European Affairs

 

Fall 2000

Letter from the Editor

 

Leader in Focus
New Tasks For Old Allies

We Must Keep Transatlantic Defense Cooperation Afloat
by William S. Cohen, U.S. Secretary of Defense

Neither NATO nor the EU should become too cumbersome to achieve their missions. While the EU works to create a common European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP), such a policy should be under the umbrella of NATO as a separable, but not separate, entity. NATO cooperation will be essential as the United States continues to explore whether, and if so how, to deploy a National Missile Defense (NMD).

U.S. and Europe Agree on Basics, Not Always on Specifics
by Alain Richard, Minister of Defense of France

Although the Transatlantic Alliance remains the key to European security, the EU must be able to act in its own right when crisis management operations are needed. As the EU grows in power and develops a diversified partnership with Russia, continued and increased cooperation between the EU and the Alliance is vital. European and American interests may differ on specific issues, but it is important to focus on the broader issues on which both sides of the Atlantic agree.

 

European Integration

In the last issue of European Affairs, we published the full text of the celebrated speech by Joschka Fischer, delivered in Berlin on May 12, in which he outlined proposals for a federal European government. The speech has provoked a serious and wide-ranging debate on the long-term future of Europe's institutions, going well beyond the current negotiations on institutional changes to prepare for the European Union's eastward enlargement, currently the subject of an Intergovernmental Conference due to be concluded at Nice in December. As a further contribution to that debate, we now publish the text of a response from Michel Barnier, the European Commissioner responsible for the institutions, which he describes as a "personal note." Before moving to the Commission, Mr. Barnier was France's Minister for European Affairs.

Europe's Future: Two Steps and Three Paths
by Michel Barnier, European Commissioner for regional policy and the Intergovernmental Conference

While Joschka Fischer's now-famous speech on the long-term future of European institutions provoked serious and necessary dialogue, it is important to focus on immediate steps needed to ensure the success of the present system. Current reform efforts are vital and necessary for the inevitable enlargement of the EU into Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe.

A Bigger EU Will Be Good For America, Too
by Günter Verheugen, European Commissioner for Enlargement

The EU is in the midst of the largest, and most difficult, set of accession negotiations it has yet encountered. Never before has there been such a huge economic gap between the EU and candidates for membership. While new members will have to take on all the economic and political obligations of membership, the EU will have to introduce the institutional reforms needed to make an enlarged union work. The political stability and free-market economy of an enlarged EU will not only achieve lasting European stability, but will greatly benefit the United States, as well.

 

Special Report
Energy

As oil prices have climbed in recent months, the world has been painfully reminded of the importance of strategic energy policy. By mid-September, energy policy, or the lack of it, had become a major issue in the U.S. Presidential election. In this special report, three writers give their views on the development of alternative energy sources as a long-term strategy, the threat of Transatlantic tensions, and the future of nuclear power. Klaus Müller, a member of the German Green Party, looks at the growing role of alternative energy sources and calls for a phase-out of nuclear power; Edward L. Morse of the Hess Energy Trading Company predicts that seemingly technical developments in the oil market are potential sources of Transatlantic political conflict; while Maureen Koetz of the U.S. Nuclear Energy Institute argues that nuclear power will remain an essential energy source, both to promote economic growth and to protect the environment.

Europe and America Head for Conflicts Over Short Supplies
by Edward L. Morse, Senior Advisor, Hess Energy Trading Company, LLC

The dramatic rise in oil prices has revealed critical deficiencies in government planning and has pitted the EU and the United States against each other in a fight over petroleum products. What seem like purely technical developments in the oil market threaten to have a profound impact on Transatlantic relations. The author examines the causes of the current "irritants" to the U.S.-EU relationship, and predicts that they will lead to political conflicts.

We Need World Rules to Save the Environment
by Klaus Müller, Minister of Environment, Nature, and Forests for the State of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and a member of the Green Party

Protection of the environment and natural resources is a worldwide concern, yet protective measures will only be effective if they are sustainable. As Germany restructures its tax system in an effort to promote new, environmentally-conscious energy sources, legislation is being drafted to establish a national nature preservation system. Sustainable environmental measures, however, will require an international strategy.

Nuclear Power Is Still Going Strong
by Maureen Koetz, Director of Environmental Policy, Nuclear Energy Institute

Fortunately for the global environment, those who predicted the impending demise of the nuclear energy industry in the 1990s have been proven wrong. For a number of reasons, nuclear electricity is an important variable in future sustainable development. Both developed and developing nations around the world stand to benefit from an informed dialogue on this invaluable energy source.

 

Industry and Technology

Spectrum Allocation: The Developing Countries Must Be Heard
by Ambassador Gail Schoettler, Head of U.S. Delegation to WRC-2000

The World Radiocommunication Conference-2000 in Istanbul this summer adopted a common proposal for the allocation of spectrum for third generation wireless services. Despite this success, WRC-2000 again revealed deep differences between developed and developing nations. The United States and Europe must take the concerns of developing countries seriously as we expand communications services.

A Rare Example of International Cooperation
by François Rancy, Director of Spectrum Planning and International Affairs, Agence Nationale des Fréquences, France

WRC-2000 successfully came to a consensus that will provide the users of frequency spectrum with an updated regulatory framework for radiocommunication services, such as 3G mobile networks, internet wideband applications and satellite broadcasting. Decisions were made on five major issues that relate to mass market applications. This conference proved to be a rare example of international cooperation.

It is Good that U.S. Policy is Predictable
A Conversation with Commissioner Harold Furchtgott-Roth, Federal Communications Commission

Excerpts from a discussion with the Commissioner on how he views the role of the Federal Communications Commission and its policies on a variety of issues, such as the success of WRC-2000, spectrum auctions, foreign ownership of U.S. ground stations, and what he sees as the strange behavior of the FBI.

 

Politics and Society

The U.S. Presidential Election: A Rougher Road Ahead For Europe?
by Martin Kettle, Bureau Chief, The Guardian

A recent Harris poll indicated that only two percent of American voters viewed presidential candidates Al Gore and George W. Bush as having different foreign policy objectives. Europeans, however, are more evenly divided. The candidates' views diverge, for instance, on defense, trade, and worldwide peacekeeping measures. Mr. Gore's views on trade, and Mr. Bush's policy on national missile defense are equally capable of stoking new Transatlantic tensions.

 

Interview

The World Needs Stronger Institutions
by Michel Camdessus, former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund

The former IMF Managing Director shares his thoughts on the future role of multilateral organizations, given recent, highly publicized criticism of the Bretton Woods institutions and of the World Trade Organization. In this interview, he proposes specific reforms for adapting the international system to the new globalized world and the challenges of the 21st century.

 

Opinion

A Loyal Ally's Views on Missile Defense
by His Excellency Sir Christopher Meyer, British Ambassador to the United States

As the United States considers a National Missile Defense (NMD) Britain will continue trying to reconcile U.S. security concerns with those of the U.K. and other allies. A National Missile Defense, however, is not a panacea for security concerns - other efforts are also important and should be pursued alongside NMD.

 

Book Reviews

Forget Lafayette: Self-Interest Comes First
The France-U.S. Leadership Race: Closely Watched Allies. Edited by David G. Haglund.
Reviewed by Peter S. Rashish

Kosovo: A War that Goliath had to Win?
WINNING UGLY: NATO's War to Save Kosovo. By Ivo H. Daalder and Michael E. O'Hanlon.
Reviewed by Thomas W. Lippmann

The U.S.: Sometimes It's Hard To Be Number One
Uneasy Giant: The Challenges to American Predominance. By Peter W. Rodman.
Reviewed by Bailey Morris-Eck

 

Letter to the Editor

Jean-François Boittin: The Transatlantic Early Warning System: a Red Herring