AMBASSADOR'S CORNER
WEEKLY
MESSAGE FROM AMBASSADOR JOHN BRUTON
November 8, 2005
Trade, Internet and Talks in Congress
Last week I had a series of meetings with
members of both houses of Congress. My aim was
to explain the negotiating approach of the
European Union to the
World Trade Talks. The European Union wants
a successful trade round. Why? It has been
estimated that the average American household
could be $4,500 a year better off if remaining
barriers to trade were removed. Gains to
households in Europe and worldwide would be just
as big.
There is much controversy about the offer by the
European Union to further reduce its tariffs on
imports of agricultural products to Europe. The
average tariff is now around 22% and, under the
latest
offer, we would reduce it to around 12% on
average. Some American commentators feel that we
are not going far enough. But I was able to
point out to members of Congress that this is
not the only step the European Union is taking
to open up markets to agricultural producers
elsewhere. We have already agreed to do away
with agricultural export subsidies, if the US
accepts to discipline its agricultural export
credits and food aid. We have also reformed the
system of support we give to European
farmers. Whereas in 1993 80% of the public
support to agriculture was in the form of market
support and export subsidies, artificially
boosting production, now these instruments
represent less than 20% of the agricultural
budget.
As part of my series of meetings in Congress, I
met Senator George Allen of Virginia.
Senator Allen has emerged as a major leader in
the Republican Party and is spoken of as a
possible Presidential candidate. He has lengthy
political experience, having first been elected
to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1982.
In the House of Representatives, I met
Congressman Thaddeus McCotter
[pictured at right with Ambassador Bruton
(left), Congressman McCotter (center) & European
Commission Delegation Deputy Head Angelos
Pangratis (right)], who represents suburban
Detroit. A strong supporter of free trade, he is
wary of corporatist nations who use trade for
political purposes. Representative McCotter’s
ancestry can be traced back to County Antrim in
Ireland.
I met Congressman Sam Graves [pictured
just below]
of Missouri, one of the few farmers in the House
of Representatives and one of its youngest
members. He is so close to his agricultural
roots that daily price changes in beef, hogs
(pigs) and grain are prominently displayed in
his office.
I was
particularly pleased to meet with Congressman
Jeff Fortenberry [pictured just below] from Lincoln
Nebraska, as I had had the privilege of visiting
Lincoln in the past and of meeting his
predecessor in Congress, Doug Bereuter.
I also met
Democratic Congressman Eliot Engel
[pictured just below] of New York along with his
colleague on the Europe Subcommittee of the
International Relations Committee, Republican
Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis [on the right
in the photo below] of Virginia. Eliot Engel
represents the Bronx in New York and is active
in promoting fuel economy in motor vehicles. Jo
Ann Davis is a very great friend of the European
Union and has been a very effective advocate for
it in the House.
I met
Congressman Randy Neugebauer [pictured
just below], who comes
from Lubbock in Texas, the home town of Buddy
Holly and Don Williams. Randy was involved in
the building industry before becoming a member
of Congress and is a strong advocate of US
cotton producers.
(Congressional Photos Credit: Bob
Whiteman, European Commission Delegation Senior
Advisor, Congressional and Parliamentary
Liaison)
This was a very useful series of meetings from
my point of view.
I also took
the opportunity to talk about the issue of the
government role in managing the
internet. The European Union fully supports
the multinational private sector body ICANN, and
considers that the US Department of Commerce has
a very good track record in its oversight of
ICANN and the Domain Name System. We do feel,
however, that a new cooperation model could
usefully be put in place allowing for other
governments to be “in the loop” where public
policy principles of relevance to internet
governance are concerned.
I am looking forward to further meetings with
members of Congress to promote the cause of more
open and more profitable trading relationships
between Europe and the United States.
Please send me your
comments about this or any of my weekly
messages, or other EU matters. I look forward to
hearing from you!
John Bruton
Other
Weekly Messages
