325.27.3-317"2
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".
Mr President, as many have said, this debate has shown that it is a question of how we can implement the most important issues together with such a crucial strategic partner as the United States of America.
I can tell you that Vice-President Barrot and the Czech Minister Langer raised the issue again last week in Washington and the US side has generally shown understanding of our position, while stressing at the same time that the action of the Federal Government is based on statutory requirements, which clearly set the framework of future enlargements of the programme and are being monitored closely by Congress. Secretary Napolitano informed us that one additional Member State is getting very close to entering the visa-waiver programme.
Finally, concerning Afghanistan: not only have we already delivered a lot in the past, but, as I have said before, we are ready to contribute to the civilian search, and there will be some additional funding that we will find from our Asia budget for the elections, the police and, most probably, for agriculture because it is important to have additional alternative livelihoods.
I am always open to new ideas, and one example, which is taken up in your report, would be to upgrade the Foreign Ministers’ meetings into a Transatlantic Political Council with a heavier focus on strategic themes. As I have said before, we intend to look at revamping the existing transatlantic agenda in that perspective, against the background of the 15th anniversary of the New Transatlantic Agreement in 2010.
Since I made quite a number of very clear and practical remarks at the beginning, I will just make a few concrete remarks now.
First, the role of legislators in, and the institutional set-up of, EU-US relations is very important. In principle, we unequivocally support stronger links between the EU and US legislators. Obviously, the primary impetus for this must come from the law-makers themselves. I know that the European Parliament is ready to do so, and this should also come from Congress. Nevertheless, I suggest that it would be worthwhile for EU legislators also to cultivate more intensive contacts with the Senate, which has a longer electoral cycle, and with Congressmen whose sectoral expertise could advance the agenda of the Transatlantic Economic Council.
The Lisbon Treaty, as and when it enters into force, will then, as has been said, also give the EP a reinforced role in shaping EU-US dialogue, especially on regulatory matters; as has been mentioned, think-tanks will certainly also be very important not only from the US side to us but also from the EU side to the US.
Concerning EU-US institutions, I would caution, first, that the transatlantic agenda should be driven by substance rather than by process. In our first meetings with President Obama, therefore, as I have said before, it will be important to demonstrate the capacity to focus on results.
However, I have taken careful note of your call for an overhaul of the current arrangements under the new transatlantic agenda. I intend to initiate a review of the structures to help them deliver better, and the Commission will come up with due proposals.
Let me also speak briefly on the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC). Mr Verheugen has already had a meeting with his new US counterpart, Mr Froman, on 23 March 2009. The main issues of the TEC under the new Administration are as follows. Firstly, raising the profile of political strategic issues, while at the same time relieving the burden of more technical matters on the summit agendas. Secondly, the time horizon for a future work programme – here Mr Verheugen wants to set a very long-term perspective, but this has to be weighed against the mandate of this Commission and we need to have some short-term results. Finally, how to deal with pressure from the Member States – to whom we have promised, but not yet delivered, a mid-term programme – to be more involved in the work of the TEC.
Second, I would like to point out that we are a Community which shares values with the US, but there are still things that have to be done. Therefore we will need to continue to encourage the US to sign up to core UN human rights conventions, including those on discrimination against women, and the rights of the child – to name but a few. This includes our position on the ICC, as has been stressed on several occasions with the Bush Administration, but that will be taken up again.
Third, concerning visa waiver and visa reciprocity, which many of you mentioned: we know that, owing to substantive efforts by Member States and at EU level, seven Member States were admitted to the visa-waiver programme in November/December 2008. However, there are still five Member States which do not yet enjoy visa-free travel to the US. We will, therefore, continue to raise this issue."@en1
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