The European Parliament adopted a joint resolution on ensuring the success of the EU/US Summit in Washington DC on 20 June 2005, w elcoming the improving climate of transatlantic relations, as evidenced in the recent handling of both global and bilateral issues by governmental and legislative leaders on both sides of the Atlantic. This positive backdrop offers genuine opportunities for the EU and the US to work closely together in the years to come on a wide range of policy challenges of common concern. At the EU-US Summit in Washington new impetus should be given to transatlantic relations by the updating of the New Transatlantic Agenda and its replacement with a Transatlantic Partnership Agreement to take effect from 2007.

Parliament felt that this Transatlantic Partnership Agreement should expand the existing Agenda in the political, economic and security fields, on the understanding that the partnership should primarily remain one of political engagement. As regards the economic relationship which, according to a recent OECD study, could increase GDP per capita in Europe by 2 to 3%, the remaining barriers to transatlantic trade and investment should be identified and a route map developed which outlines a course of action to strengthen the transatlantic market.

Parliament also welcomed the Commission Communication of 18 May 2005, which represents a valuable first step towards the establishment of a Transatlantic Partnership Agreement, but criticised its lack of courage. The EU-US Summit process should provide a vital forum for the discussion of major priorities of both a global and bilateral nature, imparting strategic impetus to the relationship.

It called on the US to assume its shared responsibility for economic stability in an increasingly interdependent world and expressed its concern about the potentially dangerous impact of the large US federal budget deficit on the global economy and the balance of international currency markets.

It again rejected the proposed lifting of the embargo on arms exports to China, until the human rights situation in that country improves substantially. It would be helpful for a high-level group to be established at the EU-US Summit to develop a joint EU-US approach to the question of exports involving technology transfer.

Parliament went on to note that visa policy is now a policy of exclusive Community competence, and asked the Commission to commence negotiations with the US Administration in order to make the Visa Waiver Program valid for all European citizens and to remove current discrimination, in particular against the citizens of the new Member States.

It recommended that the proposed Transatlantic Partnership Agreement establish a transatlantic 'community of action' for regional and global cooperation and address challenges through joint action, in particular:

- the promotion of democracy, human rights and the rule of law and support for multilateralism;

- the advancement of the peace process in the Middle East in agreement with the governments and people of the region and on the basis of the Quartet's Road Map;

- the quest for global security, by working together on a list of issues, including fighting international terrorism, a multilateralisation of the non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, and common approaches to relationships with other major geopolitical actors such as China, India, Japan, Latin America and Russia. Parliament also included reform of the UN, and in particular its Security Council.

Parliament considered it essential that political issues on which there is disagreement, such as the Guantánamo case, or where there are strong differences of opinion over certain international instruments, be discussed by both partners in a spirit of cooperation.

Parliament reiterated the view that NATO should develop its potential as a forum for political debate in a true partnership of equals, where a sensible balance must be struck between the instruments of prevention, crisis management and military capability. It recommended to this end a closer security relationship between NATO and the EU. A stronger EU-US partnership will complement, rather than undermine, this relationship.

Finally, Parliament called on the EU-US Summit to start strengthening the parliamentary dimension of the Transatlantic Partnership by transforming the Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue (TLD) into a Transatlantic Assembly able to hold legislators' summits prior to EU-US summits.

The European Parliament adopted a joint resolution on ensuring the success of the EU/US Summit in Washington DC on 20 June 2005, w elcoming the improving climate of transatlantic relations, as evidenced in the recent handling of both global and bilateral issues by governmental and legislative leaders on both sides of the Atlantic. This positive backdrop offers genuine opportunities for the EU and the US to work closely together in the years to come on a wide range of policy challenges of common concern. At the EU-US Summit in Washington new impetus should be given to transatlantic relations by the updating of the New Transatlantic Agenda and its replacement with a Transatlantic Partnership Agreement to take effect from 2007.

Parliament felt that this Transatlantic Partnership Agreement should expand the existing Agenda in the political, economic and security fields, on the understanding that the partnership should primarily remain one of political engagement. As regards the economic relationship which, according to a recent OECD study, could increase GDP per capita in Europe by 2 to 3%, the remaining barriers to transatlantic trade and investment should be identified and a route map developed which outlines a course of action to strengthen the transatlantic market.

Parliament also welcomed the Commission Communication of 18 May 2005, which represents a valuable first step towards the establishment of a Transatlantic Partnership Agreement, but criticised its lack of courage. The EU-US Summit process should provide a vital forum for the discussion of major priorities of both a global and bilateral nature, imparting strategic impetus to the relationship.

It called on the US to assume its shared responsibility for economic stability in an increasingly interdependent world and expressed its concern about the potentially dangerous impact of the large US federal budget deficit on the global economy and the balance of international currency markets.

It again rejected the proposed lifting of the embargo on arms exports to China, until the human rights situation in that country improves substantially. It would be helpful for a high-level group to be established at the EU-US Summit to develop a joint EU-US approach to the question of exports involving technology transfer.

Parliament went on to note that visa policy is now a policy of exclusive Community competence, and asked the Commission to commence negotiations with the US Administration in order to make the Visa Waiver Program valid for all European citizens and to remove current discrimination, in particular against the citizens of the new Member States.

It recommended that the proposed Transatlantic Partnership Agreement establish a transatlantic 'community of action' for regional and global cooperation and address challenges through joint action, in particular:

- the promotion of democracy, human rights and the rule of law and support for multilateralism;

- the advancement of the peace process in the Middle East in agreement with the governments and people of the region and on the basis of the Quartet's Road Map;

- the quest for global security, by working together on a list of issues, including fighting international terrorism, a multilateralisation of the non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, and common approaches to relationships with other major geopolitical actors such as China, India, Japan, Latin America and Russia. Parliament also included reform of the UN, and in particular its Security Council.

Parliament considered it essential that political issues on which there is disagreement, such as the Guantánamo case, or where there are strong differences of opinion over certain international instruments, be discussed by both partners in a spirit of cooperation.

Parliament reiterated the view that NATO should develop its potential as a forum for political debate in a true partnership of equals, where a sensible balance must be struck between the instruments of prevention, crisis management and military capability. It recommended to this end a closer security relationship between NATO and the EU. A stronger EU-US partnership will complement, rather than undermine, this relationship.

Finally, Parliament called on the EU-US Summit to start strengthening the parliamentary dimension of the Transatlantic Partnership by transforming the Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue (TLD) into a Transatlantic Assembly able to hold legislators' summits prior to EU-US summits.