IR313 EU AS A GLOBAL ACTORTRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS

EU-US relations•EU and US often share a similar analysis of threats but take different views on how to counter such threats

•This has led people to ask whether the EU and the US are actually friends or rivals

•EU and US relations are complicated because many member states enjoy special relations with the US

•Many Americans have their roots in Europe

•Isolationism has been an important feature of American history despite the global engagement in 1945.

EU-US relations Public perceptions are evolving

High numbers of Europeans expressed distrust of Bush administrations

There are different perceptions of the EU in the US

Some view EU as irrelevant while others consider it as a potential rival

The second Bush administration sought to improve relations with the EU but there remains important divergences

The EU-US economic and trade relationship is the most important in the world and a stabilising factor in transatlantic relations

EU-US relations•US is the most important partner of the EU and the EU US relationship is the most important geopolitical relationship in the world

•The two blocs dominate world trade

•They account for 70 percent of global expenditure on defence

•The US however spends 3 times more than the EU

•EU – “we need the Americans in many areas. If you look at problems around the world, you rarely ever encounter cases where it would be better to work without or against the Americans”.

EU-US relations•Transatlantic remained strained as a result of the war in Iraq and the unilateral approach of the first George Bush administration

•Many areas of disagreement covering political and strategic issues as well as economic and social issues

•Part of the problem – there was never a high level EU-US discussion on the nature of security threats and how to deal with them

•Instead there have been countless statements pledging both sides to combat terrorism and tackle WMD.

EU-US relations•Many Europeans have been very critical on US approach to fighting the war on terror and the images from the Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib prisons have severely damaged the US in European eyes

•Americans puts emphasis on effective multilateralism but EU places faith in multilateralism

•US continues to habour suspicions over EU defence plans

•There are doubts whether the US still committed to support strong united Europe speaking with one voice.

EU-US relations•9/11 attacks also had an impact on the transatlantic relations

•US has been supportive of the creation of the Union but has reduced its strategic interests in Europe as a result of challenges elsewhere

•The US has expressed the continued importance of NATO while emphasising that it will not accept military challenge from any quarter

US priorities US priorities has changed..

US has been focusing more on :

•Homeland security

•The war on terrorism

•Promoting change in the wider Middle East

1990s•Not a decade of transatlantic bliss

•Clinton faced a hostile congress largely uninterested in foreign policy and the European governments were deeply concerned with the “hands off” approach of the Bush senior administration and the Clinton administration towards the Balkan conflict.

•US unwilling to engage in the Balkan conflict

•US and EU pursued different policies in the Balkans

•British and French had their troops in the Balkans under UN auspices

•The Americans did not send any troops but prefer to arm some of the belligerents

•Eventually the US intervened militarily to secure the Dayton Agreement and later intervened to resolve the Kosovo crisis

The New Transatlantic Agenda (NTA)

1995 the US and EU signed the NTA proposing joint actions in 4 major fields:

•Promoting peace and stability, democracy and development around the world

•Responding to global challenges

•Contributing to the expansion of world trade and closer economic relations

•Building bridges across the Atlantic

NTA structures Task Force (TF) and Senior Level Group (SLG)

TF – officials from the US, the EU Presidency, Council and Commission that plays a key role within the NTA in identifying and dealing with transatlantic co-operations

Decides which issues should be passed on for the attention at SLG which is responsible for preparing summit meetings

SLG monitors work of TF and reports back to the summit.

Officials are often overworked and have little time to travel for short meetings.

A lot of video conferencing

NTA NTA have been useful to resolve some issues between EU and US disputes

But no real substantive discussion at the highest political level – partly because of the inability of the EU to speak with one voice.

The rotating 6 monthly EU presidency has not been conducive in promoting such dialogues and many member states especially the UK, prefer to operate on bilateral channels.

Transatlantic Economic Partnership (TEP)

TEP covers both bilateral and multilateral trade

Bilaterally, TEP addresses various types of obstacle to trade and strives to establish agreements on mutual recognition in the areas of good and services

Multilaterally, the focus is on further liberalisation of trade within the WTO in order to strengthen world trade

Meetings and dialogues TABD – Transatlantic Business Dialogue

TALD – Transatlantic Legislators Dialogue

TACD – Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue

TAED – Transatlantic Environmental Dialogue

The TALD has struggled to secure appropriate recognition with the Congress while the other dialogues have had little impact owing to a mix of apathy, lack of funding and lack of interest

Bush and unilateralism Under Bush administration:

•Denounced the Kyoto Protocol

•Sabotaged the ICC

•Downgrading the importance of the Middle East Peace process and North Korea (both were Clinton priorities)

International Criminal Court (ICC)

The United States government has consistently opposed an international court that could hold US military and political leaders to a uniform global standard of justice.

The Clinton administration participated actively in negotiations towards the International Criminal Court treaty, seeking Security Council screening of cases.

If adopted, this would have enabled the US to veto any dockets it opposed.

When other countries refused to agree to such an unequal standard of justice, the US campaigned to weaken and undermine the court.

ICC The Bush administration, coming into office in 2001 as the Court neared implementation, adopted an extremely active opposition.

Washington began to negotiate bilateral agreements with other countries, insuring immunity of US nationals from prosecution by the Court.

As leverage, Washington threatened termination of economic aid, withdrawal of military assistance, and other painful measures.

The Obama administration has so far made greater efforts to engage with the Court. It is participating with the Court's governing bodies and it is providing support for the Court's ongoing prosecutions. Washington, however, has no intention to join the ICC, due to its concern about possible charges against US nationals.

Kyoto Protocol The Kyoto protocol is an international agreement imposing limits on emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases scientists blame for rising world temperatures, melting glaciers and rising oceans.

It was negotiated in the Japanese city of Kyoto in 1997 and ratified by 140 nations.

The Kyoto targets vary by region: the UK is committed to cutting its emissions to 12.5% below 1990 levels by 2012, and the European Union to an 8% reduction on 1990 levels by 2012.

The US agreed to a 7% reduction before President George Bush denounced the pact in 2001. Japan is struggling to find ways to meet its obligations which require it to cut its emissions by 6%.

The US, the world's largest emitter of such gases, has refused to ratify the agreement, saying it would harm the economy and is flawed by the lack of restrictions on emissions by emerging economies China and India.

Bush and unilateralism The new administrations showed little desire to interact with the EU

Felt that the EU caused too much problems

2002 Bush administration reduced the number of summits with EU to one per year

Congress also showed little interest in maintaining close relations with the increasingly powerful and multilingual European Parliament

9/11•EU responded swiftly by agreeing on the:

• Introduction of the European arrest warrant

• Adoption of common definition of terrorism

•Agreeing new international legal instruments

•Strengthening air security

•Combating the funding of terrorism

9/11 Bush declared war on terror

National security became top of the agenda

Most European governments distanced themselves from the President’s axis of evil speech and the new pre-emptive strike doctrine

Many Europeans doubted whether military might alone could defeat terrorism or tackle the roots of terrorism

US – war on terrorism

Europeans – fight against terrorism

Americans – Felt that Europeans did not take defence seriously

EU – US trade relationships Enjoys solid and healthy economic relationships based on a combined GDP around 60 percent of the world total.

Transatlantic relationship defines the shape of the global economy as either the EU or the US is the largest trade and investment partner for almost all the other countries

EU-US economic relationship is the investment engagement of both parties in their counterpart’s economy

The relationship supports 12 million jobs

US attitudes to Europe Britain was perceived as a more reliable ally than France or Germany

Congress rarely thinks of the EU as an entity

US is skeptical as whether the EU can move forward as a cohesive foreign policy actor

Europeans attitude towards the US

2002, massive anti-war demonstrations throughout Europe

President De Gaulle: the United States is the greatest danger in the world today to peace.

UK tried to maintain special relationship with Washington and act as a bridge between US and Europe.

Group projectFrom the case studies:

1. Describe relations between each country and the US

- historical ties

- what were the relations like in the past

- any disagreements with the US? On what kind of issues?

- pro US or anti US?

2. Describe the EU Presidency and transatlantic relations

- was it active with regard to transatlantic relations?

- Obstacles during the Presidency period?

- Policies/Issues pursued were based on national interest or interest of the EU as a whole?