Article Information

Category: June -- July 2010

Created on 04 June 2010

Obama Team Seeks to Engage with the Court -- a Fence-Straddling Position as a “Non-Signatory” Participant

The International Criminal Court (ICC) represents a manifest irony in U.S. foreign policy. While Washington has defiantly refused to join the tide of broad international acceptance and join the ICC or submit to its jurisdiction, the U.S. has traditionally been a strong supporter (and sometimes even a leader) in international efforts to bring to justice those individuals and states guilty of war crimes and atrocities -- precisely the kinds of crimes the ICC was created to prosecute.   The U.S. leadership was critically important in the prosecution of German and Japanese officials after World War II and in support for tribunals dealing with the genocides in Rwanda, the former Yugoslavia and elsewhere.

Read More

Article Information

Category: Roundtables

Created on 01 June 2010

The European Institute held a meeting with The Honorable Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science and The Honorable Bart Gordon, Chairman of the Science and Technology Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives to discuss the pivotal roles that research and innovation play in spurring sustainable economic growth and job creation. The first Commissioner responsible for Innovation, Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn emphatically stressed the importance of greater transatlantic cooperation, saying that the case for collaboration in research and innovation has never been greater. A new European Research and Innovation Strategy will be  formulated by this fall, and will seek to encourage both private investment and public-private initiatives to meet the 3% of GDP target for R&D. Chairman Gordon, author of the America COMPETES Act, which must be re-authorized this year, echoed the importance of increased investment in research and development in the U.S. within the next ten years, as well as the need for greater international cooperation. Both Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn and Chairman Gordon agreed that increased transatlantic cooperation is not only important to the development of their respective research and innovation agendas, but central to the transatlantic partnership’s ability to shape the future of global R&D.  The discussion was moderated by Dr. Michael Nelson, Visiting Professor of Internet Studies at Georgetown University.

Article Information

Category: Roundtables

Created on 01 April 2010

On April 1, 2010, The European Institute, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Russian Federation, held a special meeting of its Roundtable on EU-U.S.-Russia Triangular Relations to discuss the prospects and challenges of deepening economic and trade relations with Russia. The Honorable Andrey Denisov, First Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, addressed the need for greater triangular cooperation on a variety of fronts, including energy, technology and innovation, and stressed the importance of the Russian Federation’s accession to the WTO. The Honorable Robert Hormats, Under Secretary for Economic, Energy, and Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State asserted American interest in developing stronger trade and investment relationships with Russia and  the importance of seizing opportunities for greater technological cooperation. Ambassador Richard Morningstar, the U.S. Secretary of State’s Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy viewed triangular coordination as particularly important in seeking to diversify energy sources and supply on both sides of the Atlantic, and urged continued discussions on diversification, innovation and investment. Angelos Pangratis, Chargé d’Affaires of the Delegation of the European Union to the United States encouraged a comprehensive approach, anchored to WTO accession, and cited the EU’s continuing efforts to negotiate a successor to the current Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, establish a partnership for modernization and stabilize energy relations through a clear legal framework.

Article Information

Category: Roundtables

Created on 17 March 2010

On March 17, 2010, The European Institute held a special breakfast meeting of its Transatlantic Roundtable on Transportation regarding transatlantic cooperation on transportation security. A delegation from the European Parliament’s Transport Committee, including Chairman The Honorable Brian Simpson (S & D Party, UK), The Honorable Mathieu Grosch (European People’s Party, Belgium), The Honorable Saïd El Khadraoui (S & D Party, Belgium), and The Honorable Gesine Meissner (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, Germany) spoke about their visit to Washington and current civil aviation security issues in the European Union. Michael Scardaville, Director for European and Multilateral Affairs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, provided a U.S. perspective on these pressing security matters. The main topics of discussion were the second U.S.-EU civil aviation agreement (Open Skies II), the U.S.-EU passenger name records agreement, privacy and human rights issues with the implementation of full body scanner in airports, the overall approach to civil aviation security, the increasing importance of high speed rail in the U.S., and the importance of the U.S. and EU to coordinate policies and procedures to ensure security on both sides of the Atlantic. A high emphasis was placed on increasing dialogue between the U.S. and EU on unresolved issues of contention. Passenger privacy and the protection of data are especially big concerns for Europe, and the U.S. and EU will continue to work together to try to find a holistic approach to providing security.

Article Information

Category: Roundtables

Created on 09 March 2010

On March 9, 2010 The European Institute held a special meeting of its Roundtable on Defense and Security with Gábor Iklódy, State Secretary and Political Director of the Hungarian Ministry for Foreign Affairs.  Mr. Iklódy offered his perspective on the changes to EU foreign and defense policy after the Lisbon Treaty.  He addressed the need for coordination in developing EU defense capabilities in order to perform the Petersberg tasks.  And while highlighting the importance of an EU that can speak with one voice on the global stage, he also stressed that member states still need to be consulted as part of the decision making process, otherwise Europe risks becoming fragmented once again.  And although the transition to the new foreign policy architecture, that is defining the role of the new High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the European External Action Service as well as the future role of the rotating presidency, will be long and difficult, once the dust settles, the wait will have been worth it.