The disunited state of relations with America

Date: 15/06/06

Two MEPs offer different points of view on Europe's relationship with the US

In the past few years, there has been a preoccupation with projecting consensus between the EU and the US, partly as a result of the accession of strong US allies to the Union and partly out of a desire to avoid the breakdown in relations that characterised the Iraq war. Nowhere has this been more evident than at the annual pantomime that is the EU-US summit.

EU and US leaders will meet in Vienna later this month and avoid serious discussion on the multitude of uncomfortable policy differences that should dominate their diplomatic relations and instead promote the harmonious facade of the transatlantic relationship. While many groups will work to ensure that these important differences are not completely forgotten, EU leaders seem content to brush them under the table, rather than confront their US counterparts.

The list of differences is long and reveals a gap between US and EU values: whether on human rights issues (such as the Guant�mo Bay detention centre or illegal CIA renditions and torture), international law (the continuing attempts by the US to undermine the International Criminal Court (ICC)), environment (US refusal to engage in international attempts to counter climate change) or consumer protection and food safety (the ongoing battle over GMOs, which was recently before the World Trade Organization).

The tendency to turn a blind eye to human rights abuses by the US, while imposing sanctions on other third countries for similar abuses, smacks of hypocrisy. Some member states are starting to break their silence on Guant�mo Bay but the EU needs to push harder for the immediate closure of the prison camp there. The detention and torture of prisoners at Guant�mo is an outrage and in contravention of international law. The silence from many EU capitals on the CIA practice of 'renditions' across Europe has been damning. Member states must co-operate fully with the different ongoing investigations and take appropriate action when the conclusions of the investigations are drawn.

The ongoing US attempts to undermine the ICC are in direct conflict with EU foreign policy. The EU should urge its 'transatlantic partner' to adopt a constructive attitude towards the ICC and to refrain from blackmailing third countries with threats that US economic aid will cease unless they sign the Bilateral Immunity Agreement, excluding US citizens and military personnel from the jurisdiction of the court.

Any relationship must be built on mutual respect but this is something often lacking in the transatlantic relationship. US disregard for the legitimate environmental and food safety concerns of the EU also does the transatlantic relationship no favours. The EU must do all within its power to force the US to take responsibility for its role in climate change and to engage in international instruments aimed at tackling this global crisis. Ending the recurrent US challenges of EU legislation and EU practices with regard to the import licensing, labelling and traceability of genetically modified food and feed products must be a prerequisite for improving the EU-US relationship.

It is clear that many core European values are in contrast with those of the US. EU leaders should not be scared to defend or promote these values. EU citizens should not have to sacrifice their values for the preservation of the consensual veneer of the transatlantic relationship. The current crisis with Iran is a perfect example of the positive role that the EU can play in international affairs by championing its values. The EU must continue with its efforts to prevent an escalation between the confrontational approaches of both the US and Iran and ensure the crisis is resolved peacefully.

A mature approach to resolving the fundamental differences between the EU and the US, rather than merely glossing them over in the interest of presenting an artificial common front, would go a long way towards the development of a more meaningful diplomatic relationship. To this end, the EU should stop sidestepping major disputes with the US and use existing diplomatic fora such as the EU-US summit to try to resolve these disputes.

• German Green MEP Cem Ozdemir is a member of the Parliament's foreign affairs committee and of the temporary committee investigating alleged CIA renditions.

Despite the recent lukewarm transatlantic relations, there is evidence of a significant improvement. This trend is demonstrated by statements made by President George W. Bush during a visit to Brussels, the 'capital' of the EU: "The relationship between the United States and Europe is a vital partnership that transcends the war on terror."

Combating terrorism is not the only common ground for the current EU-US relations. Both partners have a long, mutually beneficial history. Under US leadership Europe recovered more easily after the Second World War and the American assistance helped to start a period of peace, stability and economic growth. Similarly, today, the EU and the US have a common belief in democracy, human rights and market economies. Also, the transatlantic partners have to confront common challenges such as terrorism, threats to security and stability, weapons proliferation, drugs and organised crime. These, together with a common approach on Iran, the Middle East, the democratic evolution in the Balkans, energy, trade issues, World Trade Organization disputes (such as Airbus/Boeing), intellectual property rights and the creation of a high-level group on environment are on the agenda of the EU-US summit being held in Vienna on 21 June 2006.

I believe that Americans could be viable partners for the Europeans in trade. Here, unfortunately, I must be critical. One of the EU's main principles of existence - the four freedoms: the mobility of goods, services, labour and capital - is not completely implemented. There are still many obstacles to the creation of the EU's single market - some member states' national markets make them uncompetitive for which we all pay a price. Many of Europe's economies are performing poorly and the continent is only inching forward.

After removing all existing barriers in the EU single market, the removal of the transatlantic trade barriers would further improve transatlantic relations. Statistics from 2004 indicate that the total transactions between the EU and the US were in excess of $1.3 trillion (EUR 1.03 trillion) and 4.4 million Americans are employed by European companies. On the other hand, according to the European Commission, by 2050 the US share of world output will rise to 20%, while Europe's will have shrunk to only 10%. Much of this difference is due to lower productivity growth and Europe's shrinking working population. I think that a more flexible policy regarding the age of the working population of European citizens should be implemented. Different reports state that had a proper services directive been passed, the foreign direct investment could have risen by as much as 35% and very significant increases in trade would result in the EU.

The key to improving the economic situation of the EU is to put into practice the following steps: implementing economic reforms of individual member states, similar to Ireland at the end of 1980s and recently in Slovakia, Estonia and Lithuania. These reforms led to the stabilisation of inflation rates and foreign direct investments to these countries increased rapidly. On the global level, free trade is the key to success. Therefore, the elimination of trade tariffs, the reduction of subsidies, in particular in agriculture, and spurring innovation and technological development would help the EU become the world's most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy, which is the objective of the Lisbon Agenda.

Globalisation is not a new phenomenon. It is an age-old process that just happened to accelerate in the past couple of decades. Closer and stronger ties between the EU and the US would benefit both partners in the fierce battle for the global market.

The North Atlantic alliance's culture of dignity and democratic principles, which allows for peaceful co-existence with any other culture with the exception of dictatorships, anarchies and terrorists, will be in the position to spread prosperity, peace and stability worldwide.

After all, we do not want to have the sole proprietorship of these precious possessions. The right to own them belongs to every human being. Our goal should be to satisfy them all.

• Slovak centre-right MEP Peter Stastny is vice-chairman of the Parliament's committee on international trade. He is also a US citizen.

Two MEPs offer different points of view on Europe's relationship with the US.

• Primary Source

EEAS: Countries: The EU's relations with the United States of America http://www.eeas.europa.eu/us/index_en.htm

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