A3-0093/94

Resolution on relations between the European Union and the United States of America

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the Declaration of 22 November 1990 of the European Community and the United States of America,

-having regard to the Treaty on European Union and, in particular, to Title V thereof,

-having regard to the motion for a resolution by Mr Planas Puchades on relations between the European Community and the United States of America (B3-0834/93),

-having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Security (A3-0093/94),

A.whereas the European Union and the United States (US) can and must contribute significantly to equitable and stable world relations,

B.whereas the European Union, together with the United States and all constitutional countries, should help to establish a constitutional and democratic system at international level,

C.whereas the European Union and the United States represent societies which, in themselves and in their structures, embody the same responsibilities, and whereas on the basis of their constitutional principles, when they signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other important international conventions the European Union and the United States proclaimed a fundamental commitment to democracy and human rights, which should oblige them to behave in an exemplary manner,

D.convinced that the European Union and the United States bear a great responsibility for sustainable development and growth of the world economy, including a fairer distribution of wealth,

E.whereas the countries of the European Union and the United States, inter alia through the cooperation of them all in the CSCE and of the most concerned of the NATO states, can contribute, where possible within the framework of the United Nations, to the promotion of security, peace keeping and peace enforcement,

1.Emphasizes once again the importance of the Declaration of 22 November 1990 and of the consultations which take place on a permanent basis as a result thereof;

2.Wishes the Declaration to be transposed into a Treaty in accordance with the European Union's powers, in order to underscore the depth and permanence of their relations, and takes the view that such a transatlantic Treaty should encompass the totality of political, economic and security policy relations between the European Union and the United States;

3.Considers that both the European Union and the US, inter alia through NATO and the WEU, must continue to play a key role in the promotion of security, particularly in Europe; welcomes, in this connection, the United States' readiness to maintain a substantial number of American troops in Europe;

4.Appreciates the fact that the NATO summit of 10 and 11 January highlighted the emergence of a European Security and Defence Identity, in connection with which the WEU was specifically mentioned;

5.Regards a creatively designed partnership for peace as an important instrument - in addition to the Europe agreements - for forging security links between the Atlantic Alliance and countries to the east thereof, which could form steps in the evolutionary process of the extension of NATO, in order thereby to eliminate the security vacuum as quickly as possible, particularly for Central European countries;

6.Calls for both partners to continue to promote arms control, disarmament and preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems, through an unconditional and indefinite extension of the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, rapid application of a Convention on Chemical Weapons, introduction of a total ban on nuclear testing, strengthening of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), effective follow-up to COCOM, precise and full implementation of the treaty on conventional forces in Europe (CFE) and control of conventional arms exports to third countries, and calls on the United States to promote the keeping of a UN register on the international arms trade;

7.Considers that because of the failure of the G7 to help Eastern Europe economically or politically and because of the inherent inflexibility and political unaccountability of the IMF and G7 there is an urgent need for the European Union, the Member States and the US to coordinate their aid to Russia and the countries of central and eastern Europe, adopt common priority programmes, sharing the tasks, and substantially accelerate administrative implementation of the programmes;

8.Notes with relief that after 7 years of negotiation the GATT Uruguay Round has come to a successful conclusion; notes however, that considerable progress is still necessary in certain sectors, where only an agreement on principles has been found, in particular as regards financial services, telecommunications, public service contracts and maritime transport;

9.Urges the Council to create a trilateral dialogue between the US, Japan and the EU but avoiding practices of managed trade and market-sharing;

10.Asks the Council, in view of the role played by the US in the Pacific Area Cooperation to establish a regular and effective dialogue between the Asia Pacific Economy Conference (APEC) and the EU;

11.Calls on the European Union and the US to cooperate in the implementation of the Declaration of Rio de Janeiro on sustainable development and the environment and the further implementation of the report 'Our Common Future';

12.Draws attention to the need for the European Union and the US to work jointly to promote the successful implementation of every aspect of the Washington Agreement of 13 September 1993 between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO);

13.Considers that this Agreement should be followed by peace agreements between Israel and its neighbours, agreements on regional cooperation and new coordinated cooperation agreements between the European Union and its partners in the Middle East and the Mediterranean area;

14.Calls on the European Union to place a greater emphasis on the development of cultural and educational links with the US and to extend the scope of existing exchange programmes such as the Fulbright programme;

15.Stresses the need to strengthen the European Parliament delegation for relations with the US, in order to improve contacts between bodies and institutions involved in the legislative process, notably the European Parliament, the US House of Representatives, the Senate and the Commission, in such a way that this dialogue also provides for adequate contacts at expert committee level;

16.Calls for the European members of the delegation to coordinate their positions more effectively;

17.Considers it important that that delegation report regularly to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Security to enable it to draw up draft recommendations, subject to adoption by Parliament, to the Commission and the Council;

18.Requests the competent authorities of the United States to declare a moratorium on capital punishment until such time as legal measures are taken to abolish the death penalty in Federal law and the law of individual States;

19.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and the Council, and the Administration and both Houses of Congress of the United States.