New Times for Trunsatlantic * Relations
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Sumpaan Commlgelon Delsgstiion A review of Transatlantic Relations Libtaly &3OO M Stroet, l[$F Ucshtn€Fon, UC 8OO8? MAY23 Z Volume I, Number 3, December 1999 New times for Trunsatlantic * Relations Amrtng otber impctrtant and far-reacbing cbanges, the neu Prodi Commission bas agreed o 1un4(t. mental restructuring of tbe Commission seruiCes * dealing u.titb external relations.Tbe ultimate objec- tiues are, tct rellect the European Commission's grotuinS4 rr.tle in external relatir.tns, and tr.t make it more effectiue. In orcler to achieve these oblectives the External Relations Commissioner. Mr Chris Patten. will co-ordinate the exter- nal relations activities of the Commission.The depart- * ments responsible fbr external relations are being reorgan- ised on a thematic basis (trade, development, enlarge- ment), with the new Directorrte-Geneml for External Relations - which has geographic responsibility - assisting Commissioner Patten in his coordinating role. Accordingly, Mr Pascal Lamy, the new member of the European Commission responsible forTrade, and Mr Poul Nielson, responsible for Development and Humanitarian * Aid, will maintain close coordination with Mr Patten. It is foreseen that both will call on the appropriate geographi- cal desks, when necessary, to clefinc country or regional strategies in the area of their competences. Decisions in these cases will be taken in agreement with the Commissioner responsible for external relations. Mr * Patten will also preside coordination and thematic/sec- toral policy development meetings.The role of Director- General of the External Relations DG will mirror that of the Commissionet in co-ordinating the activily of the services. ^ In addition to that. Commissioner Patten ,\^^9 will\llll bcu\ thetrr\ Commission's\.rrrlrlrrr.f:l\rllJ intcrfacelrl(LlrdL\ with!rlrll the newly-appointecl High Representative for the Common -\ Foreign and Security Policy, Mr.Javier Solana.The External Relaticlns Commissioner will thus play a key role in ensur- Eurooean Commission '{ ing that the EfI has a clear identity and a coherent - rl approach in its external activities. U CONTENTS New times for Transatlantic Relations Welcome message by Chris Patten ) The EU-US Bonn summit and beyond. ) President Prodi meets President Clinton 4 Message fromAmbassador Hugo Paemen S7inning the Peace in the Balkans. Spotlight:The EU and the US towards the WTO Millennium Round. Business Dialogue:the second CEO Conference Co-operation against Trafficking in'Women 10 The new European Parliament l0 EU Centres in the US. vear 2 11 TIES, after theAtlanta Conference. r3 European Commission publishe s 7999 report on US barriers to trade. r3 EU winsW'TO export subsidies case. I4 New Name - and new'Website for the Commission's US Unit M The Transatlantic Gastronomic Partnership. I5 Transatlantic Relations That does not mean that Europe will of course continue to be one will have a'single pbone num- The External of the cornerstones of the EU ber' for its relations with the rest Relations external relations. The new of the Wodd, to quote Henry organisation will enable the Kissinger's famous words. Commissioner will Indeed, is this really needed, or thus play a key role The new organisa- even desirable? Not even the US, with its constitutional separation in ensuring that the tion of the of powers, has a unique phone EU has a clear identi- Commission, mofe number for us Europeans to dial... and quite rightly so. As the q and a coherent solid and coherent, stfuctures of government and appfoach in its extef- should serve to administration evolve to cope with the ever more sophisticated nal activities. boost the already and complex problems of mod- impressive results ern society, oversimplifi cation nised by the signing of the 1995 does not help. New Transatlantic Agenda, and achieved through Rather, what is really needed is the various political, administra- the NTA. good, transparent and regular tive and people-to-people con- communication between all the tacts it foresees. The new organi- European Institutions to main- players involved in Transatlantic sation of the Commission, more tain a better internal coordination Relations.And this communica- solid and coherent, should serve which in turn will make the EU a tion has to be done through a to boost the already impressive more reliable and coherent part- multiplicify of levels and struc- results achieved through the ner for the US. tures. This was implicitly recog- NTA. W'elcome message by Chris Patten the EU-US Newsletter. The and competences established by Newsletter is intended to pro- the Treaty of Amsterdam. This, vide a general, non-exhaustive togethcr with the new organisa- update on the Commission's tion of the European actiYiti€s as regards EU/US rela- Commission, will undoubtedly tions, as well as on other issues help to consolidate and to of interest in this field. I am enhance the Transatlantic confident that this review will Relationship. I am personally be a useftrl tool to improve the committed to this purpose . I am communication flow between also convinced that this yourself and the European Newsletter adds to our aims of Commission, and will satisfy transparenql, public information your needs for information and co-operation, which are about your areas of interest in determinant for achieving the Dear reader of the EU-US Transatlantic Relations. mutually beneficial results we Newsletter, I am very pleased to A new period is currently open- pufsue. pfesent you this new issue of ing in EU-US relations, not least Cbris Patten because of the new procedures The EII-IJS Bonn summit and ber.ond The first biannual EU-US Summit of 1999 took place in Bonn on 21 June. Tbe euent was attended by tbe tben European Commission President Santeq US President Clinton andCbancelktr Scbr6de6 tben PresicJent of tbe European Council, togetber uitb members of Gr,tuernment and senior offi- cials from botb sicles. Tbe important results reacbed at tbe Summit baue since been tbe subject of actiue follou-up, ubicb tuas jointly reuieuted at senior official leuel on 23 September in Neu York. EU-US Summits are held twice a ing on the NewTransatlantic application of these principles year to assess and develop Agenda, both sides agreed the should help in ftlture to avoid tmnsatlantic co-operation. They "Bonn Declaration".The text damaging trade disputes over came into being as a result of the reflects in particular a commit- issues such as Helms-Burton. November 1 990 Transatlantic ment to work together to prevent bananas and hormone-treated Declaration.A significant part of and deal with regional crises. beef.\Vhile current trade disputes the Bonn Summit's work focused Europe's emerging common secu- only invcllve a very small part - on Kosovo and the wider south- less than 2 % - of total trade, they eastern European region. On this have a clisproportionately large subject, Presiclent Santer impact on the relationship as a explained how the EU nations whole. and the U.S. had all contributed resollrces for NATO's action in Several other important issues Kosovo. President Santer outlined were treated at the Summit. In a how the EU would take the lead report to Summit Leaders by the in putting together the Stability "Senior Level Group", the major Pact for the Region, play the lead- achievements of the last months ing role in financing reconstruc- were reviewed, and priorities for tion and how the European the future were identified.Among Commission would work with rity and defence policy was the latter were the implementa- the Wodd Bank to co-ordinate the recognised as an essential factor tion of the Stability Pact in south- donor efl-ort f<lr thc rcgion. in facilitating this task. eastern Europe, joint work on Other important achievements at Russia, progress in the Eady 'warning The Bonn Declaration, "Eady the Summit included agreement system, agfeement on Warning" and other achieve- on a set of eady warning prin- environmental issues, co-opera- ments ciples to enable both sides to tion in law enforcement and the identify areas where potential dis- pursuit of common goals in The Summit also g;enerated putes could arise and to pre-empt Northern Europe. results in other areas.Thus. build- them before they occur.The J Ceg t lsu the On Ukraine, a Joint Statement was Many important subiects were fepfesents mofe than twice released at the Summit, undedin- treated, including significant dis- latter's GNB which shows the ing EU and US support for eco- cussion on the May 18 EU-US degree of the commitment given nomic reform and continued tran- Understandings on, intet alia, by the donors. Other subiects sition to democracy. Other signifi- the Helms-Burton Act. This treated were Turkey and the cant external policy priori- Biosafety Protocol. ty areas identified were Lastly, on Biotechnology the consolidation of the the public opinion factor Middle East Peace Process, was analysed, and EU the promotion of Human urged the US to show Rights and Democracy in greater understanding for countries such as Belarus the European position. and joint work to alleviate A significant part of the problems from armed con- meeting was dedicated to flicts such as those in East preparing the next EU-US Timor orAngola. On the Summit which is to be trade side. the need for held in Washington in progress in the implemen- December this year. tation ofTEP was under- Possible deliverables for lined. On food safety. it this event are a joint state- was agreed to examine ment on the Information ways of increasing cooper- Society and a joint state- ation between EU and US ment on EU-US eftorts in scientists on health and Northern EuroPe.There consumer safery issues. was also an interesting and detailed exchange on After the Sumrnit: the the practicalities of the Senior Level Group upcomingWTO Ministerial meeting in Following the Bonn Seattle and on the two Summit, the first SLG sides position regarding meeting during the the contents of the New Finnish Presidency was Round.