As US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visits Brussels, the Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament has published a Policy Paper on the Future of EU-US Relations, focusing on issues such as 5G, emerging technologies, arms control, trade, nuclear disarmament, taxation (including digital), climate change, energy security, the fight against disinformation, multilateralism and counterterrorism.

With a new administration in Washington DC, Renew Europe Group believes that it is time to start working on a renewed and stronger transatlantic partnership, as many Biden Administration policies are likely to align with European positions. The EU needs to deepen the strategic partnership and tackle today’s global challenges together with the US, untapping the economic potential of our bilateral relationship and seeking new areas for international cooperation that will shape the future.

Hilde Vautmans MEP (Open Vld, Belgium), Renew Europe Group Coordinator in the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee, said:

 “It is reassuring to see that the US is fully committed to restoring the transatlantic alliance and to join forces to tackle global challenges. Yet, for Europe that commitment implies a responsibility too, as in today's world, the US needs a strong Europe by its side. The erosion of democracy and multilateralism, the fight against climate change, disinformation and the rise of new technologies are just some of the many areas where EU-US cooperation will define the world we live in tomorrow. That means, above all, that Europe must become a more proactive, autonomous and effective global player capable of carrying out responsibilities in its neighbourhood, acting to uphold multilateralism, human rights and fundamental values whenever these are at risk.”

Nicolae Ștefănuță MEP (USR, Romania), Vice-Chair of the Delegation for Relations with the United States, added:

“The European Union and the United States must work together around a renewed positive agenda. The election of Joe Biden provides a window of opportunity to remind the world how strong, overwhelming, positive our value-based leadership can be - on issues like democracy, climate change, foreign policy, a rules-based international economy and transatlantic security. As the world struggles to emerge from a recession, let there not be a recession in values, because our shared values are what make our partnership a stronger and more prosperous one."

Photo credit: Open Democracy 2007