[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 162 (Wednesday, October 24, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2230-E2231]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN PRAISE OF THE TRANSATLANTIC LEGISLATORS' DIALOGUE MEETINGS HELD 
                EARLIER THIS MONTH IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 24, 2007

  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I would like to call the attention of my 
colleagues in the Congress to a highly successful meeting of the 
Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue (TLD) that was held in Las Vegas 
from October 5-8, 2007. The United States delegation is currently 
benefiting from the excellent leadership of Chairwoman Shelley Berkley, 
the gentlelady from Nevada. She worked tirelessly to make this meeting 
a great success and introduced her European guests to the fine city of 
Las Vegas that she represents.
  Chairwoman Berkley first became a member of the TLD in April 2006, 
served as its vice-chair in December 2006, and took the reins during 
the new Congress in 2007. She has long been an advocate for 
transatlantic relations. She is ably joined by her Republican vice-
chairman, Representative Cliff Stearns from Florida, who also has a 
history of European engagement.
  The TLD constitutes the formal response of the European Parliament 
and the U.S. Congress to the commitment in the New Transatlantic Agenda 
(NTA) of 1995 to enhance parliamentary ties between the European Union 
and the United States. Building on the existing interparliamentary 
relationship, the TLD includes bi-annual meetings between American and 
European legislators that address topics of mutual interest with a view 
to fostering an ongoing dialogue and enhancing the level of 
transatlantic discourse.
  The most recent session in Nevada focused on a wide range of foreign 
policy challenges, including the Middle East, Kosovo, Russia, and 
China. Another session focused on regulatory initiatives being 
addressed under the auspices of the newly established Transatlantic 
Economic Council in which legislators are involved for the first time 
in administration discussions regarding more effective regulation.
  I particularly welcomed Representative Berkley's initiative to place 
anti-Semitism on the TLD agenda for the first time ever, as this issue 
must be seriously addressed by legislators on both sides of the 
Atlantic. The delegates also discussed the growing challenge of climate 
change. In addition, Representative Berkley showed her European 
counterparts a wide range of issues facing her constituency, bringing 
the delegation to Nellis Air Force Base to view military training 
facilities and arranging a briefing on Department of Energy plans to 
establish a safe repository for nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain.
  I commend Chairwoman Berkley for the energy that she has brought to 
the Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue, as well as the outstanding job 
she did organizing a productive and informative session in Nevada. Her 
attention to detail was remarkable as were her efforts to be a 
hospitable and thoughtful hostess, including inviting European consuls 
to attend evening events and renowned speakers to make opening remarks 
during meeting sessions. Chairwoman Berkley is an excellent ambassador 
of American goodwill towards the European Union, and I am deeply 
grateful for the outstanding work she has done as leader of the 
American delegation of the TLD.
  Madam Speaker, I would like to enter into the Congressional Record 
the joint statement that was agreed upon by American and European 
legislators at the 63rd meeting of the TLD in Las Vegas. It highlights 
the rich agenda of this meeting, as well as the numerous areas in which 
there was strong agreement across the Atlantic.

 Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue 63rd Meeting of Delegations From 
     the United States and the European Parliament--Joint Statement

       We, Members of the European Parliament and the United 
     States House of Representatives, held our 63rd 
     interparliamentary meeting (Transatlantic Legislators' 
     Dialogue) in Las Vegas, Nevada on 5-8 October 2007.
       Building on the joint statement issued following our last 
     meeting in Charleston on 1-3 December 2006, we stressed the 
     importance of regular dialogue on a range of political, 
     social and economic issues that affect all of our citizens. 
     We agreed to report back to our parent bodies on the content 
     and outcome of our discussions, particularly in the areas 
     where joint efforts are likely to result in positive 
     outcomes.
       We agreed that legislators on both sides of the Atlantic 
     should increase dialogue and consultation amongst themselves 
     in order to prevent possible conflicts of legislation. Direct 
     and timely contacts between specialist committees from 
     Congress and the European Parliament--such as those that have 
     occurred in recent months within the TLD framework--have been 
     valuable means of enhancing cooperation; the exchange of 
     information should be continued and enhanced. The European 
     delegation welcomed the invitation from the U.S. House 
     Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture to 
     discuss agricultural issues and organic farming in greater 
     detail.
       We examined a wide array of foreign policy issues, agreeing 
     that joint action by the United States and the European Union 
     is the most effective way to approach problems that affect 
     both sides ofthe Atlantic. We had a stimulating discussion 
     led by Ambassador Dennis Ross on the myriad of challenges in 
     the Middle East, particularly regarding the nuclear threat 
     posed by Iran and efforts to further the peace process in the 
     region. We discussed the future status of Kosovo, including 
     the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the 
     Balkans. We expressed concerns about worrying developments in 
     Russia's domestic and foreign policies and agreed to discuss 
     these issues in greater detail at our next session.
       We assessed our economic and political relations with 
     China, emphasizing the importance of toy and product safety 
     as well as the need for transparency in China's financial and 
     business practices. In particular, we called on China to play 
     a greater role in promoting a peaceful resolution to the 
     ongoing conflict and particularly to the current violent 
     crackdown in Burma. We also called upon China to assist in 
     solving the horrific humanitarian crisis in Darfur.
       During the dialogue we explored the current status of anti-
     Semitism, anti-discrimination, race hate and civil liberties 
     in the United States and Europe. Abe Foxman of the Anti-
     Defamation League provided an overview of the current 
     situation. We agreed to continue our open discussion about 
     these issues at future meetings as well as to address them 
     within the United States and EU Member States.
       We discussed climate change following an informative 
     presentation by Michael Totten of Conservation International. 
     We agreed to continue exchanging strategies for combating the 
     environmental challenges confronting our planet.
       We also: 1. had a briefing at Nellis Air Force Base and 
     visited the facility designated for training American and 
     coalition military personnel; we also saw a presentation 
     about the Thunderbird pilots and viewed the F-22 fighter 
     plane.
       2. heard a briefing by the United States Department of 
     Energy regarding its plans to establish a safe repository for 
     nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain as well as concerns 
     summarized by the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects.
       We welcomed the establishment of a Transatlantic Economic 
     Council (TEC) at the April 2007 EU-US Summit. We agreed that 
     the TEC initiative should be characterized by transparency 
     and consultation of stakeholders: legislators, consumers, and 
     producers should be informed in a comprehensive and timely 
     manner by the EU and US executive bodies on the advancement 
     of activities as well as the definition of priorities for 
     future work. The establishment of the

[[Page E2231]]

     `advisory group' to the TEC, which includes the leaders of 
     the three dialogues constituted under the New Transatlantic 
     Agenda, is an important step in this direction. Furthermore, 
     we believe that awareness of the transatlantic impact of 
     proposed legislation and regulation should be developed in 
     the relevant legislative and regulatory bodies.
       Our discussions focused on a range of regulatory issues 
     that will affect legislators in the United States and the 
     European Union. With regard to priorities for future 
     activities within the TEC, the TLD welcomed progress on items 
     contained in the list of `lighthouse projects' and related 
     initiatives included in the 2007 Summit declaration. In 
     particular, we developed a series of recommendations that we 
     agreed should be taken into account during the TEC's first 
     meeting on 9 November 2007:
       With regard to accounting standards, efforts should be made 
     to reach agreement on the equivalence of US GAAP and IFRS (as 
     implemented by the EU) in order to avoid requirements for 
     reconciliation. Important progress registered in recent 
     discussions between regulators needs to be finalized as soon 
     as possible.
       With regard to trade and cargo security, achieving 
     reciprocity and mutual recognition of security standards is 
     of the utmost importance. We recognized concerns about the 
     recently-passed U.S. legislation requiring 100 per cent cargo 
     scanning.
       With regard to intellectual property, a commitment is 
     needed to harmonize the different patent regimes on the basis 
     of the `first-to-file' system.
       With regard to investment, obstacles to bilateral 
     investment should be addressed via an operative dialogue.
       With regard to biofuels, developing compatible 
     specifications between the EU and U.S. is a clear priority, 
     particularly in view of achieving wider international 
     harmonization at International Standards Organization (ISO) 
     level.
       With regard to the safety of toys and other products, 
     recognizing that it represents a major concern to consumers 
     on both sides of the Atlantic, improvements should be 
     discussed between regulators and complementary standards 
     should be developed.
       Both sides renewed their commitment to make the TLD's work 
     more relevant to the United States House of Representatives 
     and to the European Parliament. In so doing, we resolved to 
     provide the TLD with the required resources to improve the 
     effectiveness of our dialogue and realize the full potential 
     of our interparliamentary relationship.

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