Chapter 23 Transatlantic Relations

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Chapter 23Transatlantic Relations

• Jolyon Howorth

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Transatlantic Relations

• Europe and the problem of America Policy
• Contending Visions of the Transatlantic
  Relationship
• Seven Policy Areas in Search of Complementarity

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Europe and the problem of America Policy

• Since adoption of CFSP, EU has had more
  consistent, united foreign face
• Except in America Policy
• Most obvious example Iraq War
• EU seeks to transcend Westphalian system
• US highly defensive of its sovereignty

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The transatlantic relationship

• Three levels
• Interplay of great power politics
• Circumstances of post-Cold War
• Bush factor

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Contending Visions of the Transatlantic
Relationship

• Architects of a transatlantic community
• 1947 Marshall Plan
• JFK Declaration of Interdependence
• Clinton New Transatlantic Agenda
• American Euroscepticism rears its head
• US-EU divisions (especially with Old Europe)
  since Bush election
• Iraq 2003
• Improvements in US-EU relations under Bush second
  term, especially due to Rice diplomacy

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Seven Policy Areas in Search of Complementarity

• Security and Defence Policy
• ESDP has raised concerns within US administration
• Trade and Economics
• A natural symbiotic partnership
• US and EU are each others largest trading
  partners
• Human Rights and Democracy
• US keen to promote human rights but not ratify
  human rights treaties
• EU has been strongest advocate of human rights in
  international law

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Seven Policy Areas in Search of Complementarity

• Environmental Policy and Sustainable Development
• US going backwards on environment policy e.g.
  Kyoto protocol
• EU took the lead on environment from mid-1990s
• Nuclear Proliferation
• US taking lead over N Korea
• EU-3 taking lead over Iran

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Seven Policy Areas in Search of Complementarity

• Regional Peace the Israel/Palestine question
• US leans towards Israel
• EU towards Palestine
• EU prefers detailed plans US tries to act as
  honest broker
• The Global War on Terror
• US and EU positions very close on combating
  terrorism

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EU-US relations

• US and EU need to coordinate their foreign and
  security policies in order for both to gain
• On most key issues there are major tensions
  between EU and US positions
• EU key on human rights, environment
• US key on Middle East, nuclear proliferation
• More grounds for cooperation on security, trade,
  terrorism

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Major EU and US Statements on Terrorism

• The 9/11 Commission Reportwww.9-11commission.gov/
  report/911Report.pdf
• EU Factsheet the EU and the Fight against
  Terrorismhttp//ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relati
  ons/us/sum06_03/terror.pdf
• EU Declaration on Combating Terrorismhttp//ue.e
  u.int/uedocs/cmsUpload/79635.pdf
• US National Strategy for Combatting
  Terrorismwww.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/02
  /20030214-7.html
• EU-US Declaration on Combating
  Terrorismhttp//ue.eu.int/uedocs/cmsUpload/10760
  EU_US26.06.04.pdf