[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4058]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE OCCASION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EUROPEAN 
                               PARLIAMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SHELLEY BERKLEY

                               of nevada

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 12, 2008

  Ms. BERKLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the 50th 
anniversary of the creation of the European Parliament.
  As chair of the U.S. delegation of the Transatlantic Legislators' 
Dialogue, I would like to congratulate the European Parliament on its 
remarkable evolution. Fifty years ago, it was a small assembly with 
non-elected members, just four official languages, and only 
consultative powers; today it is a directly elected parliament with 
members speaking 23 languages, wide decisionmaking powers over 
legislation and budgeting, as well as control and scrutiny of the 
European Commission. The Lisbon Treaty, which is currently awaiting 
ratification, could enlarge the powers of the European Parliament even 
further.
  Members of the European Parliament have also broadened their sphere 
of influence beyond domestic European affairs, engaging vigorously in 
our Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue. That dialogue has contributed 
to bringing the European Union and the United States closer together 
and continues to be of utmost importance, enhancing national security 
and stimulating economic growth on both sides of the Atlantic. The 
Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue has held bi-annual 
interparliamentary meetings since 1972, when a U.S. congressional 
delegation visited the European Parliament for the first time. Over 60 
meetings later, I am proud to have played a role in enhancing and 
strengthening the ties between the European Union and the United 
States.
  As a long-time advocate of transatlantic relations, I was delighted 
to host our latest interparliamentary meeting this past October in Las 
Vegas. During our meeting, we discussed a number of important 
transatlantic issues, including regulatory initiatives under the 
Transatlantic Economic Council, the rise of global anti-Semitism. and 
foreign policy challenges, such as the Middle East, Kosovo, Russia, and 
China.
  I look forward to continuing our transatlantic dialogue at the next 
TLD meeting--in Ljubljana, Slovenia in May--and to continue following 
the future development of the European Union. Fifty years after its 
birth, the European Parliament is growing stronger each year, and I 
once again congratulate the Parliament and the European Union as a 
whole on its achievements.

                          ____________________