European Affairs Summer 2002 Volume 3

European Affairs

Summer 2002 Volume 3 - Number 3

Letter From the Editor

Leader in Focus

The Future of Trade Negotiations

U.S. and EU Must Stop Questioning Each Other's Motives
Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-Delaware) United States Senate

The terrorist attacks of September 11 have radically changed U.S. military priorities. But we must not forget that U.S. global military activism depends on a strong and peaceful Europe. Unfortunately, for the first time in 50 years, the two sides of the Atlantic are increasingly questioning each other's motives and values.

Transatlantic Relations

Transatlantic Clashes Are Not All Bush's Fault
Gerard Baker, Chief U.S. Commentator, Financial Times

Some Europeans blame President George Bush's tough conservative policies for the sharpest deterioration in Transatlantic relations for many years. Others believe that there are deeper, underlying reasons, firmly rooted in history, for the growing divergence of interests between Europe and the United States. The truth is that both factors are at work, and the rifts will not be easy to repair.
EU-U.S. Differences Have Evolved Over Half a Century
Brian M. Carney, Business Editor, Wall Street Journal Europe

Behind President Bush's folksy mannerisms, many Europeans detect an absolutist leader only too ready to wage war against "evil" without consulting his allies. Americans tend to regard Europeans as excessively squeamish allies. Serious trade disputes are also pitting the two economic giants against each other. But in the end common Western interests will be strong enough to outweigh the differences.
History Suggests U.S. and Europe Need a More Equal Partnership
Hall Gardner, Professor and Chair, Department of International Affairs and Politics, American University of Paris

Questions of American military support for Europe, and what Europe should do in return, have plagued the Transatlantic relationship since World War I. Now, with the EU and NATO expanding into former Russian territory, the relationship has reached a historic turning point that poses significant risks. To avert those risks, the United States and the EU must learn to work together as more equal partners, while cooperating more closely with Russia.

Trade Relations

U.S. and EU Should Act as Partners in Agricultural Negotiations
Corrado Pirzio-Biroli, Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Franz Fischler, European Commission

The European Union is reforming its agricultural policies, and will continue to do so, in its own interest, as it admits new members from Central and Eastern Europe and joins further negotiations in the WTO. The EU believes it will benefit more than the United States from these talks. But the U.S. and EU positions are closer than often thought, and the two sides of the Atlantic should act as "partners" in the negotiations.

Special Report

The Rocky Road to Johannesburg

Preparations for the Summit on Sustainable Development due to be held in Johannesburg in August are revealing deep divisions between Europe and the United States. In this Special Section, four writers discuss what can be done to resolve those divisions and what the Johannesburg meeting should be expected to achieve.

We include a recapitulation of how the controversial Kyoto Protocol on climate change came into being, and conclude with a corporate viewpoint.

Kaj-Ole Johannes Bärlund argues that many of the Transatlantic divisions on economic, social and environmental policies reflect long standing political and philosophical differences that will be difficult to resolve in the course of a single summit.

Paula J. Dobriansky says the United States wants the summit to focus on concrete steps to help the developing world and that sustainable development "must begin at home," with countries embracing free markets and good governance.

In a much more sweeping approach, Maurice Strong warns that our current civilization is not viable and we have to change course - everybody will ultimately benefit from "civilization change."

It is probably too much to expect Europeans and Americans to agree on all these complex and difficult issues, particularly at a time of strained Transatlantic relations. But Margot Wallström argues that despite their differences, the United States and the European Union are still capable of working together, and that is the only way forward now that the environment is no longer a local but a global issue.
A Long Decade of Negotiations: The Difficult Birth of the Kyoto Protocol
U.S. Wants Concrete Action at Johannesburg Summit
Paula J. Dobriansky, Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs, U.S. Department of State

The United States wants the Johannesburg Summit on Sustainable Development to focus on concrete steps to alleviate poverty and improve health and environmental conditions in the developing world. It is no good throwing money at the problems. Sustainable development "must begin at home," with each country embracing free markets, good governance and accountable public and private sectors.
Despite Friction, U.S. and EU Can Cooperate on the Environment
Margot Wallström, European Commissioner for Environment

The United States and the European Union have major differences on environmental problems, particularly over the Kyoto Protocol on climate change and the European Union's embrace of the "precautionary principle." But they are still capable of working together, and that is the only way forward now that the environment is no longer a local but a global issue.
We Need a More Sustainable Civilization
Maurice Strong, Chairman, the Earth Council

Human activities are beginning to affect the conditions on Earth that will determine the future of the human race. Even many in the business community agree that our current industrial civilization is not viable and that we have to change course to a more sustainable form of society. Market forces alone cannot achieve this breakthrough, but everyone, including business, will ultimately benefit from "civilizational change."
Johannesburg Preparations Reveal Deep Transatlantic Divergences
Kaj-Ole Johannes Bärlund, Director, Environment and Human Settlements Division, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

Preparations for the Johannesburg summit meeting on sustainable development have revealed deep divisions on economic, social and environmental policies between Europe and America, many of them reflecting long-standing political and philosophical differences. There is disagreement on problems ranging from how to alleviate global warming to the correct roles of governments and markets in promoting economic development. It is not impossible to paper over some of these disagreements, but it will take more than a single summit meeting to resolve the deep underlying differences between the two sides of the Atlantic.
How Companies Can Achieve Environmental Leadership
Wayne S. Balta, Vice President, Corporate Environmental Affairs and Product Safety, IBM Corporation

Corporate environmental leadership involves much more than simply obeying the law and dealing efficiently with environmental crises. It means actively seeking out new products and processes that help the environment, anticipating new regulations before they come into force and developing strategic plans that give priority to environmental considerations throughout a corporation's activities. As global markets become increasingly "green," it is also good business.

Defense and Security

With the ABM Treaty Gone, Europe Warms to Missile Defense
Helle Dale, Deputy Director, the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies, The Heritage Foundation

The European reaction to the demise of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, once seen as the "cornerstone" of arms control, has been surprisingly muted. A number of European governments are now wondering whether it might be in their interest to cooperate with the United States in developing missile defense systems. Both developments represent big changes in the positions of European governments, most of which previously opposed U.S. missile defense plans and wanted to keep the ABM Treaty.
Common NATO Standards Will Be Vital in Future Conflicts
Rear Admiral Jan H. Eriksen, Director, NATO Standardization Agency

Interoperability among allied armed forces is even more vital today than it was during the Cold War. As NATO enlarges, national forces are cut back, and forces are more frequently committed to ad hoc coalitions, it is also becoming more difficult. At a time of fundamental military change, standardization, not just of equipment, but also of doctrines and procedures, requires much greater political attention.
Despite Differences, Transatlantic Cooperation Against Terror Will Continue
Brian C. Knowlton, Washington Bureau Chief, International Herald Tribune

The sense of urgency in the war against terrorism has begun to ebb, allowing familiar differences to re-emerge between the United States and Europe. But Transatlantic cooperation in fighting terrorists through law-enforcement, intelligence-sharing and financial measures has scored some successes, and the European Union has agreed on a number of long-delayed actions to increase security. There are problems with some of these actions, but overall cooperation is likely to continue.
The EU Must Field Stronger Military Forces to Fight Terrorism
John Wilkinson, Member, European Parliament

Rather than decide on a direct military response to terrorism, the European Union has preferred to focus on political and long-term measures. But Europe is wrong to think it is not threatened by terrorism. It must progressively introduce a wide range of measures to increase its military strength and allow it to operate as an effective, cohesive force against international terrorists and those who harbor them.

In The News

Like the U.S., the EU Wants Russia as a Partner
Philippe Lemaître, Brussels Correspondent

The countries of the European Union have forgotten their previous reservations and are anxious to embrace Russia as an economic, and perhaps soon a political, partner. Russia will not be invited to join the European Union, but the EU countries want to associate Russia (as well as Belarus and Ukraine) as closely as possible with the huge zone of peace and prosperity that is taking shape as the European Union expands into Central and Eastern Europe.

Book Review

Bridging Troubled Waters
Reconcilable Differences: U.S.-French Relations in the New Era.
By Michael Brenner and Guillaume Parmentier.
Reviewed by Reginald Dale

Letters to the Editor