[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 100 (Wednesday, June 30, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1249-E1250]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN PRAISE OF THE TRANSATLANTIC LEGISLATORS' DIALOGUE MEETING HELD IN 
                             MADRID, SPAIN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. HOWARD L. BERMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 30, 2010

  Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I would like to call the attention of my 
colleagues in the Congress to another successful meeting of the 
Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue (TLD) that was held in Madrid, 
Spain from June 4-6, 2010. Chairwoman Shelley Berkley, yet again, 
showed her strong commitment to furthering the transatlantic 
relationship in her leadership of a bipartisan delegation, which 
included Vice-Chairman Jim Costa (D-CA), Vice-Chairman Cliff Stearns 
(R-FL), Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN), Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Rep. 
Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) and Rep. Vern 
Buchanan (R-FL). I wish to recognize and thank Chairwoman Berkley and 
the entire U.S. delegation for their contribution to a constructive 
dialogue with Members of the European Parliament.
  The TLD is the formal response by the European Parliament and the 
U.S. Congress to the commitment in the New Transatlantic Agenda of 
1995, which enhances legislative ties between the European Union and 
the United States. The TLD biannual meetings foster transatlantic 
discourse and encourage the exchange of views on topics of mutual 
interest. With the additional powers provided by the Lisbon Treaty to 
the European Parliament, it is more imperative now that legislators 
engage in this dialogue and seek joint solutions to the pressing issues 
that affect citizens on both sides of the Atlantic.
  The most recent meeting in Madrid addressed a wide range of common 
challenges, including energy security and climate change, cooperation 
in both responding to international crises and in providing development 
aid, and current economic challenges within the Eurozone, the United 
States, and the world.
  The session addressing the transatlantic response to volatile regions 
of the world was moderated by the Honorable Miguel Angel Moratinos, 
Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs and current President of the EU 
General Affairs Council. Members discussed the Middle East, Afghanistan 
and Pakistan, Iran, Somalia, and Cuba and stressed the need for 
transatlantic engagement to address these shared foreign policy 
interests.
  There was also an extensive session on the implications of the Lisbon 
Treaty for Europe, the transatlantic relationship, and the TLD. The 
newly enhanced legislative power of the European Parliament reinforces 
the relevancy and importance of TLD meetings in fostering transatlantic 
cooperation.
  In conclusion, I submit the joint statement that was agreed upon by 
American and European legislators at the 68th TLD meeting held in 
Madrid. It underscores the rich agenda of this meeting and highlights 
the many areas in which there was strong transatlantic agreement.

    Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue 68th Meeting of Delegations

 [From the European Parliament and the United States Congress, Madrid, 
                 Spain, 3-6 June 2010, Joint Statement]

  (By Shelley Berkley, Chairwoman, United States Congress Delegation; 
 Cliff Stearns, Vice Chairman, United States Congress Delegation; Jim 
 Costa, Vice Chairman, United States Congress Delegation; Elmar Brok, 
MEP, Chairman, European Parliament Delegation; Sarah Ludford, MEP, Vice 
  Chairwoman, European Parliament Delegation; Niki Tzavela, MEP, Vice 
              Chairwoman, European Parliament Delegation.)

       We, the Members of the European Parliament and the United 
     States House of Representatives, held our 68th 
     Interparliamentary meeting (Transatlantic Legislators' 
     Dialogue) in Madrid, from 3-6 June 2010.
       Building on the joint statement issued following our last 
     meeting in New York on 4-7 December 2009, we reasserted the 
     importance of regular dialogue on political, social, economic 
     and environmental challenges that affect all of our citizens. 
     We agreed to report back to our parent bodies on the content 
     and outcome of our discussions in Madrid, in particular in 
     the areas where joint efforts are likely to produce positive 
     outcomes.
       The first experiences with the Lisbon treaty, and the 
     enhanced powers it gives to the European Parliament, were 
     evaluated and we concluded that this emphasizes the need for 
     continued and expanded dialogue and interaction between 
     legislators in the United States Congress and the European 
     Parliament.
       In the field of civil liberties, we recognised that we 
     share many common values yet we also recognised that we may 
     have different approaches to finding optimal solutions. It 
     was noted that these differences in approach are being 
     addressed with a view toward coming to a permanent agreement 
     on the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program (TFTP). We welcomed 
     the intensified contacts, also on the level of the relevant 
     committees, to understand differences and explore common 
     ground. We took note of the EU-US and Member States 2010 
     Declaration on Counterterrorism of 3 June 2010 `Forging a 
     durable framework to combat terrorism within the rule of 
     law'.

[[Page E1250]]

       In the same spirit we discussed issues concerning energy 
     and climate change. We exchanged views on adopted legislation 
     on the EU side, in particular the 2020 goals, and on pending 
     legislation on the US side. We emphasized the importance of 
     sustainable policies on both sides of the Atlantic which 
     could facilitate agreement in the larger international 
     context. In this respect the up-coming COP 16 in Cancun was 
     noted. We discussed the aim of `greening the economy', 
     including alternative energy sources, to provide the 
     opportunity of enhancing the quality of the environment and 
     improving the economic situation, as well as the perspective 
     of setting common standards for new and environmentally 
     friendly technologies, such as electric vehicles. The 
     national security implications of energy sources and 
     independence were also discussed.
       In the presence of the Director General for External 
     Relations of the European Commission, Mr. Joao Vale de 
     Almeida, the prospects for bilateral and global cooperation 
     between the EU and the US were discussed and our shared 
     commitment for disaster relief in third world countries and 
     our common interest in stable and sustainable development in 
     all areas of the world were recognized.
       In the presence of the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs 
     and current President of the EU General Affairs Council, Mr. 
     Miguel Angel Moratinos, we exchanged views on regions in the 
     world where tensions are high. In this respect we focused 
     attention on the situation in the Middle East, in Afghanistan 
     and Pakistan, in Iran, Somalia and Cuba.
       An extensive discussion was held on the latest financial 
     and economic developments in Europe, the US and the world. 
     With regard to Europe, government interventions to stabilise 
     the situation in Member States and the Eurozone are needed. 
     We recognised the global character of the crisis and its 
     effects and therefore emphasised the importance of 
     coordinated action. In this respect the prospects for common 
     approaches regulating the financial sectors of the economy 
     were explored.
       We evaluated the state of play of the Transatlantic 
     Economic Council (TEC) and ways to enhance EU-US economic 
     cooperation. The transatlantic market should be allowed to 
     develop its full potential in particular through reducing 
     non-tariff barriers and joint efforts to find common 
     standards. The importance of a successful outcome of the Doha 
     Round was reiterated. We welcomed a proposal to submit a TLD 
     paper to our respective administrations on ways to expand US-
     EU trade and economic cooperation.
       Finally, we reviewed progress in strengthening the 
     Transatlantic Legislators Dialogue, in particular:
       --the growing interest in communication among Members of 
     our institutions, both in general and on specific topics,
       --the strengthening of the TLD in the Congress by enhancing 
     its status, increasing stability of membership and involving 
     the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
       --the opening on 29 April 2010 of the European Parliament 
     Liaison Office (EPLO) in Washington,
       --the steps in expanding contacts among staff of our 
     institutions,
       and discussed options for further enhancing it, such as:
       --inviting EU and US officials to provide perspectives on 
     strategic issues related to financial recovery and economic 
     growth,
       --expanding interaction between the US Congress and the 
     European Parliament in Brussels and in Washington, including 
     through video-conferencing,
       --the possibility of joint hearings and the issuance of 
     joint statements.
       In conclusion, we reaffirmed our commitment to 
     strengthening the transatlantic relationship and working in 
     partnership to solve common challenges. We pledged to 
     continue improving the effectiveness of our dialogue in order 
     to realise the full potential of our interparliamentary 
     relationship, as well as to ensure the relevance of the TLD's 
     work to the European Parliament and the United States 
     Congress.


                        Annex: Statement on Iran

       We, the members of the Transatlantic Legislators Dialogue, 
     condemn the systematic violations by the Iranian regime and 
     its agencies of the human rights of the Iranian people. The 
     actions of the regime are denying the Iranian people the 
     basic human rights as described in the United Nations 
     Declaration of Human Rights. We call on our respective 
     Administrations to strengthen their efforts to assist the 
     Iranian people in achieving the rights that they are due, 
     through effective means to counteract the regime's 
     repression.
       We welcome the coordinated strategy and concerted action by 
     the US government and the European Union to halt the threat 
     posed by Iran's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile 
     programs.

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