Policy summaries for EU simulation Environment Foreign and Security Policy Trade

Questions Does the EU need an environmental policy? If so, what about NAFTA?

Environment EU legislation covers Sustainable development Waste Noise Air pollution Water Nature and biodiversity Soil protection Civil protection Climate change

Environment Policy Instruments 1.Legislation 2.Funding: LIFE programLIFE program 3.Technical: eco-labeling, Community System of Environmental Management and Auditing, environmental inspections in MS 4.Institutions: European Environmental Agency 5.Procedural: freedom of access to information

Sixth Action Program for the Environment Sixth Action Program for the Environment (until 2010) Focus on 4 areas: 1.climate change 2.nature and biodiversity 3.environment and health 4.management of natural resources and waste

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Renewable Electricity as % of Total Electricity Production =en&product=Yearlies_new_environment_energy&root=Yearlies_new_environment_energy/H/H2/H23/en061 =en&product=Yearlies_new_environment_energy&root=Yearlies_new_environment_energy/H/H2/H23/en061

Focus: Climate Change

EU Foreign Policy External economic relations: one external tariff, EU negotiates with the WTO on behalf of 25 member states; bilateral and multilateral agreements between EU and third countries; trade, aid and cooperation policies with developing countries External political relations: established only since 1993 Treaty on European Union (2 nd pillar); intergovernmental decision-making; “too many foreign policies”;

Common Foreign and Security Policy (1993 Maastricht Treaty) Intergovernmental decision-making Council may decide on common positions and joint actions  marginal role of European Parliament  Predominance of unanimity voting Failure of EU to respond adequately to wars in Yugoslavia

Amsterdam Treaty (in force since 1999): European Security and Defense Policy Member states can abstain from decisions without weakening unanimity High Representative of EU Foreign Policy (Javier Solana) 1999: EU decides on rapid reaction force of 50,000-60,000 troops for humanitarian and rescue tasks, peacekeeping, and crisis management, to be ready by 2003  First such deployment may be this year to Democratic Republic of Congo to secure elections

Instruments of CFSP Common Strategies (unanimity)  Implemented by Common Positions and Joint Actions (qualified majority voting) “feet on the ground”: election monitoring, border monitoring

Difficulties of CFSP Strong unanimity requirement, 25 separate member states No joint army – not even coordinated military procurement Some overlap with NATO, but incomplete Capability-expectations gap: EU should be able to intervene close to home (Yugoslavia, Iraq) but cannot agree

Trade 1 st pillar/European Community can decide on common international agreements and on financial and economic assistance EU is the world’s largest trading bloc

EU decision-making on trade 4 freedoms developed to different degrees  EU has competence in trade in goods, but not in FDI  highly complex decision-making process Setting objectives for negotiations: Council Conduct of negotiations: Commission (Commissioner Peter Mandelson)  de facto, Commission negotiates issues even when EU and MS share competence or MS hold sole competence; MS seek tight control Adoption of results: Council Compare to US: Congress has authority over international commercial policy, must grant authority to executive to negotiate; increasing use of fast-track procedure (Congress adopts or rejects wholesale, without possibility for amendments)

Export Regime Common rules for export from the EC based on freedom of export exemption: MS may impose restrictions on grounds of public morality, public policy, public security MS may request consultation with other MS and Commission to address a perceived need for action MS may impose interim measures until Commission and other MS act Agricultural products subject to separate procedure (Commission- driven) Special EU controls for exports of cultural goods (archeological items etc.), dual-use goods

High-Profile Trade Disputes under WTO: US-EU: US steel tariffs (resolved 2004) Agricultural subsidies (ongoing) Audiovisuals (mid-1990s) Hormone-treated beef (US won) Ongoing cases in which EU is defendant: hormones, GMOs, customs procedures, aircraft subsidies, geographical indications) Ongoing cases in which EU is complainant: US anti-dumping practices, intellectual property rights, aircraft subsidies, steel, hormones) Other countries: Bananas (EU lost, Latin Americans won)