|
News Releases
No. 49/06
June 19, 2006
EU-US SUMMIT AIMS TO STRENGTHEN GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP
 European Commission President
José Manuel Barroso (pictured at left),
President of the European Council and Austrian
Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel and US President George W.
Bush will meet at the
EU-US Summit on 21 June in Vienna
to discuss foreign policy co-operation, energy security,
economy and trade, and other global challenges. On
energy, leaders are expected to step up EU-US
cooperation to a strategic level and to promote a set of
principles for responsible energy policies worldwide.
Iran, the
Middle East and the promotion of
democracy are
expected to dominate the foreign policy agenda.
Other participants at the Summit will be EU
 External
Relations/European
Neighborhood
Policy Commissioner
Ferrero-Waldner
(pictured at right), EU Commissioner for
Trade
Mandelson
(pictured at left) and
Austrian Foreign Minister Plassnik as well as EU Common
Foreign & Security Policy High
Representative
Javier Solana
(pictured below) from the EU side and
Secretary of State Rice from the US side.
President Barroso said: "EU-US relations have
strengthened considerably over the last year and we are
working together systematically to address common
economic, political and environmental challenges. With
shared values and interests, the EU and the US are
natural partners to take the lead. Our Summit meeting
will confirm this productive year and look to strengthen
further our global partnership.”
The four main topics on the agenda are:
-
Foreign Policy – focusing on Iran, the Middle East and
promotion of democracy.
-
Energy - strengthening EU-US strategic cooperation on
energy and advancing principles of good practice in
energy markets.
-
Economy and
Trade - moving towards conclusion of the
Doha WTO round negotiations, maintaining open investment
regimes and adopting a strategy for the enforcement of
Intellectual Property Rights in third countries. The EU
will also raise the need to extend the US
Visa Waiver Program to all citizens of EU Member States.
-
Global challenges - improving ways to meet the
challenge of
climate change.
In the margins of the Summit, Commissioner for External
Relations and Neighborhood Policy Benita
Ferrero-Waldner, Austrian Foreign Minister and Council
President in office Ursula Plassnik and US Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice will sign a
Higher Education and
Vocational Training Agreement aiming at stimulating
further exchanges between the peoples of the EU and the
US and improving the quality of human resource
development
In the margins of the Summit Vice President Verheugen, Commissioner Peter Mandelson and US Commerce
Secretary Carlos Gutierrez will also launch a joint EU -
US Action Strategy on the global enforcement of
intellectual property rights. This ground-breaking
agreement envisages closer customs co-operation,
including more data sharing.
Timing
Leaders will meet for a working session in the morning
of 21 June, followed by a working lunch. A press
conference by Commission President José Manuel Barroso,
Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel and US President
George W. Bush is planned for 21 June at 14:30 hours.
Background
The EU-US Summits arose from the
Transatlantic
Declaration, which was adopted in 1990. The Declaration formalized contact between the EU and the US and laid
down the principles for greater EU-US cooperation.
For more information on the Summit see:
http://www.eurunion.org/partner/summit/20060621sum.htm
.
Further Contact Information
Press and Public Diplomacy
Delegation of the European Commission
2300 M Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037
http://www.eurunion.org/PressRoom
Tel: 202-862-9552
Fax: 202-429-1766
|
