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Map of Europe |
Spring 2003 Volume 4 - Number 2
European Perspectives
New EU Members Still Have Much to Do
Frits Bolkestein, European Commissioner for the Internal Market
After Iraq, the EU Can Learn from its Disarray
Fraser Cameron, Director of Studies, European Policy Centre
Belgium Bucks Its Atlantic Traditions
Mia Doornaert, Diplomatic Editor, De Standaard
Leader in Focus
NATO Is Strong Enough to Survive Iraq
George Robertson
Secretary General, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Despite disagreements over handling Iraq, there is a broader, deeper and stronger consensus in the Atlantic Alliance on key issues than may be apparent. The NATO summit in Prague in November 2002 reordered the Alliance's policies for the 21st century and outlined the future shape of Euro-Atlantic security cooperation. NATO is in transition, but its common values will help it bridge the divides exposed by Iraq.
Defense and Security
The Allies Must Try to Pick Up the Pieces
Ronald D. Asmus
Adjunct Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
After the war in Iraq, NATO will have to pick up the pieces following one of the worst political disasters of its existence, in which it failed to unite against a totalitarian dictator. But Iraq is not the only problem. Recent months have revealed deeper differences in the Alliance. It is possible and desirable to put the pieces together again, but it will not be easy.
Special Report: The Rift in Transatlantic Relations
The 21st Century Requires a Global U.S.-European Partnership
Daniel S. Hamilton
Director, Center for Transatlantic Relations, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
Iraq has been a loud wake-up call to the Transatlantic partnership. It is in America's interests to forge a more effective global partnership with a Europe that can act in real time on pressing international matters. The two sides of the Atlantic are already deeply integrated in economic and many other areas. We need new forms of Transatlantic governance to improve coordination and create safety valves for political and social pressures.
Europeans Must Agree on How to Use Military Force
Jan Dirk Blaauw
President, Assembly of Western European Union
Many Europeans believe that the U.S. decision to go to war in Iraq has jeopardized the international security institutions established after World War II. Europeans, however, must overcome their current divisions and reach a consensus about the role of the European Union in international crises. Only if Europe is united can it be a viable partner for the United States.
Despite Divisions, Europe and the United States Are Fighting Terrorism Together
Thomas E. McNamara
Senior Advisor for Homeland Security and Counter-Terrorism, U.S. Department of State
Despite deep divisions on Iraq and other issues, the United States and Europe are cooperating extensively and productively in the fight against terrorism, as are a large number of international organizations. New techniques promoted by the United States include wider use of passenger recognition data to monitor travelers, intensified scrutiny of international container traffic and the development of new biometric devices, such as iris scanning and facial recognition, for use in travel documents.
There Is No Clear Line Between "Old" and "New" Europe
Barry D. Wood
Economic Editor, Voice of America
U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld started an acrimonious debate on the future of Transatlantic relations when he referred to France and Germany as "Old Europe" in off-the-cuff remarks in January. President Jacques Chirac of France exacerbated the debate by warning Central and Eastern European candidates for EU membership not to speak up in favor of the United States. Europe is indeed split, but not always along the same lines.
Personal View: The Bush Message Has Ominous Undertones in Central Europe
Pavel Cernoch
Jean Monnet Centre for European Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, Prague
For many reasons, Czechs admire and support the United States. But that does not mean that, as citizens of the "New Europe," they will automatically support U.S. policies and actions. On the contrary, the attitude of the current U.S. administration toward Iraq reminds many in Central Europe of the high-handed policies of the former Soviet Union.
European Integration
The EU's Economic Reform Agenda Has Been Blown Off Course
Stewart Fleming
Brussels
As a result of economic and political difficulties, the European Union is having trouble implementing the ambitious agenda of economic reforms, adopted in Lisbon three years ago, that was intended to make it "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge based economy in the world." Although some advances have been made in specific areas, the European Commission describes overall progress as "rather disappointing."
The Time Has Come for a Politically Unified Europe
Antonio Puri Purini
Diplomatic Adviser to the President of the Italian Republic
As the European Union debates whether to adopt the first ever European constitution, the time has come to turn the Union into a genuine political union, with a greater degree of shared sovereignty. Such a political entity, revamped and reorganized so as to incorporate the new member states from Central and Eastern Europe, and speaking with a single voice in the world, could bring great benefits as a partner of the United States.
An EU 'Advance Guard' Should Lead the Way
Philippe Lemaître
Brussels Correspondent, European Affairs
The Iraq crisis has revealed deep political divisions in the European Union over relations with the United States. Growing mistrust of Bush administration policies will lead some European governments to distance themselves from the United States farther than others find acceptable. But Europe can still have a voice. France, Germany and Belgium are showing the way by acting as an 'advance guard' in developing more independent European policies.
An EU Constitutional Twist: No Representation Without Taxation?
Ludger Kühnhardt
Director, Center for European Integration Studies, University of Bonn
Although there have been delays due to political fall-out from the war in Iraq, the drafters of an historic new constitution for the European Union are still hoping to complete their work by the end of 2003, with ratification expected in 2004. Work on the constitution has made much more progress than originally expected and there are numerous parallels with the American constitutional debate that began in Philadelphia in 1787.
Trade Relations
Global Free Trade in Manufactures Would Be an Historic Step Forward
Ernest H. Preeg
Senior Fellow in Trade and Productivity, Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI
The United States has launched the first bold initiative in the Doha Development Round of multilateral trade negotiations by proposing global free trade in manufactured goods by 2015. The initiative has received a mixed welcome, including within the United States. But its adoption would galvanize the Doha negotiations, currently bogged down over agriculture and other issues, and bring huge benefits to the global economy.
Farm Subsidies: Unlike the U.S., the EU Is Heading in the Right Direction
Corrado Pirzio-Biroli
Head of Cabinet
and Tassos Haniotis
Member of Cabinet of Franz Fischler, European Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries
Knee-jerk American criticism of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy is out of date. EU farm subsidies are becoming much less trade distorting, while U.S. measures are becoming more so. These positive steps by the EU must be taken into account in the current WTO negotiations on agricultural trade.
Opinions
A Trade War over Biotechnology Would Be a Big Mistake
Tony Van der haegen
Minister-Counselor, Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Safety and Consumer Affairs, European Commission Delegation, Washington, D.C.
Political divisions in the Atlantic alliance must not be allowed to contaminate U.S.-EU trade relations. In particular, Washington should refrain from taking WTO action against the EU standstill on approvals of new genetically modified foods. That would create a consumer backlash in Europe and jeopardize the future of the European biotech industry. Anyway, the so-called EU moratorium is on the way out.
How We Can Move to a New Global Energy Economy
Reid Detchon
Consultant, Energy Futures Coalition
The world today must grapple with three major energy challenges: the political and economic security threats posed by continuing dependence on oil; the risks of climate change; and the lack of modern energy services in the world’s poorest regions. Although we can meet these challenges by moving to a new global energy economy, we must first assemble the political support necessary for change.
Book Reviews
A Weak Apology for Modern Greece
Greece: The Modern Sequel From 1831 to the Present.
By John S. Koliopoulos and Thanos M. Veremis
Reviewed by Andrew Apostolou
A Special Deal for Russia: The EU and Russia: The Promise of Partnership.
By John Pinder and Yuri Shishkov
Reviewed by Anthony Jones