EU-US Summit

Tabled by Pascal Canfin, Reinhard Bütikofer, Yannick Jadot, Nicole Kiil-Nielsen and Barbara Lochbihler
on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

The European Parliament,

• having regard to its previous resolutions on transatlantic relations, in particular its two resolutions of 1 June 2006 on improving EU-US relations in the framework of a Transatlantic Partnership Agreement and on EU-US transatlantic economic relations, and its resolution of 25 April 2007 on transatlantic relations, as well as the most recent one of 5 June 2008 on the EU-US Summit, and its resolution on the state of the transatlantic relations in the aftermath of the US election of 26 March 2009
• having regard to the Transatlantic Declaration on EU-US Relations of 1990 and the New Transatlantic Agenda (NTA) of 1995,
• having regard to the conclusions of the summit hold in Prague on 5 April 2009 between President Obama and the 27 EU Heads of Stateand Government, for the establishment of a common agenda
• having regard to the Joint Statement and progress report adopted at the third Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC) meeting on 16 October 2008,
• having regard to the forthcoming the EU-US Summit to be held on 2-3 November 2009 in Washington DC
• having regard to the forthcoming 67th Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue (TLD) on 4-6 December in New York
• having regard to its Resolution on the envisaged international agreement to make available to the United States Treasury Department financial payment messaging data to prevent and combat terrorism and terrorist financing of 17 September 2009
• having regard to the its resolution of 8 October 2009, on the on the Pittsburgh G20 Summit of 24-25 September 2009
• having regard to Rule 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
  
  
  A. whereas the transatlantic partnership is founded on shared core values such as democracy, human rights, the rule of law, peaceful resolution of conflicts and multilateralism as well as common goals such as open and integrated economies and sustainable development, and is the cornerstone of security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area,
  
  B. whereas the European Union welcomes the new direction given by the US administration based on a cooperative attitude in the international field and a strengthening of the EU-US relationship,
  
  C. whereas the European Union is an increasingly important player on the world stage and whereas, once the Lisbon Treaty with its foreign policy tools comes into effect, the EU will be able to play a stronger and more coherent role on the international scene,
  
  D. whereas recent surveys, such as the Transatlantic Trends 2009 of the German Marshall Funds, show an unprecedented popular support by EU citizens for the US administration as a basis for a revitalization for EU-US relations,
  
  E. whereas the EU and the US play key roles in the world's politics and economy, and share responsibility for tackling various global challenges, such as the financial crisis, climate change, energy security, the resolution on conflicts and disarmament, the eradication of poverty and fulfilment of other MDGs, protection and promotion of human rights and the rule of law, terrorism and nuclear proliferation,
  
  F. whereas in an increasingly global, complex and changing world, it is in the interest of both partners, the EU and the US, to shape the international environment together and to confront in unison common threats and challenges on the basis of international law and multilateral institutions, in particular the UN system, and to invite other partners to cooperate in this effort,
  
  G. whereas, in the fight against international terrorism, it is necessary to stress the importance of fully respecting international law and treaties regarding human rights and fundamental freedoms,
  
  H. whereas the transatlantic partnership must remain a cornerstone of the external action of the Union,
  
  I. whereas the work of the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC) needs to continue towards the goal of a better functioning of the transatlantic market;
  
  J. whereas the EU and the US will be confronted with rising global energy consumption and the requirement to implement global commitments - to be achieved in Copenhagen - to combat climate change, which will require major changes in our economies;

Global challenges

1. Regards it actually as the most urgent task for the European side to convince the US Government of the need to come to a far-reaching, ambitious and legally binding post-Kyoto regime on greenhouse gas emissions during the COP-15 meeting in Copenhagen, to design a transatlantic Green New Deal for investment and technology exchange in safe and non-polluting energy and production devices, and to agree on an adequate level of financing for climate mitigation and adaptation in developing countries;

2. Urges both partners to engage in effective multilateralism, involving emerging players in a spirit of shared responsibility for the global order, respect for international law and common problems; insists that the EU and the US increase their efforts to accomplish the UN Reform Agenda, including the reform of the UN Security Council and of other multilateral forums within the global architecture;

3. Calls on both partners to promote respect for human rights at home and in the world as a key element of their policy; underlines the need for intensive coordination in preventive and crisis diplomacy; calls on the US administration to ratify and accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court; repeats its appeal for the abolition of the death penalty; calls on the US government to return to the full practice of international standards of rule of law and to dismantle all secret prison sites, to put a hold to all extrajudicial measures and ending impunity on human rights violations;

Defence, arms control, nuclear proliferation, and security matters

4. Stresses that the security dimension of the EU relations with Russia and the US and the role of the CFSP and ESDP cannot be seen in isolation from the wider European security architecture, which includes NATO, the OSCE and international arrangements such as the ABM and CFE Treaties; considers that relevant developments in this wider security structure should be addressed in dialogue with Russia, the United States and the non-EU OSCE Member States in order to renew cross-Atlantic consensus on security, taking the Helsinki agreements or an updated version of them to be negotiated within a new Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe as a basis;

5. Welcoming in this connection the decision of the Russian Federation and the US to conduct negotiations to conclude a new comprehensive legally binding agreement to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which expires in December 2009, and the signature of the "Joint understanding for a follow-on agreement to START-1" Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitri Medvedev in Moscow on 6 July 2009;

6. Supports the concept paper presented by the US to the Council on September 16, 2009 as part of the US administration strategy on non proliferation and disarmament, and welcomes the announced organization in April 2010 of a World Conference on non proliferation;

7. Welcomes the 24 September 2009 Security Council resolution on Non proliferation (Res.1887) to seek a safer world for all and to create the conditions for a world without nuclear weapons, in accordance with the goals of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), in a way that promotes international stability, and based on the principle of undiminished security for all;

8. Considers there is particular scope for the renewal of transatlantic cooperation on nuclear non-proliferation, on the reduction of the nuclear arsenal, including the withdrawal of US war heads from European soil; therefore, invites the EU and the US to adopt a common strategy in all international fora, in particular the UN, on disarmament of weapons of mass destruction and conventional weaponry; welcomes the announcement by the US President that he will take forward the ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT); calls on the Council to contribute positively and proactively to the preparations for the next NPT review conference in 2010, in close cooperation with US and Russia;

9. Calls upon the Conference on Disarmament to negotiate a Treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices as soon as possible;

10. Welcomes the first forthcoming EU-US Joint declaration on non proliferation, expected to follow the terms of the UN resolution 1887 and indicating areas of cooperation;

11. Underlines that the uncertainties about the nature of the Iranian nuclear programme put additional strain on the non-proliferation system and stability in the region and the world; welcomes the direct dialogue established by President Obama and supports the objective, pursued jointly by both partners, of finding a negotiated solution with Iran, following the dual strategy of dialogue and sanctions, in coordination with other members of the Security Council, under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency; both partners should aim at building a nuclear free zone in the Middle East.

12. Deplores, in this respect, the efforts of French President Sarkozy to sell nuclear technology to the countries of the broader Middle East; stresses that this policy is totally irresponsible and risks to further destabilize the situation and undermine any initiative to create a nuclear free zone in the region;

13. Supports the Geneva talks process of October 1st 2009, so that Iran agreed on to open its newly revealed uranium enrichment plant near Qum to international inspection;

14. criticises the US India agreement on nuclear cooperation which has allowed India to enter into the international nuclear trade system despite refusing to become a member of the NPT Treaty and continuing refusal to allow safety inspections by the IAEA of numerous of its nuclear installations; is convinced that the agreement adds to the impression of double standards which threaten to destroy the relevance of the NPT treaty;

15. Is concerned on the latest nuclear testing conducted by DPRK and its rejection of UN resolution 1887; supports nonetheless the US bilateral dialogue approach, within the framework of the Six-party talks to achieve denuclearization of the Korean peninsula;

16. Welcomes the US abandonment of plans for a missile defence shield in Europe and calls for a new global security arrangement involving the EU, the US, Russia and China

Regional issues

17. Underlines that a peaceful and just settlement of the Middle East conflict is vital, and welcomes the fact that it represents one of the most urgent priorities of the US administration; asks the US administration to coordinate closely with the EU and engage in the Quartet; emphasises that both partners should strive for intensification of the negotiations based on the road map and the previous agreement, with the objective of a two-state solution with a sovereign, viable Palestinian state; calls on the transatlantic partners to support efforts for inter-Palestinian reconciliation, and to put an end to the dramatic humanitarian situation in the Gaza strip and points out the importance of improving the living conditions of Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza, including the reconstruction of Gaza;

18. Welcomes the Human Rights Council Endorsement of the recommendations set out in the reports of the Fact-Finding Mission to Gaza led by Justice Goldstone and by the High Commissioner for Human Rights and stresses that it constitute an important step towards reaching a peaceful and just settlement of the conflict and fight impunity;

19. Considers that the first meeting hosted in September 23 2009 by President Obama between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas did not reach the ambitions foreseen; laments that no agreement had yet been reached on the issue of Israeli settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem;

20. Deplores the decision of the Human Rights Council decided to defer action on a draft resolution concerning the report of the recent United Nations fact-finding mission on the Gaza conflict and its recommendations; expects it will be dealt in due time by the HRC;

21. Underlines that the values, security and credibility of the transatlantic community are at stake in Afghanistan; urges the EU, the US, NATO and the UN to come up with a new joint strategic concept which comprehensively integrates the components of the international engagement, improves the living conditions of the local population, reinforces Afghan women's rights and encourages democratic development, inviting all neighbours to participate in this effort, in order to achieve regional stabilization;

22. Calls on the EU and the US to develop a joint strategy towards Pakistan, aimed at strengthening its democratic institutions, the rule of law and its ability to fight poverty, social exclusion and terrorism, while encouraging Pakistan's involvement in responsibility for stability in the region;

23. Calls on the partners to continue, by means of coordinated efforts, to work with the Iraqi government and the UN in order to improve stability and national reconciliation and to contribute to the unity and independence of Iraq;

Financial crisis and stability and banking

24. Highlights that the risk of a credit crunch is not over; stresses in this regard that coordinated macroeconomic policies are vital in achieving a sustainable global economic recovery, providing the bases for a Green New Deal which enables long-term qualitative development; calls for starting work towards coordinated, appropriately phased and effective exit strategies in order to rapidly implement them as soon as the recovery permits

25. Welcomes the G-20 conclusions as a concrete working basis for further EU-US cooperation and looks forward to a coordinated approach to address both financial stability and reform of the global financial system

26. Calls for a coordinated approach between the US reform package for the financial sector (as proposed on 17 June 2009) and the current EU reform of the financial supervisory structure to avoid any future failures of the global financial market and to ensure regulation of all systemic actors; approves in this respect the inclusion of major emerging economies in the establishment of the Financial Stability Board (FSB)

27. Takes the view that coordination between the US and the EU must lead to the progressive upgrading of prudential rules globally to avoid regulatory arbitrage; underlines that progress made within the broader context of the G-20 consists of a 'minimum harmonisation' approach, which must not prevent the European Union from applying higher standards;

28. Believes to that end that strengthening cooperation between legislative, regulatory and supervisory authorities in the US and those in the EU is vital, especially having regard to the shortcomings highlighted by the financial turmoil

29. Calls the US to take into account recent as well as forthcoming changes to the EU capital requirements directives for credit institutions and investment firms, when implementing the Basel II framework in the US

30. Believes in this respect that the implementation of Basel II in the US is vital for preserving the level playing field globally

31. Supports the G20 call to speed up convergence of accounting standards; urges the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the International Accounting Standards Board to achieve a single set of high-quality global accounting standards within the context of their independent standard-setting process and complete their convergence project by June 2011; urges to develop country-by-country reporting that provides a comprehensive view of each parent company of a group for investors, stakeholders and tax authorities, thereby facilitating a more effective and transparent international overview of tax-led decisions;

32. Urges the US to stick to its road map for requiring US domestic users to apply International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS); recalls its request that the SEC - until a decision to require US users to apply IFRS has been taken - recognises IFRS, as adopted by the European Union, as being equivalent to US GAAP;

33. Underlines that the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) should continue its governance reforms to ensure a fair representation of constituencies requiring listed companies to apply IFRS and involved in setting international accounting standards, as well as in the oversight of the IASB as its Trustees;

34. Emphasises the need of a global system of cooperation and information exchange in tax matters in the form a multilateral framework, such as the extended Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of information (GFTEI); deems that the GFTEI must be substantially reinforced to combat effectively tax evasion and avoidance; in particular, stresses that automatic information shall occur in all circumstances;

35. Welcomes the G-20 Leaders' agreement to work on an international framework for a financial transaction tax and calls for speedy progress by the US and the EU, to ensure that the financial sector contributes fairly towards economic recovery and development, since the costs of the crisis so far are being borne by tax payers, public services and citizens;

36. Express the wish for the EU to be able to recognise the US insurance supervisory regime as equivalent under the conditions set out in the Solvency II Directive; is of the opinion, that the initiative to set up an Office of National Insurance would improve EU-US cooperation and information exchange in the insurance sector;

37. Considers that the regulatory cooperation should take into account the strengthening of the EU regulatory framework regarding "the Capital Requirements Directive (CRD)", in particular the remuneration policies in the financial services sector;

TEC

38. Stresses the need for the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC) to continue, develop and to be strengthened; Believes that a roadmap should be drawn up showing how the long term commitment to a transparent, value-based Transatlantic Market taking into due account the interests of all stakeholders can be achieved

39. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the outcome of studies on realization of the transatlantic market is discussed with the relevant parliamentary committees before any specific conclusions are drawn for the future;

40. Believes that the Information Society is a crucial pillar of the transatlantic economic area based on access to knowledge and on a new model for the protection and the sharing of digital content, in respect of proportionality;

41. Considers, in particular, that the results of improved cooperation in such areas as investment, accounting standards, regulatory issues, the safety of imported products and intellectual property rights (IPR) enforcement must be debated by legislators on both sides of the Atlantic before coming into effect;

42. Calls on the Commission to continue its efforts to ensure that the U.S. law to scan 100% of inbound cargo will be either modified or implemented by the US administration so to ensure that no new trade barriers are created which will impose significant costs on economic operators, without providing any benefits in terms of supply chain security; believes that the TEC could usefully organise seminars on the 100% scanning issue in Brussels and Washington in order to foster a deeper understanding between US and EU legislators and to promote an early and mutually acceptable resolution of this problem;

43. Reiterates its call upon the leadership of the EU and the US and the co-chairs of the TEC to take account of the crucial role of legislators for the long-term success of the process, and urges them to involve the representatives of the TLD fully and directly in the work of the TEC;

44. Believes that given the highly technical nature of the issues dealt with by the TEC, it is essential to ensure that the most appropriate members of Congress and the European Parliament are brought into the discussion; reminds that many of the non-tariff barriers to trade and investment which the TEC is called to remove are rooted in conscious activities of legislative bodies in order to foster social, health-related, cultural or environmental objectives, and hence must not be removed without a corresponding legislative act;

45. Welcomes the fact that the TEC is advised by a range of stakeholders, including representatives of business and asks that a comparable role be given to representatives of the trade union movement on each side of the Atlantic so that the social dimension is fully included ; calls on the heads of the Transatlantic Labour Dialogue, and future Energy Transatlantic Dialogue and a revitalized Environmental Dialogue to be included in the Group of advisers; is however of the view that their consultative role is to be differentiated from the legislative role of the US Congress and Parliament;

46. Believes, at the same time, that transatlantic economic cooperation must be made more accountable, transparent and predictable; schedules of meetings, agendas, road-maps and progress reports should be published on a website;

Transport issues

47. Calls upon the US Senate and the US Administration to allow the full and effective implementation of the first stage EU-US aviation agreement and of the EU-US aviation safety agreement and work towards a second stage aviation agreement, in order to further develop cooperation in EU-US aviation relations;

48. Calls upon the US Senate and the US Administration to avoid any measures that go counter these objectives, like the ones on foreign repair stations, anti-trust exemptions and air carrier citizenship mentioned in House Resolution 915

49. Calls on the US authorities and the European Commission to further intensify their negotiations to find balanced solutions for, amongst others, air security needs and data protection in the field of passengers' name record (PNR), for the review of security checks at airports and for stronger integrating measures for reducing the impact on climate change by transatlantic and international aviation into the Copenhagen negotiations and the ICAO agreements;

50. Reminds both the European Commission and the US Authorities that failure to conclude a second stage agreement could lead to the cancellation of the first stage agreement by some Member States, damaging the interests of both EU and US air carriers;

Enforcement of Consumer Protection Laws, Customs Matters and Market Surveillance

51. Calls on the Commission and the Council to promote joint actions with US authorities, in particular the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, and other partners to ensure that China and other Third countries raise their production standards to meet EU/US safety requirements, in particular for toys

52. Calls on the Commission to develop stronger and more effective cross border enforcement cooperation mechanisms, with the objective of linking the EU "RAPEX" alert system on consumer products posing a serious risk to consumers to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission alert system, and integrating the activities of the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network with those of the US authorities

53. Proposes that the TEC endorse the adoption of a binding cooperation instrument which would structure and facilitate the sharing of information on product safety and the development of a common programme of cooperative actions

54. Supports the Commission's initiative to step up international cooperation by making use of the legal basis in the CPC regulation to enter into an international cooperation agreement with US enforcement authorities and by disseminating and sharing best practices

55. Calls on the Commission to accelerate it's work on a much-delayed bilateral Enforcement Cooperation Agreement extending, to the US, its enforcement activities (information exchange, investigation and measure taking) within the framework of the EU Consumer Protection Cooperation Regulation and the US Safe Web Act

 Mutual Recognition and Standardisation

56. Calls on the Commission to pursue the formal adoption of procedures for the mutual recognition of declarations of conformity for products subject to mandatory third-party testing, in particular for ICT and electrical equipment ; Calls on the Commission to insist on the mutual recognition of legal units of measurement, in particular for the acceptance of metric-only labelling of EU products in the US

57. Calls on the Commission to explore standardisation with US authorities in view of coordinating policies in influencing the work of international standardisation bodies,

Social and environmental standards / Corporate Social Responsibility

58. Supports the initiative in the US Congress to revise its bilateral international trade agreements for opportunities to mainstream core international social and environmental standards into them; is convinced that global imbalances must be addressed also on the level of the creation of fair and sustainable trade relations;

59. Considers that Corporate Social Responsibility should be fostered at the level of self-regulation as well as on the level of binding standards for directing the impact of business activities when it comes to integrating social and human rights and environmental concerns into its activities and into interactions with stakeholders. Believes that the exchange of CSR best practice, between the US and the EU, will have a significant impact on the attitude of enterprises to CSR and on their positive engagement with social and environmental issues;

Agricultural issues and Doha

60. Points out the importance of reaching a balanced agreement within the Doha world trade negotiations in the field of agriculture including measures to avoid further volatility of agricultural prices and food shortages; is committed to fully take into account the requirements for a successful round of trade negotiations; stresses the need to fully take into consideration the adjustments already introduced in recent CAP reforms and wishes to see similar adjustments being brought to the US Farm Bill;

61. Remains committed to its goal of ensuring the highest standards of product safety for its citizens; upholds the decisions of the European Commission with regards to identified traces of non-approved GM products, mainly in corn and soy types, until it has assessed the safety of the respective products for health and the environment;

62. Reminds of the recent developments in previously conflicting issues, such as the hormone beef case and the authorization of some GM products; is reassured that through continuous and early dialogue, issues affecting mutual trade in agricultural products can be efficiently tackled, before reaching dispute bodies within the WTO

Environmental issues and Climate change

63. Supports the US efforts presented at the UN Summit on Climate Change on 22 September 2009 and the prospects to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, welcomes that the development of the US legislation will go limiting beyond greenhouse gas emission; Nevertheless is concerned by the fact that the Senate might not adopt the legislation before next year; therefore ask the EU and the US to closely cooperate to make Copenhagen Conference a success engaging all relevant gas-emitting countries and committing them to binding mid- and long-term targets;

64. Recalls that the international agreement should ensure collective greenhouse gas emission reductions in the industrialised countries at the high end of the 25-40% range for 2020 compared to 1990, as recommended by the Fourth Assessment Report by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 4AR), and that those reductions should be domestic;

65. Recalls that a long-term reduction target should be set for the EU and the other industrialised countries of at least 80% by 2050 compared to 1990;

66. Welcomes the effort made between the US and China through their Strategic and Economic dialogue, to commit to clean energy and reduction on emissions

67. supports in principle the idea of creating an Energy Transatlantic Council, on the model of the TEC to deal with transatlantic cooperation on regulatory, energy efficiency and energy security matters; Hopes that the ETC would have better success than the 2000 Transatlantic Environment Dialogue

68. Underlines the importance of an active and continuous dialogue between the EU and US in the light of the revision of current EU legislation on Novel Foods and the use of new technologies in food production

69. Stresses the potential impact such new technologies such as nanomaterials may have on our health and environment, as their scientific properties are so far unknown, as a consequence Emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the concerns the public and consumers may have on the use of new technologies, of which the use of cloning techniques in animal breeding, and the animal welfare concerns it implicates is another example

70. Welcomes that the U.S. government has recognised the need to reform its Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in the near future with regard to ensuring effective protection of human health and the environment against chemicals

71. Calls on the relevant bodies in the EU and in the U.S. to cooperate so as to establish a regulatory system in the U.S. that brings about a level of protection compatible to REACH

Judicial and police cooperation, visa

72. Awaits for the EU-US Ministerial meeting scheduled on October 28, 2009 in Washington DC to adopt a Joint declaration on Police and Judicial cooperation, covering in particular cyber security

73. Recalls its determination to fight terrorism and its firm belief that the security measures must not be undertaken at the cost of the protection of civil liberties and fundamental rights, while ensuring the utmost respect for privacy and data protection; reaffirms that necessity and proportionality are key principles without which the fight against terrorism will never be effective;

74. Believes that a sound legal and political framework is needed for a strong cooperation between the EU and the US in matters related to Justice Freedom and Security and that a stronger partnership involving the parliamentary and democratic dimension is essential to address effectively common challenges like the fight against terrorism and organized crime in respect of fundamental rights and the rule of law, judicial cooperation in criminal matters and police cooperation, the management of migration and the protection of the right to seek asylum, the promotion of a visa free movement of all bona fide citizens between the two areas. 

75. In this respect, recalls that the European Union is based on the rule of law and that all transfers of European personal data to third countries for security purposes should respect procedural guarantees and defence rights and comply with data-protection legislation at national and European level;

76. Reminds that,