BETA


2005/2056(INI) Transatlantic relations

Progress: Procedure completed

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead AFET BROK Elmar (icon: PPE-DE PPE-DE)
Committee Opinion INTA
Committee Opinion LIBE BLOKLAND Johannes (icon: IND/DEM IND/DEM)
Committee Opinion JURI MCCARTHY Arlene (icon: PSE PSE)
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54

Events

2006/06/22
   EC - Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2006/06/01
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2006/06/01
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted a resolution based on the own-initiative report by Elmar BROK (EPP-ED, DE) on improving EU-US relations in the framework of a Transatlantic Partnership Agreement. It stated that the Transatlantic Partnershipwas a cornerstone of the external action of the Union, being founded on shared values such as freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The resolution was, however, critical of certain aspects of US policy. The report passed by a large majority in plenary, and mentions both common threats and challenges, as well as several current irritants to transatlantic relations.

General framework of the EU-US Partnership: Parliament stressed the need to update the fundamental basis of the Transatlantic Partnership by replacing the existing New Transatlantic Agenda with a Transatlantic Partnership Agreement to take effect from 2007. It was convinced that it is only by means of such an agreement that the transatlantic relationship can be anchored in a firm institutionalised structure. Such an agreement would allow comprehensive restructuring and harmonising of the diverse and uncoordinated initiatives presently under way, and that it would also encourage other international actors to assume the vital principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Parliament also underlined the urgent need for the forthcoming EU-US Summit in June 2006 to fix the goal of completing the Transatlantic Market by 2015, without impediment, as repeatedly proposed by Parliament, by the US Congress and by leading politicians, academics and business stakeholders.

Political dimension of the proposed Transatlantic Partnership Agreement: building up a “community of action” for global and regional cooperation: the Transatlantic Partnership Agreement should expand the existing agenda in the political, economic and security fields, seeking a “community of action” for global and regional cooperation in all those areas where the common interests and values of both partners are at stake. Parliament also recommended the promotion of a common approach to relations with other major geopolitical actors including China, India, Japan, Latin America and Russia, the revival of negotiated arms control and disarmament agreements at multilateral and bilateral levels and a more active joint commitment to reform of the United Nations and its Security Council. China, Russia and Ukraine should be prioritised for actions with regard to EU-US collaboration and coordination of technical assistance and enforcement training.

Parliament regretted that the US Administration remained so reluctant to enter into any meaningful international partnership on climate change, but noted as a modest step forward, that it was now willing, as agreed at the December 2005 Montreal Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to engage in a thorough forward-looking dialogue. A common strategy should be developed to ensure security of energy and raw material supplies, based firstly on a multilateral policy agreed by all major consumers and secondly on the principle of diversity in supply, production and transportation.

Parliament moved on to encourage the partners to reinforce their common efforts to promote peace in the Middle East on the basis of the successive initiatives undertaken by the Quartet, and stressed the importance of a common approach towards the newly elected Palestinian Authority. It supported the determination of the partners to work with the Iraqi authorities, the UN and relevant regional actors in order to help Iraq achieve peace, and expressed its profound concern at the continuing violations of human rights;

On Iran, Parliament underlined the need for the partners to work closely on the Iran nuclear issue and to maintain a coherent policy towards the region as a whole, focusing on the Iranian people, its government and the democratic opposition. It recommended that Iran's legitimate security interests be taken into account by a comprehensive regional security system backed by the strong commitment of the transatlantic partners.

Parliament felt that the EU and the US should give policy priority to the substantial reduction of poverty and should reaffirm their commitment to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals by 2015 and their previously expressed commitment to devote 0,7% of their GDP to development assistance by 2020 at the latest.

EU-US security and defence matters: The importance of NATO's role together with the European Union's foreign and security policy was underlined. NATO remained a crucial guarantor of transatlantic stability and security. It was in the interests of the partners to strengthen both NATO and EU capabilities. NATO in particular should develop its potential as a forum for political debate in a true partnership of equals, with a sensible balance being struck between the instruments of prevention, crisis management and military capability. Parliament welcomed the commitment by both partners in seeking an effective global response to the key threats to international peace and security posed by the proliferation of WMDs and their delivery systems. It encouraged the United States to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. It also encouraged the EU and the US to continue cooperation towards a comprehensive system of international agreements on non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, in order to jointly reinforce the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as a key element in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.

Parliament strongly regretted the mistrust due to suspected violation of human rights and international law involved in the so-called extraordinary renditions in Europe. The partners must act at all times in full respect of international law, the UN Charter and the principles of democracy. Any joint or unilateral activity which did not fully respect international law would weaken the way in which western societies were perceived, making them vulnerable and less credible in their fight against terrorism and the quest for peace, stability and democracy. There must be an end to the current legal limbo in which the detainees held in Camp Delta, Guantánamo Bay Naval Base have been placed since their arrival there. This issue should be on the agenda at the next EU-US Summit. Parliament again called for the immediate closure of the Guantánamo detention centre.

Parliament went on to urge the US to extend the Visa Waiver Program to cover all EU citizens so that they all receive equal, open and fair treatment without delay.

Economic and commercial dimension of the partnership and completion of the Transatlantic Market by 2015: Parliament was of the view that the transatlantic economic partnership should be enhanced within the framework of the proposed Transatlantic Partnership Agreement and should be complemented by a Transatlantic Aviation Agreement, rather than pursued in the present cumbersome and sometimes contradictory way. It called on the leaders on both sides of the Atlantic to reinvigorate transatlantic economic cooperation by establishing early warning systems to operate at an earlier stage in the regulatory and legislative processes, at the point of problem specification and solution identification. Parliament condemned the extraterritorial approach that typified much of the United States' foreign policy and foreign economic/commercial policy, as exemplified by the Helms-Burton Law, the Torricelli Law and Section 301 of the US Trade Act.

Institutional framework of the partnership: Parliament referred to the need to strengthen the parliamentary dimension of the Transatlantic Partnership by transforming the Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue (TLD) into a transatlantic assembly scheduling legislators' summits in the run-up to EU-US summits. Moreover, the idea of launching new, jointly-funded programmes for exchanges between legislative staffers needed to be considered. The EP budget for 2007 should establish a permanent post in Washington DC, so that both Parliament and the TLD may maintain permanent contact with the US House of Representatives and Senate.

Finally, it should be noted that this report joins a related one by Erika MANN (PES, DE), which calls for a barrier-free transatlantic market to be established by 2015, and the creation of a bilateral trade dispute settlement system. (Please refer to INI/2005/2082.)

Documents
2006/06/01
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2006/05/31
   EP - Debate in Parliament
2006/05/08
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
Documents
2006/05/08
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary
Documents
2006/04/25
   EP - Vote in committee
Details

The committee adopted the own initiative report by Elmar BROK (EPP-ED, DE) on improving EU-US relations in the framework of a Transatlantic Partnership Agreement. The report stressed that the transatlantic partnership, founded on shared values such as freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, was "a cornerstone of the external action of the Union". While reiterating the common commitment to combat terrorism and the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), MEPs nevertheless pointed to a number of irritants that had led to recent disagreements between the two sides.

The report, adopted by a large majority in committee, "underlines the importance of NATO's role…[as] a crucial guarantor of transatlantic stability and security." It also called for close cooperation on the Iran nuclear issue and a common approach to relations with major geopolitical actors including China, India, Japan, Latin America and Russia. And it "encourages the partners to reinforce their common efforts to promote peace, prosperity and progress in the Middle East".

However, the committee did not shy away from criticisms of US policy. It urged the US to extend the Visa Waiver Program to cover all EU citizens and thereby end the "unjustified discrimination between the citizens from old and new EU Member States". It also strongly regretted "the combination of mistrust due to suspected violation of human rights and international law involved in the so-called extraordinary renditions in Europe," and reiterated Parliament's call for "the immediate closure of the Guantánamo detention centre." In another section, the report condemned the "extraterritorial approach that typifies much of the United States' foreign policy and foreign economic/commercial policy".

On the institutional front, the committee wanted to update the fundamental basis of the Transatlantic Partnership by replacing the existing New Transatlantic Agenda with a Transatlantic Partnership Agreement to take effect from 2007. It also reiterated the need to strengthen the parliamentary dimension of the Transatlantic Partnership "by transforming the Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue (TLD) into a transatlantic assembly," and suggested that the EP should establish a permanent post in Washington DC to maintain permanent contact between the two bodies.

2006/03/14
   EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2006/02/28
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2006/02/23
   EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2006/01/10
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2005/09/15
   EP - MCCARTHY Arlene (PSE) appointed as rapporteur in JURI
2005/06/13
   CSL - Debate in Council
Documents
2005/06/13
   CSL - Council Meeting
2005/05/12
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
2005/05/10
   EP - BLOKLAND Johannes (IND/DEM) appointed as rapporteur in LIBE
2005/02/01
   EP - BROK Elmar (PPE-DE) appointed as rapporteur in AFET

Documents

Activities

Votes

Rapport Brok A6-0173/2006 - am. 2/1 #

2006/06/01 Outcome: -: 335, +: 258, 0: 21
AT DK PT FR ES SE MT CY NL BE EE CZ EL LU SK SI FI LV IT DE IE LT HU GB PL
Total
17
10
19
69
45
16
5
5
26
21
6
15
21
5
13
6
7
7
58
85
10
12
19
69
48
icon: PSE PSE
168

Estonia PSE

Against (1)

3

Czechia PSE

2

Luxembourg PSE

For (1)

1

Slovenia PSE

For (1)

1

Ireland PSE

1

Lithuania PSE

2
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
37

Austria Verts/ALE

2

Denmark Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Sweden Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Belgium Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Finland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

Italy Verts/ALE

2

United Kingdom Verts/ALE

4
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
34

Denmark GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Portugal GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

France GUE/NGL

3

Spain GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Sweden GUE/NGL

2

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2

Netherlands GUE/NGL

2

Greece GUE/NGL

3

United Kingdom GUE/NGL

1
icon: IND/DEM IND/DEM
20

Denmark IND/DEM

1

France IND/DEM

Abstain (1)

1

Sweden IND/DEM

For (1)

1

Netherlands IND/DEM

2

Greece IND/DEM

1
icon: NI NI
32

Austria NI

Abstain (1)

2

Belgium NI

3

Slovakia NI

3

United Kingdom NI

Abstain (1)

4
icon: UEN UEN
23

Denmark UEN

Against (1)

1

Ireland UEN

3

Lithuania UEN

2
icon: ALDE ALDE
74

Austria ALDE

1

Denmark ALDE

Against (1)

3
2

Sweden ALDE

3

Cyprus ALDE

Against (1)

1

Estonia ALDE

Against (2)

2

Luxembourg ALDE

Against (1)

1

Slovenia ALDE

Against (1)

1

Finland ALDE

2

Ireland ALDE

Against (1)

1

Hungary ALDE

2
icon: PPE-DE PPE-DE
226

Malta PPE-DE

Against (2)

2

Cyprus PPE-DE

2

Estonia PPE-DE

Against (1)

1

Luxembourg PPE-DE

3

Slovenia PPE-DE

4

Latvia PPE-DE

3

Lithuania PPE-DE

2

Rapport Brok A6-0173/2006 - am. 6 #

2006/06/01 Outcome: -: 478, +: 128, 0: 14
AT DK CY EL LU FI LV MT SI EE SE CZ IE SK NL LT PT BE HU FR PL IT ES DE GB
Total
17
10
5
21
6
7
7
5
6
6
17
16
12
12
25
12
19
21
21
69
49
60
44
84
69
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
39

Austria Verts/ALE

2

Denmark Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Finland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

Sweden Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Belgium Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Italy Verts/ALE

2

United Kingdom Verts/ALE

4
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
32

Denmark GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2

Sweden GUE/NGL

2

Netherlands GUE/NGL

2

Portugal GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

France GUE/NGL

3

Spain GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

United Kingdom GUE/NGL

1
icon: IND/DEM IND/DEM
20

Denmark IND/DEM

1

Greece IND/DEM

1

Sweden IND/DEM

For (1)

1

Ireland IND/DEM

For (1)

1

Netherlands IND/DEM

2
icon: NI NI
31

Austria NI

Against (1)

2

Slovakia NI

Abstain (2)

2

Belgium NI

3

United Kingdom NI

Abstain (1)

4
icon: UEN UEN
24

Denmark UEN

Against (1)

1

Lithuania UEN

2
icon: ALDE ALDE
74

Austria ALDE

1

Denmark ALDE

Abstain (1)

3

Cyprus ALDE

Against (1)

1

Luxembourg ALDE

Against (1)

1

Finland ALDE

2

Slovenia ALDE

Against (1)

1

Estonia ALDE

Against (2)

2

Sweden ALDE

3

Ireland ALDE

Against (1)

1

Hungary ALDE

2
2
icon: PSE PSE
171

Denmark PSE

Against (1)

3

Luxembourg PSE

Against (1)

1

Slovenia PSE

Against (1)

1

Czechia PSE

2

Ireland PSE

Against (1)

1

Slovakia PSE

3

Lithuania PSE

2
icon: PPE-DE PPE-DE
229

Cyprus PPE-DE

2

Luxembourg PPE-DE

3

Latvia PPE-DE

3

Malta PPE-DE

Against (2)

2

Slovenia PPE-DE

4

Estonia PPE-DE

Against (1)

1

Lithuania PPE-DE

2

Rapport Brok A6-0173/2006 - am. 9 #

2006/06/01 Outcome: -: 343, +: 268, 0: 11
FR PT AT DK SE ES MT EL CY NL LU EE BE LV IT CZ SK FI LT SI HU IE DE GB PL
Total
70
20
17
11
17
45
5
20
5
26
6
6
21
7
58
16
12
7
12
6
19
11
89
67
49
icon: PSE PSE
173

Luxembourg PSE

For (1)

1

Estonia PSE

Against (1)

3

Czechia PSE

2

Lithuania PSE

2

Slovenia PSE

Against (1)

1

Ireland PSE

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
39

Austria Verts/ALE

2

Denmark Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Sweden Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Belgium Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

Italy Verts/ALE

2

Finland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

United Kingdom Verts/ALE

4
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
34

France GUE/NGL

3

Portugal GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Denmark GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Sweden GUE/NGL

2

Spain GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2

Netherlands GUE/NGL

2

United Kingdom GUE/NGL

1
icon: NI NI
31

Austria NI

Against (1)

2

Belgium NI

3

Slovakia NI

Abstain (2)

2

United Kingdom NI

Abstain (1)

4
icon: IND/DEM IND/DEM
20

France IND/DEM

1

Denmark IND/DEM

1

Sweden IND/DEM

For (1)

1

Greece IND/DEM

1

Netherlands IND/DEM

2
icon: UEN UEN
24

Denmark UEN

Against (1)

1

Latvia UEN

For (1)

3

Lithuania UEN

2
icon: ALDE ALDE
72

Austria ALDE

1

Denmark ALDE

3

Sweden ALDE

Abstain (1)

3
2

Cyprus ALDE

Against (1)

1

Luxembourg ALDE

Against (1)

1

Estonia ALDE

Against (2)

2

Finland ALDE

2

Slovenia ALDE

Against (1)

1

Hungary ALDE

2

Ireland ALDE

Against (1)

1
icon: PPE-DE PPE-DE
229

Malta PPE-DE

Against (2)

2

Cyprus PPE-DE

2

Luxembourg PPE-DE

3

Estonia PPE-DE

Against (1)

1

Latvia PPE-DE

3

Lithuania PPE-DE

2

Slovenia PPE-DE

4

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

docs/1/docs/0/url
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/JURI-AD-367771_EN.html
docs/3/docs/0/url
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Vote in committee
events/3
date
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Committee report tabled for plenary
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docs
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docs
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summary
procedure/legal_basis/0
Rules of Procedure EP 54
procedure/legal_basis/0
Rules of Procedure EP 52
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
associated
False
committee_full
Foreign Affairs
committee
AFET
rapporteur
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committees/0
type
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committee_full
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rapporteur
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committees/2
type
Committee Opinion
body
EP
associated
False
committee_full
Legal Affairs
committee
JURI
rapporteur
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committees/2
type
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date
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rapporteur
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committees/3
type
Committee Opinion
body
EP
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committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
rapporteur
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committees/3
type
Committee Opinion
body
EP
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committee_full
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
committee
LIBE
date
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rapporteur
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docs/4/docs/0/url
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docs/5/body
EC
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events/6/docs/0/url
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activities
  • date: 2005-05-12T00:00:00 body: EP type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading committees: body: EP responsible: True committee: AFET date: 2005-02-01T00:00:00 committee_full: Foreign Affairs rapporteur: group: PPE-DE name: BROK Elmar body: EP responsible: False committee_full: International Trade committee: INTA body: EP responsible: False committee: JURI date: 2005-09-15T00:00:00 committee_full: Legal Affairs rapporteur: group: PSE name: MCCARTHY Arlene body: EP responsible: False committee: LIBE date: 2005-05-10T00:00:00 committee_full: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs rapporteur: group: IND/DEM name: BLOKLAND Johannes
  • body: CSL meeting_id: 2668 docs: url: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/out?lang=EN&typ=SET&i=SMPL&ROWSPP=25&RESULTSET=1&NRROWS=500&DOC_LANCD=EN&ORDERBY=DOC_DATE+DESC&CONTENTS=2668*&MEET_DATE=13/06/2005 type: Debate in Council title: 2668 council: General Affairs date: 2005-06-13T00:00:00 type: Council Meeting
  • date: 2006-04-25T00:00:00 body: EP committees: body: EP responsible: True committee: AFET date: 2005-02-01T00:00:00 committee_full: Foreign Affairs rapporteur: group: PPE-DE name: BROK Elmar body: EP responsible: False committee_full: International Trade committee: INTA body: EP responsible: False committee: JURI date: 2005-09-15T00:00:00 committee_full: Legal Affairs rapporteur: group: PSE name: MCCARTHY Arlene body: EP responsible: False committee: LIBE date: 2005-05-10T00:00:00 committee_full: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs rapporteur: group: IND/DEM name: BLOKLAND Johannes type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
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  • date: 2006-05-31T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20060531&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
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  • body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: General Affairs meeting_id: 2668 url: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/out?lang=EN&typ=SET&i=SMPL&ROWSPP=25&RESULTSET=1&NRROWS=500&DOC_LANCD=EN&ORDERBY=DOC_DATE+DESC&CONTENTS=2668*&MEET_DATE=13/06/2005 date: 2005-06-13T00:00:00
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  • date: 2006-01-10T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE357.925 title: PE357.925 type: Committee draft report body: EP
  • date: 2006-02-23T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE367.771&secondRef=03 title: PE367.771 committee: JURI type: Committee opinion body: EP
  • date: 2006-02-28T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE369.963 title: PE369.963 type: Amendments tabled in committee body: EP
  • date: 2006-03-14T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE360.352&secondRef=03 title: PE360.352 committee: LIBE type: Committee opinion body: EP
  • date: 2006-05-08T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A6-2006-173&language=EN title: A6-0173/2006 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading body: EP
  • date: 2006-06-22T00:00:00 docs: url: /oeil/spdoc.do?i=4689&j=0&l=en title: SP(2006)2902 type: Commission response to text adopted in plenary
events
  • date: 2005-05-12T00:00:00 type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP
  • date: 2005-06-13T00:00:00 type: Debate in Council body: CSL docs: url: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/out?lang=EN&typ=SET&i=SMPL&ROWSPP=25&RESULTSET=1&NRROWS=500&DOC_LANCD=EN&ORDERBY=DOC_DATE+DESC&CONTENTS=2668*&MEET_DATE=13/06/2005 title: 2668
  • date: 2006-04-25T00:00:00 type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading body: EP summary: The committee adopted the own initiative report by Elmar BROK (EPP-ED, DE) on improving EU-US relations in the framework of a Transatlantic Partnership Agreement. The report stressed that the transatlantic partnership, founded on shared values such as freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, was "a cornerstone of the external action of the Union". While reiterating the common commitment to combat terrorism and the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), MEPs nevertheless pointed to a number of irritants that had led to recent disagreements between the two sides. The report, adopted by a large majority in committee, "underlines the importance of NATO's role…[as] a crucial guarantor of transatlantic stability and security." It also called for close cooperation on the Iran nuclear issue and a common approach to relations with major geopolitical actors including China, India, Japan, Latin America and Russia. And it "encourages the partners to reinforce their common efforts to promote peace, prosperity and progress in the Middle East". However, the committee did not shy away from criticisms of US policy. It urged the US to extend the Visa Waiver Program to cover all EU citizens and thereby end the "unjustified discrimination between the citizens from old and new EU Member States". It also strongly regretted "the combination of mistrust due to suspected violation of human rights and international law involved in the so-called extraordinary renditions in Europe," and reiterated Parliament's call for "the immediate closure of the Guantánamo detention centre." In another section, the report condemned the "extraterritorial approach that typifies much of the United States' foreign policy and foreign economic/commercial policy". On the institutional front, the committee wanted to update the fundamental basis of the Transatlantic Partnership by replacing the existing New Transatlantic Agenda with a Transatlantic Partnership Agreement to take effect from 2007. It also reiterated the need to strengthen the parliamentary dimension of the Transatlantic Partnership "by transforming the Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue (TLD) into a transatlantic assembly," and suggested that the EP should establish a permanent post in Washington DC to maintain permanent contact between the two bodies.
  • date: 2006-05-08T00:00:00 type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A6-2006-173&language=EN title: A6-0173/2006
  • date: 2006-05-31T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20060531&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2006-06-01T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=4689&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
  • date: 2006-06-01T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2006-238 title: T6-0238/2006 summary: The European Parliament adopted a resolution based on the own-initiative report by Elmar BROK (EPP-ED, DE) on improving EU-US relations in the framework of a Transatlantic Partnership Agreement. It stated that the Transatlantic Partnershipwas a cornerstone of the external action of the Union, being founded on shared values such as freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The resolution was, however, critical of certain aspects of US policy. The report passed by a large majority in plenary, and mentions both common threats and challenges, as well as several current irritants to transatlantic relations. General framework of the EU-US Partnership: Parliament stressed the need to update the fundamental basis of the Transatlantic Partnership by replacing the existing New Transatlantic Agenda with a Transatlantic Partnership Agreement to take effect from 2007. It was convinced that it is only by means of such an agreement that the transatlantic relationship can be anchored in a firm institutionalised structure. Such an agreement would allow comprehensive restructuring and harmonising of the diverse and uncoordinated initiatives presently under way, and that it would also encourage other international actors to assume the vital principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Parliament also underlined the urgent need for the forthcoming EU-US Summit in June 2006 to fix the goal of completing the Transatlantic Market by 2015, without impediment, as repeatedly proposed by Parliament, by the US Congress and by leading politicians, academics and business stakeholders. Political dimension of the proposed Transatlantic Partnership Agreement: building up a “community of action” for global and regional cooperation: the Transatlantic Partnership Agreement should expand the existing agenda in the political, economic and security fields, seeking a “community of action” for global and regional cooperation in all those areas where the common interests and values of both partners are at stake. Parliament also recommended the promotion of a common approach to relations with other major geopolitical actors including China, India, Japan, Latin America and Russia, the revival of negotiated arms control and disarmament agreements at multilateral and bilateral levels and a more active joint commitment to reform of the United Nations and its Security Council. China, Russia and Ukraine should be prioritised for actions with regard to EU-US collaboration and coordination of technical assistance and enforcement training. Parliament regretted that the US Administration remained so reluctant to enter into any meaningful international partnership on climate change, but noted as a modest step forward, that it was now willing, as agreed at the December 2005 Montreal Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to engage in a thorough forward-looking dialogue. A common strategy should be developed to ensure security of energy and raw material supplies, based firstly on a multilateral policy agreed by all major consumers and secondly on the principle of diversity in supply, production and transportation. Parliament moved on to encourage the partners to reinforce their common efforts to promote peace in the Middle East on the basis of the successive initiatives undertaken by the Quartet, and stressed the importance of a common approach towards the newly elected Palestinian Authority. It supported the determination of the partners to work with the Iraqi authorities, the UN and relevant regional actors in order to help Iraq achieve peace, and expressed its profound concern at the continuing violations of human rights; On Iran, Parliament underlined the need for the partners to work closely on the Iran nuclear issue and to maintain a coherent policy towards the region as a whole, focusing on the Iranian people, its government and the democratic opposition. It recommended that Iran's legitimate security interests be taken into account by a comprehensive regional security system backed by the strong commitment of the transatlantic partners. Parliament felt that the EU and the US should give policy priority to the substantial reduction of poverty and should reaffirm their commitment to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals by 2015 and their previously expressed commitment to devote 0,7% of their GDP to development assistance by 2020 at the latest. EU-US security and defence matters: The importance of NATO's role together with the European Union's foreign and security policy was underlined. NATO remained a crucial guarantor of transatlantic stability and security. It was in the interests of the partners to strengthen both NATO and EU capabilities. NATO in particular should develop its potential as a forum for political debate in a true partnership of equals, with a sensible balance being struck between the instruments of prevention, crisis management and military capability. Parliament welcomed the commitment by both partners in seeking an effective global response to the key threats to international peace and security posed by the proliferation of WMDs and their delivery systems. It encouraged the United States to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. It also encouraged the EU and the US to continue cooperation towards a comprehensive system of international agreements on non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, in order to jointly reinforce the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as a key element in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. Parliament strongly regretted the mistrust due to suspected violation of human rights and international law involved in the so-called extraordinary renditions in Europe. The partners must act at all times in full respect of international law, the UN Charter and the principles of democracy. Any joint or unilateral activity which did not fully respect international law would weaken the way in which western societies were perceived, making them vulnerable and less credible in their fight against terrorism and the quest for peace, stability and democracy. There must be an end to the current legal limbo in which the detainees held in Camp Delta, Guantánamo Bay Naval Base have been placed since their arrival there. This issue should be on the agenda at the next EU-US Summit. Parliament again called for the immediate closure of the Guantánamo detention centre. Parliament went on to urge the US to extend the Visa Waiver Program to cover all EU citizens so that they all receive equal, open and fair treatment without delay. Economic and commercial dimension of the partnership and completion of the Transatlantic Market by 2015: Parliament was of the view that the transatlantic economic partnership should be enhanced within the framework of the proposed Transatlantic Partnership Agreement and should be complemented by a Transatlantic Aviation Agreement, rather than pursued in the present cumbersome and sometimes contradictory way. It called on the leaders on both sides of the Atlantic to reinvigorate transatlantic economic cooperation by establishing early warning systems to operate at an earlier stage in the regulatory and legislative processes, at the point of problem specification and solution identification. Parliament condemned the extraterritorial approach that typified much of the United States' foreign policy and foreign economic/commercial policy, as exemplified by the Helms-Burton Law, the Torricelli Law and Section 301 of the US Trade Act. Institutional framework of the partnership: Parliament referred to the need to strengthen the parliamentary dimension of the Transatlantic Partnership by transforming the Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue (TLD) into a transatlantic assembly scheduling legislators' summits in the run-up to EU-US summits. Moreover, the idea of launching new, jointly-funded programmes for exchanges between legislative staffers needed to be considered. The EP budget for 2007 should establish a permanent post in Washington DC, so that both Parliament and the TLD may maintain permanent contact with the US House of Representatives and Senate. Finally, it should be noted that this report joins a related one by Erika MANN (PES, DE), which calls for a barrier-free transatlantic market to be established by 2015, and the creation of a bilateral trade dispute settlement system. (Please refer to INI/2005/2082.)
  • date: 2006-06-01T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
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  • 6.40.11 Relations with industrialised countries
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6.40.11
Relations with industrialised countries
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  • date: 2005-05-12T00:00:00 body: EP type: Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading committees: body: EP responsible: True committee: AFET date: 2005-02-01T00:00:00 committee_full: Foreign Affairs rapporteur: group: PPE-DE name: BROK Elmar body: EP responsible: False committee_full: International Trade committee: INTA body: EP responsible: False committee: JURI date: 2005-09-15T00:00:00 committee_full: Legal Affairs rapporteur: group: PSE name: MCCARTHY Arlene body: EP responsible: False committee: LIBE date: 2005-05-10T00:00:00 committee_full: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs rapporteur: group: IND/DEM name: BLOKLAND Johannes
  • body: CSL meeting_id: 2668 docs: url: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/out?lang=EN&typ=SET&i=SMPL&ROWSPP=25&RESULTSET=1&NRROWS=500&DOC_LANCD=EN&ORDERBY=DOC_DATE+DESC&CONTENTS=2668*&MEET_DATE=13/06/2005 type: Debate in Council title: 2668 council: General Affairs date: 2005-06-13T00:00:00 type: Council Meeting
  • date: 2006-04-25T00:00:00 body: EP committees: body: EP responsible: True committee: AFET date: 2005-02-01T00:00:00 committee_full: Foreign Affairs rapporteur: group: PPE-DE name: BROK Elmar body: EP responsible: False committee_full: International Trade committee: INTA body: EP responsible: False committee: JURI date: 2005-09-15T00:00:00 committee_full: Legal Affairs rapporteur: group: PSE name: MCCARTHY Arlene body: EP responsible: False committee: LIBE date: 2005-05-10T00:00:00 committee_full: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs rapporteur: group: IND/DEM name: BLOKLAND Johannes type: Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • date: 2006-05-08T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A6-2006-173&language=EN type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading title: A6-0173/2006 body: EP type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
  • date: 2006-05-31T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20060531&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2006-06-01T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=4689&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2006-238 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T6-0238/2006 body: EP type: Results of vote in Parliament
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  • body: EP responsible: False committee: JURI date: 2005-09-15T00:00:00 committee_full: Legal Affairs rapporteur: group: PSE name: MCCARTHY Arlene
  • body: EP responsible: False committee: LIBE date: 2005-05-10T00:00:00 committee_full: Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs rapporteur: group: IND/DEM name: BLOKLAND Johannes
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6.40.11 Relations with industrialised countries