Euro-American relations
Encyclopedia
Relations between the European Union and the United States are the bilateral relations between the European Union
(EU) and the United States of America
(USA). Due to the EU not having a fully integrated foreign policy, relations can be more complicated where the EU does not have a common agreed position e.g. EU foreign policy was divided during the Iraq War.
and the United States
have held diplomatic relations since 1953. The relationship between the EU and the US is one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world. They are the biggest economic and military powers in the world (even if the EU does not yet have a common defense policy), they dominate global trade, they play the leading roles in international political relations, and what one says matters a great deal not only to the other, but to much of the rest of the world. And yet they have regularly disagreed with each other on a wide range of specific issues, as well as having often quite different political, economic, and social agendas. Understanding the relationship today means reviewing developments that predate the creation of the European Economic Community
(precursor to today's European Union).
Key events in the evolving history of the relationship include the following:
and this, together with competition policy, are the primary matters of substance currently between the EU and the USA. The two together represent 60% of global GDP, 33% of world trade in goods and 42% of world trade in services. The growth of the EU's economic power has led to a number of trade conflicts between the two powers; although both are dependent upon the other's economic market and disputes affect only 2% of trade. See below for details of trade flows;
In 2007, a Transatlantic Economic Council
was established to direct economic cooperation between the two, it is headed by the US Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs and the EU's Commissioner for Trade
. However it is yet to produce solid results. A Transatlantic Free Trade Area
has been proposed in the 1990s and later in 2006 by German Chancellor Angela Merkel
in reaction to the collapse of the Doha world trade talks. However, protectionism on both sides may be a barrier to any future agreement.
List of EU-US Summits:
. The U.S. and some EU members continue to support the ban but others, spearheaded by France, have been attempting to persuade the EU to lift the ban, arguing that more effective measures can be imposed, but also to improve trade relations between China and certain EU states. The U.S. strongly opposes this, and after the PRC passed an anti-secession law
against Taiwan
the likelihood of the ban being lifted diminished somewhat.
manufacturers, and both Boeing
and Airbus
are accused of receiving forms of subsidy from the United States and from some of the European Union member states respectively, which both sides have criticised each other for doing. The pressure for this issue to be resolved has increased as Airbus and Boeing are now nearly equal in commercial aircraft market share.
and its US partner pulled out of a contract to build air refuelling planes worth $35bn. They had previously won the bid but it was rerun and EADS claimed the new process was biased towards Boeing
. The European Commission
said it would be "highly regrettable" if the tendering process did prove to be biased. There was substantial opposition to EADS in Washington due to the ongoing Boeing-Airbus (owned by EADS) dispute.
claimed on November 2, 2005 that the USA has several secret jails in Eastern Europe
(also called black sites). Poland and Romania however have denied these allegations. Also, Central Intelligence Agency
planes carrying terror suspects would have made secret stopovers in several West European countries since 2001. Belgium
, Iceland
, Spain
, and Sweden
have launched investigations. The Guardian
calculated on November 30 that U.S. Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA) planes landed about 300 times on European air ports. Most planes would have landed in Germany
and the United Kingdom
as a transit point to East Europe, North Africa (possibly Morocco and Egypt), or the Middle East (possibly Syria and Jordan). In the meanwhile, the European Commission, on behalf of the European Union, asked the US for a clarification. The EU has refused to confirm or deny the reports.
Extraordinary rendition
flights through Europe were investigated over a number of years by the European Parliament and it held a temporary committee on the matter. The EU has also opposed the use of the Guantanamo Bay prison camp and offered to host some former inmates when its closure was announced by the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama
.
is a legal form of punishment, whereas all European Union member states have abolished the death penalty fully (excluding Latvia
which has retained it for exceptional circumstances such as wartime only). Indeed, nearly all European states no longer use the death penalty. This causes problems with transatlantic relations because it may be illegal for an EU member to allow the extradition
of a citizen to the U.S. if the death penalty is an option.
(ICC), and has not signed up to it, though most states in Europe have. The U.S. fears that its soldiers may be subject to politically motivated prosecutions, so much so that it has signed many bilateral
agreements with other countries in an attempt to avoid this.
). However, in general, the European Union is often more critical of Israel
, particularly in issues of policy (such as the West Bank barrier
), and has criticized Israeli military actions that the U.S. has supported. The U.S. has historically been a much more supportive ally, going so far as to even use its veto
at the United Nations Security Council
in Israel's support.
program. France
, Germany
and the United Kingdom
have taken the lead to solve the issue diplomatically, while representing the interests of the United States in negotiations with Iran
since the United States has had no official diplomatic relations with the country since 1979. Former UK Foreign Secretary
, Jack Straw
, described military action against Iran as "inconceivable".
and Germany
on the one hand, who were against military action, and the United States with United Kingdom and Poland, among others.
, which aims to combat global warming. The United States which initially signed the protocol at its creation during the Clinton Administration, never had the measure ratified by the United States Senate, an essential requirement to give the protocol the force of law in the United States. Later, in March 2001, under President George W. Bush
, the United States removed its signature from the protocol, leading to much acrimony between the United States and European nations. Recently, President Barack Obama
, however, said that he planned on re-signing the protocol at a conference to be held in Copenhagen in December 2009, where the protocol will be renewed and its measures extended.
The US argued that this favoured local producers in former colonies of EU member-states, over US-owned corporations in Latin America. The Clinton administration responded by imposing heavy tariffs on luxury goods created in the EU. Such goods included cashmere
from Scotland
and French Cognac
brandy, made in the original constituency of then Prime Minister of France
Jean-Pierre Raffarin
.
The Clinton administration then took the banana wars to the World Trade Organization
(WTO) in 1999, when Chiquita
made a $500 000 donation to the Democratic Party
. The two sides reached an agreement in 2001.
to protect
its steel industry. The European Union and other countries took up the issue with the WTO, which ruled that such tariff
s breach its regulations. Subsequently, by December 2003, the tariffs had been lifted by the U.S. administration.
and the EU's embassy in Washington D.C. was the first overseas delegation of the EU to open.
The US ambassador to the EU is William Kennard
. The US was the first third-country to recognise the EU's earliest forerunner, the European Coal and Steel Community
, and first appointed an observer in 1953: David E. Bruce. Their first mission opened in 1956.
The Transatlantic Economic Council
is headed by the US Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs and the EU's Commissioner for Trade
.
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU) and the United States of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(USA). Due to the EU not having a fully integrated foreign policy, relations can be more complicated where the EU does not have a common agreed position e.g. EU foreign policy was divided during the Iraq War.
History
The European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
have held diplomatic relations since 1953. The relationship between the EU and the US is one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world. They are the biggest economic and military powers in the world (even if the EU does not yet have a common defense policy), they dominate global trade, they play the leading roles in international political relations, and what one says matters a great deal not only to the other, but to much of the rest of the world. And yet they have regularly disagreed with each other on a wide range of specific issues, as well as having often quite different political, economic, and social agendas. Understanding the relationship today means reviewing developments that predate the creation of the European Economic Community
European Economic Community
The European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) The European Economic Community (EEC) (also known as the Common Market in the English-speaking world, renamed the European Community (EC) in 1993The information in this article primarily covers the EEC's time as an independent...
(precursor to today's European Union).
Key events in the evolving history of the relationship include the following:
- Truman DoctrineTruman DoctrineThe Truman Doctrine was a policy set forth by U.S. President Harry S Truman in a speech on March 12, 1947 stating that the U.S. would support Greece and Turkey with economic and military aid to prevent their falling into the Soviet sphere...
, which saw US becoming militarily involved in Europe not soon after withdrawing. - Marshall PlanMarshall PlanThe Marshall Plan was the large-scale American program to aid Europe where the United States gave monetary support to help rebuild European economies after the end of World War II in order to combat the spread of Soviet communism. The plan was in operation for four years beginning in April 1948...
, which provided billions of dollars in aid for the reconstruction of European economies. - North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which provided western Europe with a security guarantee in the face of Soviet threats.
- 1949 Berlin crisisBerlin Crisis of 1961The Berlin Crisis of 1961 was the last major politico-military European incident of the Cold War about the occupational status of the German capital city, Berlin, and of post–World War II Germany. The U.S.S.R...
, which marked true beginning of the cold warCold WarThe Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. - Korean WarKorean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, during which Americans and Europeans differed on strategy. - McCarthyismMcCarthyismMcCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s and characterized by...
, which raised alarms in Europe about levels of American anti-communism. - The 1954 French defeat at Dien Bien PhuDien Bien PhuĐiện Biên Phủ is a city in northwestern Vietnam. It is the capital of Dien Bien province, and is known for the events there during the First Indochina War, the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, during which the region was a breadbasket for the Việt Minh.-Population:...
, which precipitated a tumultuous French withdrawal from colonial Empire, and resentment at US failure to help. - The 1956 Suez crisisSuez CrisisThe Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
, in which perceived US betrayal of European allies caused considerable resentment, and led to British withdrawal from colonial Empire. - 1957 Treaty of RomeTreaty of RomeThe Treaty of Rome, officially the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, was an international agreement that led to the founding of the European Economic Community on 1 January 1958. It was signed on 25 March 1957 by Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany...
, which created European Economic Community. - Berlin wallBerlin WallThe Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
- The 1962 Cuban missile crisisCuban Missile CrisisThe Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
, which alarmed western Europeans not only because it took the world to the brink of nuclear war, but also because they were not fully appraised by the Kennedy administration. - 1966 French withdrawal from military structure of NATO, emphasizing French distrust of US foreign policy and international influence.
- The Vietnam warVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, opposed by political and public opinion in western Europe, and which generated resentment in the US because of the lack of European support. - End of the Bretton Woods systemBretton Woods systemThe Bretton Woods system of monetary management established the rules for commercial and financial relations among the world's major industrial states in the mid 20th century...
1971, brought about by the Nixon administration without reference to western European leaders. - OstpolitikOstpolitikNeue Ostpolitik , or Ostpolitik for short, refers to the normalization of relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and Eastern Europe, particularly the German Democratic Republic beginning in 1969...
, which alarmed US because of West German outreach to East Germany. - 1973 Yom Kippur WarYom Kippur WarThe Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
, which created serious rift between Americans and Europeans. - 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
- 1980 Moscow Olympics, the boycott of which won little European support.
- 1990-91 Gulf warGulf WarThe Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, which found the western Europeans deeply divided in the face of American military and political leadership. - 1991 outbreak of the Yugoslav WarsYugoslav warsThe Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
, which found the Europeans again divided, and unprepared to present a unified policy. - 2003 invasion of Iraq, which brought US-EU divisions out into the open.
Trade
Euro-American relations are primarily concerned with trade policy. The EU is a near-fully unified trade blocTrade bloc
A trade bloc is a type of intergovernmental agreement, often part of a regional intergovernmental organization, where regional barriers to trade, are reduced or eliminated among the participating states.-Description:...
and this, together with competition policy, are the primary matters of substance currently between the EU and the USA. The two together represent 60% of global GDP, 33% of world trade in goods and 42% of world trade in services. The growth of the EU's economic power has led to a number of trade conflicts between the two powers; although both are dependent upon the other's economic market and disputes affect only 2% of trade. See below for details of trade flows;
| Direction of trade | Goods | Services | Investment | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU to US | €260 billion | €139.0 billion | €112.6 billion | €511.6 billion |
| US to EU | €127.9 billion | €180 billion | €144.5 billion | €452.4 billion |
In 2007, a Transatlantic Economic Council
Transatlantic Economic Council
The Transatlantic Economic Council, or commonly called TEC, is a body set up between the United States and European Union to direct economic co-operation between the two economies.-Establishment and chairmanship:...
was established to direct economic cooperation between the two, it is headed by the US Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs and the EU's Commissioner for Trade
European Commissioner for Trade
The European Commissioner for Trade is the member of the European Commission responsible for the European Union's common commercial policy...
. However it is yet to produce solid results. A Transatlantic Free Trade Area
Transatlantic Free Trade Area
The Transatlantic Free Trade Area is a proposed free trade area between the United States and the European Union in reaction to the growing economic power of the People's Republic of China. It was considered in the 1990s and again in 2007 but no firm plan has been made...
has been proposed in the 1990s and later in 2006 by German Chancellor Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
in reaction to the collapse of the Doha world trade talks. However, protectionism on both sides may be a barrier to any future agreement.
Issues
| Relations with member states |
|---|
| Austria Austria–United States relations Austria – United States relations are bilateral relations between Austria and the United States.The U.S. Embassy in Austria is located in Vienna. Since June 2009, the U.S. Ambassador-designate to Austria is William Eacho, III.... Belgium Belgium–United States relations The United States and Belgium maintain a friendly bilateral relationship, despite occasional disagreements on a limited number of foreign policy issues. Continuing to celebrate cooperative U.S... Bulgaria Cyprus Cyprus–United States relations Cyprus – United States relations are bilateral relations between Cyprus and the United States.- History :The United States regards the status quo on Cyprus as unacceptable. Successive administrations have viewed UN-led inter-communal negotiations as the best means to achieve a fair and permanent... Czech Republic Denmark Denmark–United States relations Denmark – United States relations refers to the current and historical relations between Denmark and the United States. Denmark has an embassy in Washington D.C. The United States has an embassy in Copenhagen. Denmark has a trade office in Atlanta, Georgia. and a consulate general in New York... Estonia Estonia–United States relations Estonian-U.S. relations are bilateral relations between Estonia and the United States. The relationship has been constant and strong since Estonia first became independent. The United States and Estonia are important allies and partners.- History :... Finland Finland–United States relations Finland – United States relations are bilateral relations between Finland and the United States.- History :Following the Finnish declaration of independence on December 6, 1917, the US government was among the first to recognize it... France Germany Greece Hungary Hungary–United States relations Hungary – United States relations are bilateral relations between Hungary and the United States.- History :Until the end of World War I Hungary had been a part of the Austrian Empire and the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. United States diplomatic relations with Hungary were conducted through the... Ireland Ireland–United States relations Ireland–United States relations refers to the current and historical bilateral relationship between Ireland and the United States.- History :... Italy Italy–United States relations Italy – United States relations are bilateral relations between Italy and the United States.The United States enjoys warm and friendly relations with Italy. Italy is a leading partner in counterterrorism efforts. The two are NATO allies and cooperate in the United Nations, in various regional... Latvia Latvia–United States relations Latvia – United States relations are bilateral relations between Latvia and the United States.- History :The United States established diplomatic relations with Latvia on July 28, 1922. The U.S. Legation in Riga was officially established on November 13, 1922 and served as the headquarters for U.S.... Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden United Kingdom |
EU-US Summits
Annual Summits are held between EU and US policy makers. When these take place in Europe, they have historically taken place in the country that holds the rotating Presidency of the European Union.List of EU-US Summits:
- April 25, 2010 Washington, DC (High Level Consultative Group on Development Meeting)
- May 24–25, 2010,Madrid, Spain
- November 3–4, 2009,Washington, DC
- April 5, 2009 Prague, Czech Republic, (Informal Summit)
- 2008 – Ljubljana
- 2007 – Washington
- 2006 – Vienna
- 2005 – Washington
- 2004 – Shannon
- 2003 – Washington
- 2002 – Washington
- 2001 – Göteborg
- 2000 – Queluz
- 1999 – Washington
- 1998 – Washington
- 1998 – London
- 1997 – Washington DC
- December 3, 1995 Madrid, Spain,
Arms embargo on the People's Republic of China
Both the United States and the European Union have an arms embargo against China (PRC), put in place in 1989 after the events of Tiananmen SquareTiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square is a large city square in the center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen Gate located to its North, separating it from the Forbidden City. Tiananmen Square is the third largest city square in the world...
. The U.S. and some EU members continue to support the ban but others, spearheaded by France, have been attempting to persuade the EU to lift the ban, arguing that more effective measures can be imposed, but also to improve trade relations between China and certain EU states. The U.S. strongly opposes this, and after the PRC passed an anti-secession law
Anti-Secession Law of the People's Republic of China
The Anti-Secession Law is a law of the People's Republic of China. It was passed by the third conference of the 10th National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China . It was ratified on March 14, 2005, and went into effect immediately. Hu Jintao, President of the People's Republic of...
against Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
the likelihood of the ban being lifted diminished somewhat.
Boeing and Airbus subsidies
The two companies are the major competing aircraftAircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
manufacturers, and both Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
and Airbus
Airbus
Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
are accused of receiving forms of subsidy from the United States and from some of the European Union member states respectively, which both sides have criticised each other for doing. The pressure for this issue to be resolved has increased as Airbus and Boeing are now nearly equal in commercial aircraft market share.
Defence commitments
The defence of Europe is assigned to NATO and Europeans are more averse to using military force, and paying for military force, than the US. This has frustrated the US who sees Europe as failing to support its side of the NATO operation in Afghanistan. Only a handful of European countries are reaching the NATO target for 2% of GDP going to defence. Defence cooperation in Europe is often opposed by the UK which states it does not wish to undermine NATO or the US role in Europe, despite the US being supportive of Europe improving its capabilities.Defence contracts
In March 2010 EADSEADS
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V. is a global pan-European aerospace and defence corporation and a leading defence and military contractor worldwide...
and its US partner pulled out of a contract to build air refuelling planes worth $35bn. They had previously won the bid but it was rerun and EADS claimed the new process was biased towards Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
. The European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
said it would be "highly regrettable" if the tendering process did prove to be biased. There was substantial opposition to EADS in Washington due to the ongoing Boeing-Airbus (owned by EADS) dispute.
Genetically modified food
Genetically modified food is another significant area of disagreement between the two. The EU has been under domestic pressure to restrict the growth and import of genetically modified foods until their safety is proven to the satisfaction of the populace. The US on the other hand is under pressure from its agricultural businesses to force the EU to accept imports, seeing the EU's restrictions as alarmist and protectionist.Rendition
The Washington PostThe Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
claimed on November 2, 2005 that the USA has several secret jails in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
(also called black sites). Poland and Romania however have denied these allegations. Also, Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
planes carrying terror suspects would have made secret stopovers in several West European countries since 2001. Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
have launched investigations. The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
calculated on November 30 that U.S. Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
(CIA) planes landed about 300 times on European air ports. Most planes would have landed in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as a transit point to East Europe, North Africa (possibly Morocco and Egypt), or the Middle East (possibly Syria and Jordan). In the meanwhile, the European Commission, on behalf of the European Union, asked the US for a clarification. The EU has refused to confirm or deny the reports.
Extraordinary rendition
Extraordinary rendition
Extraordinary rendition is the abduction and illegal transfer of a person from one nation to another. "Torture by proxy" is used by some critics to describe situations in which the United States and the United Kingdom have transferred suspected terrorists to other countries in order to torture the...
flights through Europe were investigated over a number of years by the European Parliament and it held a temporary committee on the matter. The EU has also opposed the use of the Guantanamo Bay prison camp and offered to host some former inmates when its closure was announced by the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
.
Death penalty
In the United States, capital punishmentCapital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
is a legal form of punishment, whereas all European Union member states have abolished the death penalty fully (excluding Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
which has retained it for exceptional circumstances such as wartime only). Indeed, nearly all European states no longer use the death penalty. This causes problems with transatlantic relations because it may be illegal for an EU member to allow the extradition
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
of a citizen to the U.S. if the death penalty is an option.
International Criminal Court
The U.S. is strongly opposed to the International Criminal CourtInternational Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
(ICC), and has not signed up to it, though most states in Europe have. The U.S. fears that its soldiers may be subject to politically motivated prosecutions, so much so that it has signed many bilateral
Bilateralism
Bilateralism consists of the political, economic, or cultural relations between two sovereign states. For example, free trade agreements signed by two states are examples of bilateral treaties. It is in contrast to unilateralism or multilateralism, which refers to the conduct of diplomacy by a...
agreements with other countries in an attempt to avoid this.
Arab-Israeli conflict
In the Arab-Israeli conflict, both sides of the Atlantic usually act more or less in tandem, in regard to the approach to the Palestinian territories as well as other issues (such as the recent conflict in LebanonLebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
). However, in general, the European Union is often more critical of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, particularly in issues of policy (such as the West Bank barrier
Israeli West Bank barrier
The Israeli West Bank barrier is a separation barrier being constructed by the State of Israel along and within the West Bank. Upon completion, the barrier’s total length will be approximately...
), and has criticized Israeli military actions that the U.S. has supported. The U.S. has historically been a much more supportive ally, going so far as to even use its veto
Veto
A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...
at the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
in Israel's support.
Iran and weapons of mass destruction
The United States has not ruled out the use of force against Iran regarding the Iranian nuclear weaponsNuclear program of Iran
The nuclear program of Iran was launched in the 1950s with the help of the United States as part of the Atoms for Peace program. The support, encouragement and participation of the United States and Western European governments in Iran's nuclear program continued until the 1979 Iranian Revolution...
program. France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
have taken the lead to solve the issue diplomatically, while representing the interests of the United States in negotiations with Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
since the United States has had no official diplomatic relations with the country since 1979. Former UK Foreign Secretary
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, commonly referred to as the Foreign Secretary, is a senior member of Her Majesty's Government heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and regarded as one of the Great Offices of State...
, Jack Straw
Jack Straw (politician)
John Whitaker Straw is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Blackburn since 1979. He served as Home Secretary from 1997 to 2001, Foreign Secretary from 2001 to 2006 and Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Commons from 2006 to 2007 under Tony Blair...
, described military action against Iran as "inconceivable".
Iraq War
The Iraq War not only divided opinions within European nations and within the U.S., but between European nations themselves, with some states supporting of military action, and some against. The European public opinion was staunchly opposed to the war. This caused a major transatlantic rift, especially between the states led by FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on the one hand, who were against military action, and the United States with United Kingdom and Poland, among others.
Kyoto protocol
The European Union is one of the main backers of the Kyoto protocolKyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , aimed at fighting global warming...
, which aims to combat global warming. The United States which initially signed the protocol at its creation during the Clinton Administration, never had the measure ratified by the United States Senate, an essential requirement to give the protocol the force of law in the United States. Later, in March 2001, under President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, the United States removed its signature from the protocol, leading to much acrimony between the United States and European nations. Recently, President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, however, said that he planned on re-signing the protocol at a conference to be held in Copenhagen in December 2009, where the protocol will be renewed and its measures extended.
Visa waiver reciprocity
The EU is requesting from the US reciprocity regarding the visa waiver program for all its members. The European Union has threatened with the possibility of imposing visas for American citizens that would extend to the entire EU.Resolved issues
Banana wars
The EU and US had a long running dispute over the EU's banana imports. As part of their international aid, the EU offered tenders on a first-come-first-served basis for bananas from countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.The US argued that this favoured local producers in former colonies of EU member-states, over US-owned corporations in Latin America. The Clinton administration responded by imposing heavy tariffs on luxury goods created in the EU. Such goods included cashmere
Cashmere wool
Cashmere wool, usually simply known as cashmere, is a fiber obtained from Cashmere and other types of goats. The word cashmere derives from an old spelling of Kashmir. Cashmere is fine in texture, and strong, light, and soft. Garments made from it provide excellent...
from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and French Cognac
Cognac
Cognac is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:Cognac is situated on the river Charente between the towns of Angoulême and Saintes. The majority of the town has been built on the river's left bank, with the smaller right...
brandy, made in the original constituency of then Prime Minister of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Jean-Pierre Raffarin
Jean-Pierre Raffarin
Jean-Pierre Raffarin is a French conservative politician and senator for Vienne.Jean-Pierre Raffarin served as the Prime Minister of France from 6 May 2002 to 31 May 2005, resigning after France's rejection of the referendum on the European Union draft constitution. However, after Raffarin...
.
The Clinton administration then took the banana wars to the World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
(WTO) in 1999, when Chiquita
Chiquita
Chiquita can refer to:*Chiquita Brands International, a large produce company*Rio Chiquita, a river in Táchira, Venezuela*Chiquita , a song by Sam H. Stept*Chiquita , a book about the life of Cuban dwarf dancer and singer Espiridiona Cenda...
made a $500 000 donation to the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. The two sides reached an agreement in 2001.
U.S. steel tariffs
In 2002, the U.S. imposed steel tariffsUnited States steel tariff 2002
The Section 201 steel tariff is a political issue in the United States regarding a tariff that President George W. Bush placed on imported steel on March 5, 2002 . The tariffs were lifted by Bush on December 4, 2003....
to protect
Protectionism
Protectionism is the economic policy of restraining trade between states through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas, and a variety of other government regulations designed to allow "fair competition" between imports and goods and services produced domestically.This...
its steel industry. The European Union and other countries took up the issue with the WTO, which ruled that such tariff
Tariff
A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....
s breach its regulations. Subsequently, by December 2003, the tariffs had been lifted by the U.S. administration.
Delegations
The current EU ambassador to the US is João Vale de AlmeidaJoão Vale de Almeida
João Vale de Almeida formally became the European Union ambassador to the United States on 10 August 2010.-Early life:...
and the EU's embassy in Washington D.C. was the first overseas delegation of the EU to open.
The US ambassador to the EU is William Kennard
William Kennard
William E. Kennard is the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union. He was nominated by Barack Obama in August 2009 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in November 2009. He was also chairman of the United States Federal Communications Commission from 1997 to 2001, appointed by Bill Clinton in November...
. The US was the first third-country to recognise the EU's earliest forerunner, the European Coal and Steel Community
European Coal and Steel Community
The European Coal and Steel Community was a six-nation international organisation serving to unify Western Europe during the Cold War and create the foundation for the modern-day developments of the European Union...
, and first appointed an observer in 1953: David E. Bruce. Their first mission opened in 1956.
The Transatlantic Economic Council
Transatlantic Economic Council
The Transatlantic Economic Council, or commonly called TEC, is a body set up between the United States and European Union to direct economic co-operation between the two economies.-Establishment and chairmanship:...
is headed by the US Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs and the EU's Commissioner for Trade
European Commissioner for Trade
The European Commissioner for Trade is the member of the European Commission responsible for the European Union's common commercial policy...
.
See also
- Transatlantic relationsTransatlantic relationsTransatlantic relations refers to the historic, cultural, political, economic and social relations between countries on both side of the Atlantic Ocean. Sometimes specifically those between the United States, Canada and the countries in Europe, although other meanings are possible.There are a...
- Transatlantic Free Trade AreaTransatlantic Free Trade AreaThe Transatlantic Free Trade Area is a proposed free trade area between the United States and the European Union in reaction to the growing economic power of the People's Republic of China. It was considered in the 1990s and again in 2007 but no firm plan has been made...
- Elysée TreatyÉlysée TreatyÉlysée Treaty also known as the Treaty of Friendship, was concluded by Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer in 1963. It set the seal on reconciliation between the two countries...
- NATO
- Cold WarCold WarThe Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
- War on terrorWar on TerrorThe War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
- Foreign relations of the European UnionForeign relations of the European UnionAlthough there has been a large degree of integration between European Union member states, foreign relations is still a largely inter-governmental matter, with the 27 members controlling their own relations to a large degree. However with the Union holding more weight as a single bloc, there are...
Further reading
- Book - The Obama Moment: European and American Perspectives European Union Institute for Security StudiesEuropean Union Institute for Security StudiesThe European Union Institute for Security Studies is a Paris-based EU agency of the Common Foreign and Security Policy . Its goals are to find a common security culture for the EU, to help develop and project the CFSP, and to enrich Europe’s strategic debate.The EUISS is an autonomous agency with...