18/2/2017 EuropediaEU'srelationswithNorthAmericancountries

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EuropeanUnion.
25.7.EU'srelationswithNorthAmericancountries
Basedonthe
bookof TheEuropeanUnionisthebiggesttradingpartneroftheUnitedStatesandislinkedtothiscountrybyculture,tradition
andcrossinvestmentsaswellasbycommoneconomicandpoliticalinterestsembodiedwithininternationalorganisations
Nicholas
suchastheOrganisationforEconomicCooperationandDevelopment(OECD)andtheNorthAtlanticTreatyOrganisation
Moussis: (NATO).TheUnitedStateswerein2000theEU'sleadinginvestmentpartner:almosthalfoftheextraEUinvestmentsby
Accessto MemberStateswenttotheUnitedStates(EUR147outofEUR304billion),andalmost80%ofinvestmentsbynonmember
EuropeanUnion countriesintheEUcamefromtheUnitedStates(EUR98outofEUR125billion).Fromthepoliticalviewpoint,theUnited
law,economics, StateshasalwayssupportedEuropeanintegration.Thishasnotpreventedstrongeconomicantagonismbetweenthetwo
policies. richestregionsoftheplanet.

ThefalloftheSovietUnionandtheemergenceoftheUnitedStatesasthesolesuperpowerledtotheadoptiononNovember
22,1990bytheUnitedStatesontheonehandandbytheEuropeanCommunityanditsMemberStatesontheotherofa
jointtransatlanticdeclaration.Consideringthattheirrelationshipisavitalfactorforpoliticalstabilityinachangingworld,
thetwopartiesconfirmedtheircommitmenttocontinuinganddevelopingcooperationonanequalfootingand,forthis
purpose,theyagreedtoconsultoneanotheronimportantsubjectsofcommoninterestandtointensifytheirdialogueina
formalcontactstructure.Thetransatlanticagenda,signedin1995,completedtheTransatlanticDeclarationandorganised
thecooperationbetweenthetwopartnersaroundfourpillars:promotingpeace,stability,democracyanddevelopment
throughouttheworld,respondingtoglobalchallenges,contributingtotheexpansionofworldtradeandclosereconomic
relations,andestablishingclosertiesbetweenthepartners.Inaddition,anagreementbetweentheEuropeanCommunityand
theUnitedStatesestablishedacooperationprogrammeinthefieldofhighereducationandvocationaltraining[Agreement
Translated andDecision95/487].
into14
languages Aftertheterroristattacksof11September2001againsttheUnitedStates,theEuropeanCouncilmeetinginextraordinary
sessionon21September2001declareditstotalsupporttotheAmericanpeopleinthefaceofthedeadlyterroristattacks
anditswillingnesstocooperatewiththeUnitedStatesinbringingtojusticeandpunishingtheperpetrators,sponsorsand
Aboutthis accomplicesofsuchbarbaricacts[seesection8.2.3].On8October2001,theCouncil(ofministers)declaredthatthemilitary
actiontakenbytheUSinselfdefenceandinconformitywiththeUNCharterandtheUNSCR1368waspartofawider
book
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multilateralstrategyinwhichtheEuropeanUnionwascommittedtoplayingitspart,includingacomprehensiveassaultonthe
Wheretobuy organisationsandfinancingstructuresthatunderpinterrorism.

Orderform However,transatlanticrelationsareoftenacontroversialsubjectfortheEU,sincethedegreeofsolidaritywiththeUnited
StatesdiffersconsiderablyfromoneEuropeancountrytoanother.Itis,therefore,usuallydifficulttoworkoutacommon
reactiontotheinitiativesofWashington.Ingeneral,thevisionoftheworldandofinternationalrelationsoftheUSA,whichis
Booksbythe largelybasedonnationalinterestandtheuseofmilitaryforce,isbasicallycontrastingwiththeconceptofinternationallaw
sameauthor thattheEuropeannationstendtoplaceabovenationallaw.EventhebestfriendsoftheUSAinEuropearesadtoseethe
newAmericanpolicydepartfromtherulesofinternationallaw,enactedwiththeactiveparticipationoftheUSAthemselves,
onissuessuchas:theratificationoftheKyotoprotocolforthereductionofatmosphericpollution[seesection16.3.4]the
exemptionofAmericancitizensfromthejurisdictionoftheInternationalCriminalCourtforwarcrimes[seesection8.1.2]
thedisrespectoftherulesoftheWorldTradeOrganisationingeneralandparticularlyconcerningthehugeincreasein
Americanfarmsubsidies(70%)andtheprotectionofAmericansteelproductstheinvasionofIraqwithoutagreementofthe
UNSecurityCounciland,lastbutnotleast,theuneveninterpositionintheconflictbetweenIsraelisandPalestinians.Onall
thesesubjectsthetransatlanticdeclarationof1990hasnotservedasabasisofdialogueandcooperationbetweenequal
partners.Ifthissituationcontinues,theEuropeanUnionwill,soonerorlater,adoptaforeignpolicy,whichwillincreasingly
divergefromthatoftheUSA.

BeforetheascendancyoftheneoconservativepolicyintheUnitedStates,thetransatlanticdialoguehadgivensomegood
results.IthadpermittedabettercoordinationofrespectivepoliciesconcerningaidtoCentralandEasternEuropean
countries,RussiaandtheIndependentStates,theconflictandthemanagementofpeaceinformerYugoslaviaandtheMiddle
Eastpeaceprocess.IntheUruguayRound,theBlairHousepreagreement,concludedon28November1992betweenthe
UnitedStatesandtheEU,wasapreconditionfortheconclusionoftheGATTmultilateraltradenegotiations.Moreover,a
numberoftradedifferenceshavebeensettled,notablytheonesontradeinlargecivilaircraft[AgreementandDecision
92/496]onveterinarymattersconcerningfreshbovineandporcinemeat[AgreementandDecision93/158]andonopenness
inthefieldofpublicprocurementofthetwoparties[AgreementandDecision95/215,seesection23.4].Inordertoresolve
thebananadispute,i.e.theEUhelpingACPbananasuppliersadapttothenewcommonmarketconditions,thecommon
marketorganisationforbananaswasintegratedintothecommonorganisationofagriculturalmarketsandisnowadays
regulatedbyspecificprovisionsforcertainagriculturalproducts(SingleCMORegulation)[Regulation1234/2007].

Nevertheless,severaldisputespersist.AmericanshavetakenactionagainstEuropeanlegislation,notably:thehormones
Directive[Directive96/22],preventingmeatimportsfromthirdcountries,liketheUnitedStates,whichdonotprohibitthe
fatteningoflivestockwithhormones.AlargenumberofthecomplaintslodgedbytheEUwiththedisputesettlementbodyof
theWTOconcerntheUS.FollowingtheUSdecisiontoimposeextraordinarytariffsofupto30%onsteelimports,the
Commission,withtheconsentoftheParliamentandtheCouncil,adoptedaregulationinstitutingsafeguardmeasureson
certainironandsteelproducts[Regulation1694/2002andRegulation2142/2003]andopenedasafeguardinvestigationinto
thoseproductsinordertocountertheadverseeffectsoftheUSdecisionontheEuropeansteelmarket.TheEC/EUstartedon
7March2002adisputesettlementprocedureattheWTOcallingforconsultationstobeheldpursuanttoWTOrules.TheEU
obtainedsatisfactionandthesafeguardmeasureswererepealedwitheffectfrom8December2003[Regulation184/2004].
TheEUhasconcludedamemorandumofunderstandingwiththeU.S.A.regardingtheimportationofbeeffromanimalsnot
treatedwithcertaingrowthpromotinghormonesandincreaseddutiesappliedbytheUnitedStatestocertainproductsofthe
EuropeanUnion[RevisedMemorandumofUnderstandingandDecision2014/44].

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ItshouldbenotedthattheUnitedStateslost17tradedisputesoutof19inWTOin2002,buttheirlegislationhasnotbeen
changedinanywayasaresult.Thus,theUSantidumpingactof1916,whichprovidesforcivilandcriminalproceedingsand
penaltiesagainstdumping,wasfoundincompatiblewiththeobligationsimposedbytheWorldTradeOrganisation.Therefore,
theEUisprotectingitsbusinessesagainsttheeffectsoftheapplicationofthisUSAct,andactionsbasedthereonorresulting
therefrom[Regulation2238/2003].Theprotectivemeasurescompriseaprohibitionontherecognitionandenforcementin
theECofcourtoradministrativedecisionsbasedonthe1916antidumpingact,andthepossibilityforECcompaniesor
individualstocountersuetorecoveranyoutlays,costs,damages,interestandexpensescausedbytheapplicationoftheact
inbreachofWTOrules.Moreover,theEuropeanUnionsuspended,visvistheUnitedStates,theapplicationoftariff
concessionsandrelatedobligationsconcludedunderGATT,inaccordancewiththearbitrationdecisionof31August2004,
findingthattheContinuedDumpingandSubsidyOffsetAct(CDSOA)wasincompatiblewiththeUnitedStates'obligations
undertheWTOagreements[Regulation673/2005].

TheEC/EU'srelationswithCanadahaveoriginallybeenbasedonacooperationagreementbetweenEuratomandCanadaon
thepeacefuluseofatomicenergy[1959Agreementsand1995Agreement],onacooperationagreementbetweentheEEC
andCanadaoncommercialandeconomiccooperation[FrameworkAgreementandDecisionsand1998Agreement]andona
fisheriesagreement[1993AgreementandRegulation3675/93].ThetwopartiesadoptedonNovember22,1990ajoint
declarationbasedonthepreferentialrelationsintroducedbytheframeworkcooperationagreementwhichreinforcesthe
institutionalframeworkforconsultationsinordertogivethemalongtermhorizon.TheEUCanadaPartnershipAgenda
adoptedon18March2004,identifieswaysofworkingtogetheronglobalchallengessuchastheenvironment,climate
change,energysecurityandregionalstabilitythroughouttheworld.

ThegoodcooperationbetweentheEUandCanadaismanifestinsensiblefieldssuchasanimalhealthregulationsandtrade
inalcoholicbeverages[Agreementlastamendedby2004Agreement]aswellasinthenewfisheriesagreementbetweenthe
EUandCanada,concludedintheframeworkoftheNorthWestAtlanticFisheriesOrganisation(NAFO)[Decision95/586].
CanadaparticipatesinEUcivilianandmilitarycrisismanagementoperations[AgreementandDecision2005/851].

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