US, Europe Must Work Together Again
By Richard Morningstar
31 July 2003
For months, observers on both sides of the Atlantic have been lamenting
the crisis in US-European relations. The Iraq war has placed greater stress
on the trans-Atlantic partnership than at any time in recent memory -
pitting the United States against many of its allies.
But the trans-Atlantic partnership is not a zero-sum game. In a global
economy and facing global security challenges, the United States and Europe
need each other to succeed. Strained trans-Atlantic ties are not good
for the United States, Europe, or the world. It is time to move beyond
mud-slinging and hand-wringing and start tending to immediate concerns.
Two challenges belong at the top of the trans-Atlantic agenda: cooperation
on postwar Iraq and working together to complete the round of trade negotiations
that began in Doha, Qatar, in 2001. Both are critical issues that offer
the potential of great progress if we work together.
The past months have made clear that the United States needs help from
other nations - including France and Germany - to secure postwar Iraq
and to provide legitimacy to its mission. In addition, the United States
needs Europe's financial assistance to help rebuild Iraq - a project already
estimated to cost between $30 billion and $50 billion a year. Neither
will be forthcoming without a meaningful UN mandate and a meaningful channel
for Europe's input in dealing with postwar Iraq. The Bush administration
should make clear it is willing to relinquish some control in exchange
for greater European support. And European leaders should recognize their
shared stake in ensuring that Iraq's post conflict reconstruction succeeds.
The Doha round of talks, which has been designated ''the development
round'' by the World Trade Organization, is geared toward lifting the
economies of developing nations.
The United States and Europe have a responsibility to make this round
of negotiations successful. Progress has been slow. To maintain our credibility,
trade ministers must make progress when they meet in Cancun this September.
That means the United States and Europe must be willing to open up their
markets, particularly with respect to agricultural products, and to reduce
domestic subsidies and export subsidies to farmers. We also must quickly
settle our differences with respect to developing countries' access to
pharmaceuticals to fight diseases such as AIDS. The developing world has
no interest in our theological battles. Many in developing countries smile
wryly as we argue about multilateralism and unilateralism because as far
as they are concerned, we are both unilateralists trying to seek economic
advantage and to impose our will on them. The United States and Europe
must together take steps to change that view.
Progress is possible. After all, Americans and Europeans over the past
months have shown they can work together in several areas. The United
States together with the EU, Russia, and the UN, is cooperating in implementing
the Middle East ''road map.'' NATO has taken over the postwar mission
in Afghanistan. The European Union is developing a ''common security doctrine''
that recognizes the necessity of dealing with weapons of mass destruction.
At the US-EU Summit in June, agreements were reached on extradition and
in other important areas. In spite of bitter trade disputes, both the
United States and the EU have managed their disagreements to avoid major
damage to our interdependent economies.
Yet we must do better. To move forward now and in the future, the United
States must recognize that although it has the power to project force
unilaterally, it cannot make peace unilaterally. Afghanistan and Iraq
prove that. The United States must tone down its rhetoric and treat Europe
as a real partner. We must recognize that multilateralism and compromise
can be in our national interest and that our rejection of international
agreements is costing us prestige and possible support on other matters.
We also must recognize that high-level relationships and consultations
can lead to progress and can mitigate damage, as evidenced by the handling
of our trade disputes.
Europe also has responsibilities in moving the relationship forward.
Europe cannot hope to be treated as an equal partner on issues where it
does not have a common foreign policy; Iraq is an obvious case in point.
Europe also must continue to develop its common security doctrine, which
will allow us to reach common views on dealing with threats such as weapons
of mass destruction and terrorism.
And crucially, Europe must recognize that we do have common interests
and must work with us to develop a common agenda. Promoting Europe as
a counterweight to the United States or as a means to restrain US power
in the world will only guarantee constant tension.
The United States and Europe do not live in a vacuum. How we relate to
each other has extraordinary ramifications for the rest of the world.
When we work together, much is possible; when we argue, progress stalls.
Iraq and Doha cannot wait. The trans-Atlantic challenge is now.
Richard Morningstar is a Senior Director of Stonebridge International
LLC and is a former US ambassador to the European Union.
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