AFET - Study Guide by Institute of Research & Training on European Affairs

EUropa.S. 2019 April 19th â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 22nd | @ University of Piraeus Organized by: Institute of Research & Training on European Affairs

Study Guide EUropa.S. 2019 EuropeanParliament- AFET Committee

Topic: EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy

EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide

Table of Contents Greeting of the Board .................................................................................................... 3 Introduction to AFET Committee ................................................................................... 4 Introduction of the Topic - The “America First” Policy .................................................. 5 Historical Background .................................................................................................... 7 Impact of the America First Policy ............................................................................... 10 Trade relations ......................................................................................................... 10 US-EU trade relations ............................................................................................... 10 US-China trade relations .......................................................................................... 12 Security and Defense Policy ..................................................................................... 13 Energy ....................................................................................................................... 16 US's lost commitment to the principle of multilateralism ....................................... 18 Withdrawal from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) ........................................................................................ 18 Withdrawal from the United Nations’ Human Rights Council (UNHRC) .............. 19 Withdrawal from Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ............................................................................ 19 Future Perspectives .................................................................................................. 20 EU Political Parties Position ......................................................................................... 22 European People's Party (EPP) ................................................................................. 22 The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) ................................................. 23 Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) .......................................... 23 The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) ..................................... 25 Conclusions .................................................................................................................. 26 Questions Raised.......................................................................................................... 27 Bibliography ................................................................................................................. 28 Further Reading ........................................................................................................... 35 Useful Links .................................................................................................................. 36

EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide

Greeting of the Board Honorable MEPs, It is our honor to welcome you to the simulation of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs of EUropa.S. 2019. As the Members of the Board of this Committee, we are looking forward to enjoying, along with all of you, an outstanding experience. This can only mean the following; heated debates, powerful speeches, exchange of views and groundbreaking ideas. Naturally a stimulus for all of these is this year’s particularly interesting topic; “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration’s “America First” policy”. Given the state of the United States as a global superpower, this is a multisided topic that concerns each and every one of us, not only as participants, but also as European citizens. Taking into consideration the complexity and the several dimensions of the topic, we urge you to read the provided Study Guide and, additionally, to make a thorough research, so as to better understand both your country’s and party’s position on the issue at hand. Last but not least, we would like to sincerely thank you for your preference to the AFET Committee and we are looking forward to meeting you and working you during the days of the conference. We remain at your disposal for any further questions and we wish that you will get prepared the best way possible! The Board of the AFET Committee

EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide

Introduction to AFET Committee The European Parliament constitutes the only directly and democratically legitimate institution of the European Union (EU) and its power has been increased significantly over time. In order to perform its functions, the Parliament shall meet both in plenary sessions once per month and in standing committees once or twice per month. Each committee has competency related to its area of expertise, from transport and tourism to culture and education. The Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET, after the French name “Affaires étrangères”), is one of the largest committees of the Parliament and the most significant with respect to the EU’s external policies, with regard to which the Development Committee and the Committee on International Trade are of particular importance as well1.Moreover, the Foreign Affairs Committee is the one which plays the catalytic role in shaping the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) of the Union. The Committee’s tasks include, first and foremost, the strengthening of political relations both with third countries, especially those situated in the vicinity of the EU, and international organizations, mainly through aid programs or international agreements, such as association and framework agreements, and the monitoring of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP). It also acts in close cooperation with other institutions and bodies of the EU for matters falling under its mandate. The Committee focuses on the exploitation of EU funds for the promotion of the Union’s interests beyond its borders, while, in the context of EU enlargement, it opens and monitors the negotiating process and gives its assent to Accession Treaties. It is competent to questions related to democracy, human rights in third countries and the principles of international law. The Committee is assisted by a subcommittee on security and defense and a subcommittee on human rights2. While there is still no consensus among the Parliament’s parties whether MemberStates are able and should be willing to act together in the international arena or

Google Books.(n.d.). The SAGE Handbook of European Foreign Policy.[Online] Available at: https://books.google.gr/books?id=4fiICwAAQBAJ&pg=PA302&lpg=PA302&dq=afet+committee&sourc %20e=bl&ots=farJvrzE2p&sig=2XVPR6xXWPsigythTYoQrBfED4E&hl=el&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwid1tTH_L 7XA%20hVEMJoKHeJNBMY4ChDoAQg-MAQ#v=onepage&q=afet%20committee&f=false[Accessed 1 Dec. 2018]. 2 Parliament, E. (n.d.). Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament - July 2018 - Annex V (I) Committee on Foreign Affairs. [Online] Europarl.europa.eu. Available at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getLastRules.do?language=en&reference=RESP-AFET [Accessed 1 Dec. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide not, the Committee faces the challenge of managing to agree on a certain common foreign policy on external issues affecting the Union.

Introduction of the Topic - The “America First” Policy The “America First” policy of the United States of America, the official Trump policy, is a dimension of the American nationalism and the idea of non-interventionism, which has already been expressed many times during the past. It places the nation above internationalism and, in the case of Trump's administration, the "America First" is defining the US foreign policy, since he first embraced the slogan as his major and overriding theme, during his presidential campaign. It advocated nationalist, anti-interventionist positions, while it included the rejection of the adoption of any internationalist policies. This pre-election agenda explains the numerous withdrawals of the United States, following Trump’s election to the Presidency, from multilateral bodies and agreements, including the Paris Agreement on climate change, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the UN Human Rights Council and UNESCO, and its intractable attitude on a series of fields of cooperation, including trade, energy and security.

As an official foreign policy doctrine of the Trump administration, the “America First” slogan formed the main pillars of political action for the years to come, when the United States engraved a totally different course than the one that was set by the previous President, Barack Obama. It is characterized, inter alia, by a more aggressive attitude against the Islamic State, the absolute opposition to the Iranian nuclear deal, and even the ambition to reshape NATO’s structure and achieve a "rebalancing" of US financing towards it3. In the same context, Donald Trump proceeded with a combative stance against China, US’s greatest antagonist in the field of economy and trade, when, at the same time, the relations with other international allies are continuously been affected by statements which exclusively focus on the promotion of US’s interests and diverge from its traditional foreign and defense policy. An example of such a statement is the following, which was made on April 2016and concerns the US-Japan relations: "The countries we defend must pay for the cost of this defense. If not, the US must be prepared to let these countries defend themselves. We have no choice"4. Regarding the reaction of international stakeholders to the election of the new President of the United States, they can be characterized as slightly neutral, as world 3

News, B. 2016. Trump lists 'America First' foreign plan. [Online] BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-36152947[Accessed 19 Nov. 2018]. 4 GMA News Online. 2016. Trump vows, US allies would pay more for their defense if he wins. [Online] Available at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/world/564267/trump-vows-us-allies-wouldpay-more-for-their-defense-if-he-wins/story/[Accessed 19 Nov. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide leaders and the media focused more on the challenges that Trump himself had to face, in order to reassure the world about his presidency and maintain the unity of his country5. At a European level, the more suspicious leaders highlighted the need for a united Europe, which will be able to wield US’s influence on the international arena and to keep promoting its own values and interests in the incident of any future challenge. In the case of France and Germany, the election of Donald Trump was welcomed with uncertainty due to the possible consequences of his presidency in the international community and Europe itself6. These two European powers after applauding his election, expressed some concerns about their future cooperation with the United States, since Trump’s campaign remarks kept criticizing German policy on migration, as well as the Paris agreement on climate change7. Conversely, the Russian Federation, albeit a traditional competitor, seemed willing to restore ties with the US following Trump's victory, because, as the Russian President Vladimir Putin stated, ‘’Trump’s policies would be friendlier to the Kremlin”8. To that extent, even America’s biggest economic competitors, including China, appeared to be agreeable to cooperate with the new US government, with a view to boosting their bilateral relations and going forward with a more sustainable commercial plan. However, in 2018, a couple of months after Trump took office, the tensions between US and China are growing and the fields of collaboration with Europe still seem to keep becoming more restricted9. Nevertheless, as new threats towards the American relations with the East are posing more serious concerns in the field of trade, defense, diplomacy, energy and military intervention, the European Union is more than essential to confront any future issue caused by the Trump administration. While some countries keep up with

BBC News. 2016. World leaders react to Trump victory. [Online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-37919394[Accessed 25 Nov. 2018]. 6 The Independent. 2016. Angela Merkel has given the perfect response to Donald Trump's unprecedented victory. [Online] Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-elections/donald-trump-elected-uspresident-wins-election-response-germany-france-merkel-hollande-putin-a7407426.html[Accessed 25 Nov. 2018]. 7 The Washington Post. 2016. France’s Hollande: Trump win ‘opens a period of uncertainty’. [Online] Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2016/live-updates/general-election/realtime-updates-on-the-2016-election-voting-and-race-results/frances-hollande-trump-win-opens-aperiod-of-uncertainty/?utm_term=.9f0da3cf869b[Accessed 25 Nov. 2018]. 8 MURRAY, S. and Shafer, J. 2018. Putin: I wanted Trump to win the election. [Online]POLITICO. Available at: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/16/putin-trump-win-election-2016-722486 [Accessed 25 Nov. 2018]. 9 Woody, C. 2018. A few days after the US election, China's Xi Jinping gave an ominous warning to Obama — and to Trump. [Online]Business Insider. Available at: https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-xi-jinping-warned-trump-could-sow-chaos-after-2016election-2018-6 [Accessed 25 Nov. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide the pace of a close collaboration with the US, others stay strong against America’s protectionism.

Historical Background The American protectionism was first expressed during the 19thcentury as an economic policy, mainly through the imposition of tariffs and quotas to neighboring countries, so as to achieve a balance between the amounts of imported goods and local goods. The economic character of the US protectionism also encompassed the whole international community after the financial crisis of 2007–2008, which clearly marked the international arena, as it is deemed to constitute the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s10. The global financial crisis that occurred not only affected the relations of the United States with the rest of the world, but also changed fundamentally the direction of its foreign policy, especially towards its biggest allies and competitors, including the European Union. As for the bilateral relations between these stakeholders, history goes back in 1953, when US ambassadors firstly visited the Headquarters of the European Coal and Steel Community in Brussels. With that key date in mind, the following table will indicate some of the most remarkable events that followed and which reflect the history of the relations of the two parties11. Brief timeline of EU-US relations 1954

The Delegation of the European Union to the United States is established in Washington D.C.

January 1956

The U.S. Mission to the European Coal and Steel Community is formally established in Luxembourg, following the Mission to the European Communities in Brussels, Belgium in 196112.

November 1990

The United States of America and the European Community decided to endow their relation guided by common goals and principles through the Transatlantic Declaration of 199013.

Pendery, D. 2009. Three Top Economists Agree 2009 Worst Financial Crisis Since Great Depression; Risks Increase if Right Steps are Not Taken| Reuters. [Online] Web.archive.org. Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20100212214538/https://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS 193520%2B27-Feb-2009%2BBW20090227[Accessed 26 Nov. 2018]. 11 U.S. Mission to the European Union.(n.d.). History of the U.S. and the EU | U.S. Mission to the European Union.[Online] Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20171201033239/https://useu.usmission.gov/our-relationship/policyhistory/io/ [Accessed 26 Nov. 2018]. 12 Flickr.2014. U.S. Mission to the European Union.[Online] Available at: https://www.flickr.com/people/us2eu/[Accessed 26 Nov. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide December 1995

The New Transatlantic Agenda (NTA) set the first Joint EU/U.S. Action Plan, to promote peace and stability, democracy and development around the world, while it reaffirmed NATO as the centerpiece of the transatlantic security14.

October 2000

The Transatlantic Economic Partnership (TEP) was created, in order to enhance both bilateral and multilateral trade between the parties, as well as the further liberalization of trade within the WTO15.

March 202003

EU-US relations become turbulent due to the US, UK and other coalition allies’ intervention to the Iraq War16.

April 30 2007

A Transatlantic Economic Council was established to facilitate economic cooperation between the United States and EU17.

November 3, 2009

An EU-US Energy Council is established in order to boost transatlantic energy cooperation18.

June 302013

Secret documents acquired by a German journal indicate that EU and UN offices have been targeted for spying by the National Security Agency (NSA) of the United Stated19.

July 14

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran nuclear deal,

Europarl.europa.eu. Transatlantic Declaration on EC-US Relations, 1990.[Online] Available at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/124320/trans_declaration_90_en.pdf[Accessed 26 Nov. 2018]. 14 Europarl.europa.eu. (n.d.). The New Transatlantic Agenda.[Online] Available at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/124321/new_transatlantic_agenda_en.pdf[Accessed 26 Nov. 2018]. 15 Trade.ec.europa.eu. THE TRANSATLANTIC ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP OVERVIEW AND ASSESSMENT.[Online] Available at: http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2003/october/tradoc_111712.pdf[Accessed 26 Nov. 2018]. 16 Georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov. 2018). Coalition Members.[Online] Available at: https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030327-10.html[Accessed 26 Nov. 2018]. 17 Trade.ec.europa.eu. 2007. FRAMEWORK FOR ADVANCING TRANSATLANTIC ECONOMIC INTEGRATION BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.[Online] Available at: http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2007/may/tradoc_134654.pdf[Accessed 10 Dec. 2018]. 18 Ec.europa.eu. 2009. New EU-US Energy Council to boost transatlantic energy cooperation. [Online] Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/2009.11.04%201st%20Press%20statement %20final.pdf[Accessed 10 Dec. 2018]. 19 Haynes, J. 2013. EU demands clarification over US spying claims. [Online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/30/us-clarification-us-spying-nsa[Accessed 26 Nov. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide was agreed in Vienna between Iran, the P5, Germany and EU20. 2015 January 20 2017

Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States.

January 23 2017

President Trump signs an order of withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal (TPP)21.

June 1 2017

President Donald Trump announced that the US would cease its participation in the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change mitigation22.

October 12 2017

The US Department of State notified UNESCO Director General, Irina Bokova, the decision to withdraw from the organization23.

October 13 2017

U.S President Donald Trump announced that the United States would not recertify the Iranian Nuclear Deal24.

May 8, 2018

President Trump announced the United States’ withdrawal from the Iranian Deal25.

19 June, 2018

The United States announced it was withdrawing from the United Nations Human Rights Council26.

August 7,

EU enacted an updated blocking statute to void US sanctions on countries

Islamic Republic News Agency. 2015. EU officially announces October 18 adoption day of JCPOA. [Online] Available at: http://www.irna.ir/en/News/81804426[Accessed 26 Nov. 2018]. 21 Taylor, A. 2018. A timeline of Trump’s complicated relationship with the TPP. [Online]The Washington Post. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/04/13/a-timeline-of-trumpscomplicated-relationship-with-the-tpp/?utm_term=.2c600b27e1ee[Accessed 26 Nov. 2018]. 22 EASLEY, J. 2017. Trump cements 'America First' doctrine with Paris withdrawal. [Online]TheHill. Available at: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/336014-trump-cements-america-firstdoctrine-with-paris-withdrawal[Accessed 26 Nov. 2018]. 23 Nauert, H. 2017. The United States Withdraws From UNESCO. [Online]U.S. Department of State. Available at: https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/10/274748.htm[Accessed 26 Nov. 2018]. 24 Bucher, C. 2017. LIVE STREAM: President Trump Announces Iran Nuclear Deal Strategy. [Online] Heavy.com. Available at: https://heavy.com/news/2017/10/trump-iran-live-stream-strategy-nucleardeal/[Accessed 26 Nov. 2018]. 25 Landler, M. 2018. Trump Abandons Iran Nuclear Deal He Long Scorned. [Online] Nytimes.com. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/08/world/middleeast/trump-iran-nuclear-deal.html [Accessed 26 Nov. 2018]. 26 Aljazeera.com. 2018. US withdraws from UN Human Rights Council. [Online] Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/06/withdraws-human-rights-council-180619173311272.html [Accessed 26 Nov. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide trading with Iran, following the US withdrawal from the Iranian Nuclear 2018 Deal27.

It derives from the above timeline that Trump’s protectionism continues the long history of US rejection of the adoption of any internationalist policies. Even if the US attempted many times in the past to align its foreign policy with the requirements of its great ally, the European Union, it seems like these efforts were leading to some sort of alienation, caused mainly due to the self-centered character that the US administration has embraced since Donald Trump took office.

Impact of the America First Policy Trade relations The United States maintain trade relations with many countries, while it remains a partner to an important number of international trade organizations and agreements, including the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Its most predominant relations are these with Europe and Asia. With both of them, the US exchange each year goods and services that amount billions of US dollars, making them some of the most powerful economic partners in the world. US-EU trade relations The evidence for the importance of US-EU trade relations lies on the US-EU trade and investment, which was based on transatlantic cooperation in economic, political and security spheres, forging the current bilateral trade and investment flows to account for more than one trillion dollars. Moreover, this transatlantic interaction renders a total of more than six million jobs in the US and 15 countries of the European Union28. On the one hand, EU countries would rank first as an export market for the United States in 2016, while, on the other hand, the EU as a whole would rank second as the largest supplier of imports to the United States at the same year29.

Commission, E. 2018. European Commission - PRESS RELEASES - Press release - Updated Blocking Statute in support of Iran nuclear deal enters into force. [Online] Europa.eu. Available at: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-18-4805_en.htm[Accessed 26 Nov. 2018]. 28 Ec.europa.eu. 2018. USA-EU - international trade in goods statistics - Statistics Explained. [Online] Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/USA-EU__international_trade_in_goods_statistics [Accessed 29 Nov. 2018]. 29 Ustr.gov. (n.d.). European Union | United States Trade Representative.[Online] Available at: https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/europe-middle-east/europe/european-union[Accessed 29 Nov. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide Nowadays, in the emerging global economy, the increased global trade liberalization and the growing need for capital movement have raised questions about the role of the social welfare state, while nations all around the world fight to remain as competitive as possible and, at the same time, to keep up the pace with the global demands. In the past, the US rebuffed the EU calls for a formalization of relations through a transatlantic treaty and stated its preference for a network of informal relations, even though the economic regulations that could be achieved from such a treaty would increase their profits from the new markets. Continuously diluted, today there is a strong effort for limited agreements addressing key issues, particularly agriculture or even the development of substantive transatlantic regulations. Proceeding with some up-to-date problems between the United States and EU, the use of extraterritorial unilateral sanctions against Cuba, Libya, and Iran by the US, is straining the relations of the two parties and undermines the search for a rule-based trading system. Furthermore, disputes appeared once again when the EU defied WTO rulings over bananas and hormone-treated beef, which led the US to reply by imposing sanctions30. Another area of dispute is the recent regulations on electronic data implemented by the EU, which triggers conflicts with the new privacy restrictions in the continent31. A key engine for the European economy was shaken at the beginning of June when the White House imposed tariffs to imported steel and aluminum, thus raising the threats of new duties on its car industry. The EU response to this incident was an additional imposition of duties on 3.3 billion dollars’ worth of American goods being imported into the Union32. Undoubtedly, the list could be endless, taken into consideration the different discords in US-EU trade. These fields, amongst others, include agriculture and the related reform of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)33, the concerns on biotechnology and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the issues of the privacy of electronically stored data,

The Economist.(n.d.). The beef over bananas.[Online] Available at: https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/1999/03/04/the-beef-over-bananas[Accessed 29 Nov. 2018]. 31 Coos, A. 2018. EU vs US: How Do Their Data Protection Regulations Square Off?.[Online] Endpoint Protector Blog. Available at: https://www.endpointprotector.com/blog/eu-vs-us-how-do-their-dataprotection-regulations-square-off/[Accessed 29 Nov. 2018]. 32 Amaro, S. 201). US-EU trade agreement lacks specifics and fails to eliminate issues with China. [Online]CNBC. Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/26/us-eu-trade-agreement-lacks-detailand-fails-to-end-issues-with-china.html[Accessed 29 Nov. 2018]. 33 Commission, E. 2018. Future of the common agricultural policy.[Online]European Commission European Commission. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/keypolicies/common-agricultural-policy/future-cap_en[Accessed 29 Nov. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide intellectual property in cyberspace, the regulation of electronic commerce and telecommunications and so on so forth34. US-China trade relations The case of China is not less complicated than the one of the US relations with the European Union. The benefits to the US economy from trading with China had been tremendous. Yet, the current situation between China them is locked in an ongoing trade war as each country has introduced tariffs on goods traded between each other. And, while the US declares the continuation of discussions with China, further tariffs on steel and aluminum by 25% and 10%, respectively, were also announced under the pretext of “national security” matters (§232 of the 1962 Trade Act). In response, China raised its tariffs by 15% to 25%on 3 billion USD worth of imported U.S. products on April 201835. Other key U.S-China trade issues are the industrial policies of the two countries to support and protect domestic firms, especially state-owned enterprises, China’s continuous violations of the intellectual property rights (IPR)36 and the trade deficit with China referring to the U.S. bilateral trade imbalances 37 . This problematic relation is now characterized by a longtime abuse of illicit and unfair practices in commerce38. The implications of this trade-war for the European Union could be positive in some extent, since the EU is the largest economy after the US. In that way, China could turn out to be much more willing to collaborate with European countries in the future, while the EU on its side could use pressure on China as a mean to more clearly set the rules of engagement with Beijing. The acceptance of some of the EU’s longstanding requests on China could be greatly beneficial to move further in their economic cooperation, namely better market access and reciprocity39.European agriculture exports to China may increase, for example, as they could replace 34

Institute for Policy Studies. 2018. U.S.-EU Trade Issues - Institute for Policy Studies. [Online] Available at: https://ips-dc.org/us-eu_trade_issues/[Accessed 29 Nov. 2018]. 35 Imbert, F. 2018. China slaps 25% tariffs on $16 billion worth of US goods. [Online]CNBC. Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/08/china-announces-25percent-tariffs-on-16-billion-worth-of-usgoods-including.html[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 36 Hess, G. 2018. U.S. files complaint over China’s patent policies. [Online]Chemical & Engineering News. Available at: https://cen.acs.org/policy/intellectual-property/US-files-complaint-overChinas/96/i14 [Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 37 Fas.org. 2018. U.S.-China Trade Issues.[Online] Available at: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/IF10030.pdf[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 38 Fortune.2018. http://fortune.com.[Online] Available at: http://fortune.com/2018/04/02/chinatariffs-128-us-products/[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 39 García-Herrero, A. 2018. US-China trade war: What’s in it for Europe? | Bruegel. [Online] Bruegel.org. Available at: http://bruegel.org/2018/08/us-china-trade-war-whats-in-it-for-europe/ [Accessed 9 Dec. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide products once sourced from the US, which now face the counter-tariffs blockade of China on60 billion-worth of imports from US40. Nevertheless, since the tensions between the EU and US have calmed only the past few months, Europe should be very careful on how to take advantage of the situation in order not to deteriorate its current relations with its western ally.

Security and Defense Policy Europe faces significant security challenges inside and outside the continent. Comprehending the need for self-protection, multiple European leaders have highlighted the need to increase the EU strategic autonomy and work more towards the re-enhancement of defense areas, such as faster military response, immediate response to cyber-threats and even a coordinated handling to misinformation campaigns. A “traditional” ally to the European Union regarding the previous matters has been the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), an intergovernmental military alliance, in which the United States possesses the largest army. The EU and NATO cooperate in information sharing, coordinated planning, concrete coordination in the fields of hybrid threats, operational cooperation, cybersecurity, capacity building, defense capabilities, and industry and research exercises. A vivid example of this is the Administrative Agreement that was signed between the European Union Military Staff (EUMS) and the United States European Command (EUCOM)41.In general, the two sides are currently working towards initiatives that could increase Europe’s ability for joint intervention in probable crisis scenarios. This long-term partnership between EU and NATO, albeit existing for several years now, was questioned by Donald Trump’s administration. The “America First” policy seriously questions EU member states’ commitment to NATO and the value of the alliance altogether, flirting with the possibility of a potential US exit from NATO. Given the Trump’s administration policy, insecurity has erupted in the European continent towards its ongoing cooperation with the United States. In fact, Mr. Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council has stated that “the transatlantic relations are under immense tension due to the policies of Trump”42. 40

Wolff, G. 2018. How could Europe benefit from the US-China trade war? | Bruegel. [Online] Bruegel.org. Available at: http://bruegel.org/2018/10/how-europe-can-benefit-from-the-trade-war/ [Accessed 9 Dec. 2018]. 41 European External Action Service, 2018, EUMS and USEUCOM expand cooperation, information sharing to boost security [Online] Available at: https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquartershomepage/44588/eums-and-useucom-expand-cooperation-information-sharing-boostsecurity_en[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 42 Euractiv, 2018,Europe aims for greater ‘strategic autonomy’ from US on defence{Online} Available at: https://www.euractiv.com/section/defence-and-security/news/europe-aims-for-greater-strategicautonomy-from-us-on-defence/[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide The fears of the EU regarding the international security have been proven true, at least at the level of nuclear security. The “America First” policy, which is being followed by the current administration, plans in expanding the US nuclear capabilities43, which are already included in the two largest nuclear superpowers with the Russian Federation being the other. Additionally, Donald Trump is extremely skeptical of international arms control agreements and proliferation. This was proven when last year the United States withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the Iran Nuclear Deal. Created in 2015, JCPOA is an agreement signed by Iran, the European Union, US, Germany, United Kingdom, France, China and Russia. The document’s goal was for Iran to pursue a nuclear program that could benefit several sectors of Iran’s life, such as medical and industrial purposes, under specific restrictions, according to the international, non-proliferation standards. On 8 May 2018, it was announced that the US would withdraw from the deal. Donald Trump stated that this was a necessary move in order to face the Iranian threat and prevent Iran from ever developing a nuclear weapon, whereas it also aimed to the prevention of terrorism. Following the withdrawal, the American state imposed sanctions into a full effect on the middle-eastern country trying to achieve its diplomatic and economic isolation44. A few days later, the European Commission decided to hinder the application of the sanctions, which were considered as illegal, and encouraged the European citizens and companies to not comply with them. Simultaneously, the official statement of EU highlighted its determination to preserve the deal. Many European leaders 45 view this development as a potential benefit from the reinforcement of economic ties with Iran, as well as a possible opportunity to westernize the country. At the same time, EU officials stated that due to actions, such as this, the US will lose its influence in long term46.

European Parliament, 2017,United States' nuclear weapons policy New priorities, new challenges [Online], Available at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2017/614631/EPRS_BRI(2017)614631_EN.pdf [Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 44 Independent, 2018,Iran nuclear deal: Why has Trump withdrawn US from it and why does it matter? [Online], Available at: .https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-nuclear-dealwhy-trump-us-withdraw-effect-europe-rouhani-latest-a8343496.html[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 45 European Parliament Think Tanks, 2018, US withdrawal from Iran nucleardeal [Online], Available at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2018/621879/EPRS_ATA(2018)621879_EN.p df[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 46 Independent, 2018, How the rest of the world is trying to save Iran nuclear deal from Trump’s attempts to sabotage it [Online], Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middleeast/trump-iran-nuclear-deal-latest-russia-china-europe-us-response-a8343891.html[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide Apart from this, multiple sources are mentioning that Trump administration is seriously examining withdrawing from the START agreement between the US and Russia, that are in charge of 93% of the nuclear weapons in the world, and which withstands since 1994. Such a scenario could cause great instability for the EU, which is already alert, due to Russia’s actions since 2014. To dive into specifics, when in 2014 the Russian Federation illegally annexed Crimea, Ukraine’s territory, Obama’s administration created the Operation Atlantic Resolve, in order for the US and NATO to respond to Russia’s actions47. It was necessary at the time to establish a partnership between the EU and the US, aiming to the handling of the whole situation. Therefore, the European Deterrence Initiative (EDI)48 was established in order to increase the US presence in Europe for security purposes. Under the former Obama administration, billions of dollars were invested in this Initiative, which operated under the umbrella of the Operation Atlantic Resolve. Under the current Trump administration this amount of money was further increased by 1.4 billion49. The goal of the particular Initiative is the training of forces, the conduction of multinational military exercises, the development of military equipment and capabilities, thus insuring the increase of defense of the EU inside the continent. Another sector that the US and the EU enjoy a close cooperation is the one regarding cyber-security. Both sides are in deep realization of the eminent dangers in the development of technology. To this end, dialogue has been established between their officials during which they highlighted the need for a safe cyberspace, always respecting the human rights, the freedom of expression and the European values50. Additionally, they support the work made by UN Group of Governmental Experts on Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security (UNGGE) and they both underline that it is only necessary that the stakeholders take care of digital security, as well.

European Parliament, Briefing 2018, European Deterrence Initiative: the transatlantic security guarantee [Online], Available at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2018/625117/EPRS_BRI(2018)625117_EN.pdf [Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 48 European Parliament Thin Tank, 2018,[Online] Available at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2018)625117[Ac cessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 49 Politico, 2017, NATO cheers Trump’s military budget [Online], Available at:https://www.politico.eu/article/nato-donald-trump-military-spending-cheers-military-budget-jensstoltenberg/[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 50 European Commission Press Release Database,, 2011,Cyber security: EU and US strengthen transatlantic cooperation in face of mounting global cyber-security and cyber-crime threats [Online], Available at: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-11-246_en.htm-[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide Taking into account factors, such as the ongoing danger of terrorism, the instability inside Eurasia and the “America First” policy, EU thinks highly of the US cooperation regarding the issues of defense and security. Nevertheless, Trump’s policy causes instability in the continent, leading to the necessity of the development of the already existing security capacity and capabilities of Europe. Despite the wide disagreements between the two counterparts in topics such as the JCPOA, their coordination is essential for the well-being of the whole continent. Both the EU and the US used to enjoy a similar approach to issues such as the way of nuclear control (in countries such as Russia and Iran) and to combat extremism and terrorism. Under Trump’s administration this similar approach is quite changed, thus it is up to the European Union to reconsider and adapt its policy, so as to handle the American change the best way possible.

Energy A major field of cooperation between the United States and the European Union is of course energy. Bilateral cooperation has been established between the two counterparts for several years and it involves issues such as the free trade in energy products and services, cooperation upon security, geopolitical challenges and nuclear safety, reduction of gas emissions, promotion of renewable energy and, generally, facing energy policy challenges. Their cooperation is also taking place on a multilateral level, via their participation in various for a, such as but not limited to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Generation IV International Framework (GIF), the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM), and Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF). After Trump administration took over and applied the “America First” policy, important changes have been noted in the energy relations between EU and US. One promise that Donald Trump gave during his campaign was that he would lift restrictions on the American energy, thus managing to benefit financially his country, attempting to fulfill the American vision for the US energy independence. The goal of this policy is to minimize the import of petroleum and other sources of energy to the US, thus managing to remain unaffected by potential shortages and keeping the state’s stability51. Meanwhile, while the US daily tries to achieve this aim, the European Union imports huge percentages of fuels, such as oil and gas. Its trade relationships regarding this topic were mainly developed with the Russian Federation. The latter was an outcome of several factors, namely the low cost of Russian fuels and the existence of American restrictions on crude oil and natural 51

Direct Energy Business, 2017, A Look at President Donald Trump’s ‘America First’ Energy Plan 1 Year After Inauguration [Online], Available at: https://business.directenergy.com/blog/2018/january/alook-at-president-donald-trumps-america-first-energy-plan-1-year-in[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide 52 gas . The last obstacle was recently lifted, as promised by Donald Trump during his campaign. Nevertheless, regulatory restrictions do still exist by the American superpower, leading to another major issue. The European Union seems to be highly interested in liquefied natural gas, an energy product that can be easily imported from the US53. The problem, however, is that the cost of the product is high, especially the one exported from the US, given the restrictions that have been imposed. Another field of dispute between the two counterparts has been created due to the recent withdrawal of the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, otherwise known as the Iran Nuclear Deal. For many European officials this act jeopardizes both the global and the nuclear security of the international community. Apart from that, the American superpower ignored the European pleas not to impose further sanctions to Iran, aiming to its isolation. The European Union tried to block these actions and still attempts to keep Iran’s economic and diplomatic life alive. Therefore, the European Union does not follow the American state in imposing sanctions. Additionally, concerning the measures that have been taken under the Trump administration, the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement is a development that causes great concern to the EU. If the Paris Agreement was adopted by both parts, the issues of climate change and energy transition would be tackled more sufficiently54. Naturally, both counterparts have legal frameworks that apply to this topic; however the withdrawal hinders the whole endeavor. Despite all the fields of dispute and the different legislative framework between the European Union and the United States, regarding the topic of energy, they enjoy a close relationship, from which both of them rip benefits. Some of the issues they cherish a close cooperation are “diversification and infrastructure issues, including the finalization of the Southern Gas Corridor; global oil and gas markets; the energy security of Ukraine and other neighboring countries to the EU”55. To this end, the EU and the US meet approximately once the year in a high level bilateral meeting the Energy Council, where important energy matters are discussed. Nevertheless, given 52

Eurostat, 2018, EU imports of energy products - recent developments [Online], Available at:https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/EU_imports_of_energy_products__recent_developments[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 53 European Commission Press Release Database,2018, EU-U.S. Joint Statement of 25 July: European Union imports of U.S. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) are on the rise[Online]. Available at: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-18-4920_en.htm[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 54 European Parliament, Briefing 2016, Energy and EU-US relations [Online], Available at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2016/593573/EPRS_BRI(2016)593573_EN.pdf [Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 55 European Commission, EU-US energy council [Online]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/topics/international-cooperation/eu-cooperation-othercountries/united-states-america[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide the latest developments caused by Trump’s administration, the EU seems to be more reserved and careful, whereas US actions such the JCPOA withdrawal draw the European skepticism towards the new American policy.

US's lost commitment to the principle of multilateralism A main feature in the “America First” policy, the official Trump policy, is the development of American nationalism and the non-interventionism, rejecting the internationalist policies of the past. This means that the US administration does no longer regard internationalism to transcend nationalism, and that the state’s ties with other nations will be strictly limited to trade and diplomacy. All other relations will be minimized. Trump’s policy, staying true to its promises, does in fact implement the aforementioned tactics, as seen in action with the US withdrawal from international organizations, multilateral partnerships, accords and agreements of major significance and importance. Naturally, the international community does not applaud these actions, with many European leaders stating that the US is losing its credibility and is no longer to be trusted. The American government regards the following moves as retreats from politicized and ineffective agreements and partnerships. Withdrawal from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)56 Formed in 1946, UNESCO’s goals include five main agenda items; education, natural sciences, social/human sciences, culture and communication/information 57. Under the light of recent developments, the said UN agency focuses on the elimination of extremism and its negative effects on its areas of interest. On 12 October 2017, the US stated officially their withdrawal from the organization (for the second time since its establishment) and their aim to continue participating in it, through a permanent observer mission. This decision was claimed to be made due to the need for fundamental reform and the anti-Israel bias of the agency. The latter does both serve a message of support to the traditional ally of US, Israel and thus underlines the “America First” policy58. The withdrawal completed on 31 December 2018. Multiple European politicians specified that this move is considered “a wrong move” and “a blow to international cooperation”. The European Union itself strongly

US department of State, 2017,The United States Withdraws From UNESCO[Online]Available at: https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/10/274748.htm[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 57 UNESCO in brief [Online], Available at: https://en.unesco.org/about-us/introducingunesco[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 58 The Guardian, 2017, Unesco: Israel joins US in quitting UN heritage agency over 'anti-Israel bias'[Online], Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/12/us-withdraw-unescodecember-united-nations[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide 59 supports UNESCO and considers it necessary in order to protect and promote cultural diversity and heritage, the universal right to education and freedom of expression. Withdrawal from the United Nations’ Human Rights Council (UNHRC)60 Formed in 2006, UNHRC is a body that protects and promotes human rights all around the world, including the rights of minorities, sexes, freedom of expression and religion, among others 61 . On 19 June 2018, Trump government’s officials announced publicly that the US will withdraw from the Council, which was characterized as politicized, insufficient and biased against Israel, highlighting once again the Trump doctrine. Therefore, the American state resigned its membership. The official Delegation of the European Union to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva stated that this action poses a threat to the role of the US “as a champion and supporter of democracy on the world stage” 62 , while simultaneously pledged its allegiance to UNHRC and strongly supported that the European Union and its member states will remain fully engaged and committed to the body. Adding to the whole situation, many European leaders and officials stated that they were “saddened and disappointed” by this move. The withdrawal created great concern regarding the state of human rights in the land of the United States of America altogether, given the alleged violation of people’s rights there63. Withdrawal from Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Firstly drafted in 2015, the Paris agreement aims to face critical environmental issues –mainly the ongoing climate change- by keeping the increased global average temperature to pre-industrial levels and limiting the increase of the global temperature. Its core revolves around topics such as the greenhouse-gas-emissions 59

European Parliament, 2017, [Online]. Available at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-8-2017-006557-ASW_EN.html#def2[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 60 The Washington Post, 2018,The U.S. withdrew from the U.N. Human Rights Council. That’s not how the council was supposed to work.[Online], Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2018/06/26/the-u-s-withdrew-from-theu-n-human-rights-council-thats-not-how-the-council-was-supposed-towork/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.d51c0e20f168[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 61 United Nations Human Rights Council [Online], Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/hrc/pages/home.aspx[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 62 Delegation of the European Union to the UN and other international organisations in Geneva, 2018,HRC 38 – EU Intervention on the United States' decision to withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights[Online]. Available at:https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/un-geneva/46957/hrc-38%E2%80%93-eu-intervention-united-states-decision-withdraw-united-nations-human-rightscouncil_en[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 63 Human Rights Watch, 2017,United States Events of 2017[Online]. Available at :https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2018/country-chapters/united-states[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide mitigation, adaptation and finance 64 . Donald Trump, once again following the “America First” policy, announced the US withdrawal from the agreement on 1 June 2017. In his official statements, he claimed that the reasons behind this decision are the debt of trillions in American GDP and the loss of million jobs, as well as the general undermining of the American economy that research has indicated to happen, should the Paris Agreement be implemented 65 . The complete US withdrawal will happen in the year 2020, as defined in the main body of the agreement. Although the US administration and Trump himself, were open to renegotiate the deal or create a new one to replace the current, multiple UN and EU leaders denied such a possibility. EU has ratified the agreement which will be effective for both the Union and the Member- States that have ratified it separately, creating different obligations for each part. The European Commission stated that it was sorry for the stance of the US and vowed to seek new alliances and strengthen ongoing ones, in order to tackle with the environmental change. Naturally, such an action caused a great deal of protests and discontentment inside the US and on the behalf of the rest signatories. The withdrawal is believed to have major effect in the ongoing climate change, given that the US is a country with great carbon dioxide emission. Despite the official governmental policy, several cities in the US and US companies continue to follow the Paris Agreement guidelines, realizing its major importance for the well-being of the planet.

Future Perspectives The European leaders have valued US support ever since the earliest days of the European integration project, and always recognized the US’s role in helping to safeguard European security and prosperity. Given US’s long-standing partnership with the EU, President Trump’s largely critical views of the EU have surprised many Europeans and raised concerns about what these views may portend for the development of relations. European Council’s President Donald Tusk conveyed the anxiety of many in the EU when he stated in January 2017 that “the new administration [is] seeming to put into question the last 70 years of American foreign policy” and remarked that potential changes in the U.S. posture toward Europe could pose further challenges to EU cohesion, stability, and security66. On the economic

United Nations Climate Change, The Paris Agreement [Online] Available at: https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 65 Fox News Channel, 2017, Paris Agreement on climate change: US withdraws as Trump calls it 'unfair'[Online], Available at: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/paris-agreement-on-climate-changeus-withdraws-as-trump-calls-it-unfair[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 66 Aamann, P. 2017. "United we stand, divided we fall": letter by President Donald Tusk to the 27 EU heads of state or government on the future of the EU before the Malta summit - Consilium. [Online] EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide front, the EU is deeply concerned about what it regards as protectionist U.S. trade policies—including the imposition of tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum from the EU—and President Trump’s apparent view of EU trade practices as being detrimental to the United States. Additionally, some European analysts speculate that contrary to past US views, the Trump Administration might be indifferent to the collapse of the EU if this were to allow the United States to negotiate better bilateral trade deals with individual Member- States, which also explains Trump’s support for the UK’s decision to leave the EU and for a future US-UK free trade agreement following Brexit67. Nevertheless, many EU officials are uneasy with elements of the Trump Administration’s “America First” foreign policy and with U.S. positions on a range of international challenges—including relations with Russia and China, the nuclear deal with Iran, the Middle East peace process, migration, and climate change. Some in the EU have bristled at concerns voiced by several Administration officials that EU defense efforts must not distract European countries from their NATO commitments. EU policymakers also express concerns about what they regard as the Trump Administration’s ambivalence toward multilateral organizations such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. Moreover, many observers view EU efforts over the last few years to establish trade agreements with other countries and regions (including Canada, Japan, and Latin America) and to enhance defense cooperation and as aimed, in part, at reducing European dependence on the US. Others declare that despite US-EU tensions on certain policy issues, the EU will seek to work with the Trump Administration on common interests—such as countering terrorism and promoting cyber security—and will aim to preserve political, security, and economic relations with the United States for the long term68. To conclude, all the above constitute current phenomena and future scenarios about the perspectives of the United States to maintain good relations with the world, especially with Europe. The growing anxiety in EU is justified concerning the degree to which the United States will continue to play a leading role in supporting the multilateral trading system and remain a credible and reliable partner in the years ahead. The combating of the upcoming challenges will rely on the efforts of the EU states so as to sustain and promote the EU vision, while preserving its global allies. Consilium.europa.eu. Available at: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/pressreleases/2017/01/31/tusk-letter-future-europe/#[Accessed 10 Dec. 2018]. 67 Erlanger, S. 2017. For Europe, There’s a New Threat in Town: The U.S..[Online] Nytimes.com. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/02/world/europe/trump-european-union.html [Accessed 10 Dec. 2018]. 68 Mission, U. 2018. The power and potential of the US-EU relationship | U.S. Mission to the European Union.[Online]U.S. Mission to the European Union. Available at: https://useu.usmission.gov/thepower-and-potential-of-the-us-eu-relationship/ [Accessed 10 Dec. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EU Political Parties Position European People's Party (EPP) The EPP has been the largest party in the European Parliament since 1999 and has a center-right political orientation. Its vision is for a prosperous Europe, which only the creation of a free market economy with a social consciousness can create 69 . Maintaining partners outside Europe is the party’s policy on how the Union will tackle its current political, economic and security challenges. Thus, working closely with the neighboring countries will allow the establishment of a safe and prosperous continent. Foreign affairs Committee Rapporteur of the EPP Mr. Elmar Broksaid: “We need more common ground, more European strength, to bring the European Union and the United States closer to each other again. Only a strong Europe – also in defense – is of interest to the US and can look after its interests in this global order. Despite Trump's policy, the US is a democratic country under the rule of law. Therefore we call again for partnership in setting up a global order under such values"70. To maintain a strong relationship between the European Union and the United States of America is the cornerstone of the EPP’s foreign policy. Although the MEPs of the EPP may strongly disagree with the US act to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on Climate change71, they do believe in the common values and interests they share, not to mention the same challenges and concerns. On that basis, the EPP believes that the currently negotiated Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is a particularly important mean to boost EU-US crucial relationship. As for the trade between the parties, they support a free from tariffs EU by the US, however further sanctions and tariffs would definitely find EU in a place to act decisively. Yet, they consider that Trump and the EU should establish a common position in dealing with China72.To conclude, the EPP party firmly believes that

Party, E. (n.d.). History.[Online]EPP - European People's Party. Available at: https://www.epp.eu/about-us/history/ [Accessed 1 Dec. 2018]. 70 BBC News. 2018. 'Trump brings the EU together'. [Online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-44873941/elmar-brok-us-president-trump-brings-theeu-together [Accessed 1 Dec. 2018]. 71 Party, E. 2018. United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change.[Online]EPP European People's Party. Available at: https://www.epp.eu/papers/united-states-withdrawal-fromthe-paris-agreement-on-climate-change/[Accessed 9 Dec. 2018]. 72 Banks, M. 2018. MEPs blast Trump amid ongoing steel tariffs row. [Online] Theparliamentmagazine.eu. Available at: https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/articles/news/meps-blast-trump-amid-ongoing-steel-tariffsrow[Accessed 9 Dec. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide collaboration can be achieved through negotiations, while also making sure that the living standards are held to the highest level for all73. The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) The European Conservatives and Reformists party is the third largest group in the European Parliament, with 70 elected MEPs. Its political agenda is center-right to right wing and it holds a more Eurosceptic attitude, meaning it criticizes the European Union and European integration, thus being an anti-federalist group. Its vision for Europe contains the elimination of barriers that prevent EU companies to trade with major economic global powers. Simultaneously, ECR regards human rights and their promotion extremely essential not only inside the European continent, but internationally as well. This is why it finds it significant that not only member states but third countries fulfill their international obligations74. Concerning the issue of the EU-US relations, ECR supports the strategic cooperation with the American superpower, such as the handling of the immigration crisis and the combat of international terrorism and extremism. To that end, the group supports the exchange of data between the EU and the US for defense and security purposes, always respecting the European values and citizens’ rights. The party’s leader Mr. Kamall the imposed ban of Trump’s administration to Muslims, who want to travel in the US, is not acceptable given the fact that no American was killed by any person of the “banned” ethnicity in the US soil. He also considers that every decision of the administration, which is not backed by the congress, is arbitrary and weakens the EU-US relationship75. Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) The Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats party is the second largest group in the European Parliament and has a center-left orientation. It generally supports social democracy and is pro-Europeanism. The S&D party is highly skeptical and often criticizes Trump’s policy. Regarding the issue of migration, Trump’s decisions are regarded as violations of human rights, especially the violations concerning children immigrants. Furthermore, Trump’s decisions revolving around US trade relations, and mainly issues such as the 73

Party, E. (n.d.). Commitments.[Online]EPP - European People's Party. Available at: https://www.epp.eu/our-commitments/commitments/[Accessed 1 Dec. 2018]. 74 European Conservatives and Reformists, A Global Approach [Online], Available at: https://ecrgroup.eu/vision/a_global_approach 75 Euractiv, 2017, Kamall: Trump's arbitrary ban will not make America great again - but hot heads of protest risk alienating both Trump and EU voters[Online], Available at: http://pr.euractiv.com/pr/kamall-trumps-arbitrary-ban-will-not-make-america-great-again-hotheads-protest-risk-alienating[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide American blockage to WTO are targeted by the group. For it, “reckless protectionism and nationalism is a way to isolate and hurt the United States”76. Additionally, S&D claims that the balance between the EU and the US is at stake and can be easily harmed. Trump’s actions, for example the withdrawal from the Paris climate change agreement or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action not only undermine mutual trust but could even harm the counterparts’ partnership. Nevertheless, the party comprehends the necessity of standing together with US, even under Donald Trump’s presidency, in order to find critical, common challenges, namely terrorism, poverty and extremism. Thus dialogue and strategic cooperation is extremely significant. The traditional cooperation with the NATO alliance must also remain preserved, to that aim77. Nevertheless, S&D’s critical stance towards the “America First” policy is evident in numerous occasions. Their strong opposition was obvious after the mid-term elections, when the group’s President Udo Bullmann stated “the result shows that Trump’s political style is very contested. American voters expressed their dissatisfaction with the contentious commander in chief, his naïve protectionism, aggressive populism and divisive policies”78. European United - Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) European United Left - Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL or EUL-NGL) is the left-wing political group of the European Parliament, consisted of communist and socialist parties all over Europe. The party strongly criticizes the “reckless”, as they have characterized it, decision of Donald Trump to enter a trade war, as it constitutes an action that could possibly lead to high levels of unemployment and increase poverty in the continent. They also consider that this kind of conflict is staged by Trump, which follows a “me-first” policy79, judging the extreme protectionism the current American administration 76

S&D, 2018,America first policy is leading the world trade into a wall, say S&D Euro MPs [Online], Available at: , https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/newsroom/america-first-policy-leading-worldtrade-wall-say-sd-euro-mps[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 77 S&D, 2018,Trump puts at risk EU-US partnership that needs to be preserved [Online], available at ;https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/newsroom/trump-puts-risk-eu-us-partnership-needs-bepreserved[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 78 S&D, 2018,Americans show yellow card to Trump. S&Ds congratulate US Democrats on the outcome of the midterm elections [Online], Available at:https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/newsroom/americans-show-yellow-card-trump-sdscongratulate-us-democrats-outcome-midterm-elections[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 79 GUE/NGL,2018,Trump trade trap shows need for global EU policy for people, not bosses [Online], Available at: http://www.guengl.eu/news/article/trump-trade-trap-shows-need-for-global-eu-policyfor-people-not-bosses[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide follows. Furthermore the European party is objecting with the extreme militarization of the continent and considers Trump’s rhetoric dangerous to the global stability and security, giving examples such as Libya, Afghanistan and the renewal of the USRussia antagonism. Rephrasing the “Make America Great Again” to “Make Peace Great Again”, they have stated that “at this historic junction, the Left calls for the politics of unity and cooperation”, “for an end to NATO and a global drive for social justice, the fight against poverty and for fairer trade”, staying true to their leftist ideology.80 Last but not least, the party is highly disapproving the inability of the current administration to stay committed to its promises, a fact proven by the multiple withdrawals from agreements and organizations. To GUE/NGL, Trump administration is seen as an eminent danger, a reckless leader that does not respect human rights and could easily lead to warfare. The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) The Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, one of the three oldest political groups of the Parliament, is home to liberal, social liberal and conservative liberal national parties. The party criticizes the “America First” policy on multiple levels. To begin with, they consider that by imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum, Mr. Trump basically weakens the transatlantic cooperation and call upon the EU to take countermeasures81. On a second level, they accuse the Trump administration for violations of human rights and religious discrimination, as proven by the so-called “Muslim Ban”82. For them, Trump disregards human rights as well as threatens the world order. Last but not least, Trump’s statements mentioning that “EU is falling apart”, caused strong reactions by the party, which claimed that this kind of statements are outrageous and should be recalled83. Nevertheless, the political

GUE/NGL, 2018,Trump not welcome: war is no solution to world problems [Online], Available at: http://www.guengl.eu/news/article/trump-not-welcome-war-not-the-solution-to-worldproblems[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 81 ALDE, 2018, US steel and aluminium tariffs: Now European unity is key[Online], Available at:https://alde.eu/en/news/1127-us-steel-and-aluminium-tariffs-now-european-unity-iskey/[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 82 ALDE, 2017,Trump travel’s ban: Discrimination on the ground of religion is totally unacceptable [Online], Available at:,https://alde.eu/en/news/819-trump-travel-s-ban-discrimination-on-theground-of-religion-is-totally-unacceptable/[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 83 ALDE, 2017, EU should give official reaction to Trump’s provocations [Online], Available at: https://alde.eu/en/news/810-eu-should-give-official-reaction-to-trump-s-provocations/[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide group recognizes the importance of the transatlantic alliance, proven by the fact that they support cooperation in topics, such as security and privacy84.

Conclusions The basic patterns of the world’s response are now coming into shape. Some are seeking to restrict or even eliminate the effects of the “America First” agenda, while other countries are striving to make the most of them. Yet, it is more than apparent that the need to adjust in some way or another to this policy has pushed the governments around the world to act upon it, which is itself a proof of how disruptive Trump’s presidency has already been. Some of the strategies that foreign actors are pursuing do have potential benefits for the United States in terms of the post-World War II international order. Nevertheless, the recent withdrawals of the US from international organizations and agreements are showing no eagerness to promote the virtues on which its first relations with the EU were funded. To conclude, it is surely unfortunate that many democracies and longtime U.S. partners doubt the incentives behind its new policy, thus they tend to remain unwilling to cooperate with its President and simultaneously they are scrambling to mitigate the effects of its policy. The attention of the AFET Committee should be placed on finding the best and most diplomatic ways to handle the topic, as it is extremely challenging and complex.

ALDE,2017,EU-US Privacy Shield: Let's make privacy great again -ALDE Group urges Commission to do a more critical assessment [Online], Available at:, https://alde.eu/en/news/893-eu-us-privacyshield-let-s-make-privacy-great-again-alde-group-urges-commission-to-do-a-more-criticalassessment/[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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Questions Raised 1. How does the “America First” policy affect the already existing progress of the EUUS relations and which can be the future perspectives of collaboration? 2. What steps should be taken by the European Union in order to tackle the US’s unfair practices in commerce? 3. How can the European Union strengthen its security and defense capability cooperating with the US? 4. How can the European Union cooperate with the United States with a view to achieve safety in cyberspace? 5. How can the US-EU energy relations be promoted? 6. How do the efforts of the Trump Administration come at the expense of European security and transatlantic coherence? 7. How can the US-NATO relationship be shaped, given Trump's stance on the organization? 8. Should there be any kind of measure that will mitigate the effects of the “America First” policy? And if yes, what form should they assume? 9. What does the withdrawal from JCPOA signify for the EU? What does this mean for the EU-US energy relation, and how can this relation be stabilized and promoted? 10. Taking into consideration the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, on what basis can the EU cooperate with the US in the future in order to safeguard the protection of the environment? 11. Given the judgmental opinion of the US on organs such as UNESCO and HRC, how can the US and the EU collaborate so as to protect human rights? What could this attitude of the US towards human rights possibly mean for the EU?

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide 73. Taylor, A. (2018). A timeline of Trump’s complicated relationship with the TPP. [online] The Washington Post. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/04/13/atimeline-of-trumps-complicated-relationship-with-thetpp/?utm_term=.2c600b27e1ee[Accessed 26 Nov. 2018]. 74. The Economist.(n.d.). The beef over bananas. [online] Available at: https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/1999/03/04/the-beefover-bananas[Accessed 29 Nov. 2018]. 75. The Guardian, 2017, Unesco: Israel joins US in quitting UN heritage agency over 'anti-Israel bias'[online], available at; https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/12/us-withdraw-unescodecember-united-nations 76. The Guardian, 2018, Paris deal: a year after Trump announced US exit, a coalition fights to fill the gap [online], available at; https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/may/31/paris-climate-dealtrump-exit-resistance 77. The Hindu. (2010). China asks EU to scrap &lsquo;prejudiced&rsquo; arms embargo. [online] Available at: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/China-asks-EU-to-scraplsquoprejudicedrsquo-arms-embargo/article16840133.ece[Accessed 26 Nov. 2018]. 78. The Independent. (2016). Angela Merkel has given the perfect response to Donald Trump's unprecedented victory. [online] Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-elections/donaldtrump-elected-us-president-wins-election-response-germany-france-merkelhollande-putin-a7407426.html[Accessed 25 Nov. 2018]. 79. The Washington Post, 2018, The U.S. withdrew from the U.N. Human Rights Council. That’s not how the council was supposed to work.[online], available at; https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkeycage/wp/2018/06/26/the-u-s-withdrew-from-the-u-n-human-rights-councilthats-not-how-the-council-was-supposed-towork/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.d51c0e20f168 80. The Washington Post. (2016). France’s Hollande: Trump win ‘opens a period of uncertainty’. [online] Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2016/live-updates/generalelection/real-time-updates-on-the-2016-election-voting-and-raceresults/frances-hollande-trump-win-opens-a-period-ofuncertainty/?utm_term=.9f0da3cf869b[Accessed 25 Nov. 2018]. 81. Trade.ec.europa.eu. (2000). THE TRANSATLANTIC ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP OVERVIEW AND ASSESSMENT. [online] Available at: http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2003/october/tradoc_111712.pdf[Acc essed 26 Nov. 2018]. 82. Trade.ec.europa.eu. (2007). FRAMEWORK FOR ADVANCING TRANSATLANTIC ECONOMIC INTEGRATION BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. [online] Available at: EUropa.S. 2019, April 19th-22nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr

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EUropa.S. 2019 EP- AFET, “EU-US relations; challenges and prospects in the context of the US administration's "America First" policy” Study Guide http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2007/may/tradoc_134654.pdf [Accessed 10 Dec. 2018]. 83. U.S. Mission to the European Union.(n.d.). History of the U.S. and the EU | U.S. Mission to the European Union. [online] Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20171201033239/https://useu.usmission.gov/ our-relationship/policy-history/io/ [Accessed 26 Nov. 2018]. 84. UNESCO in brief [online], available at; https://en.unesco.org/aboutus/introducing-unesco 85. United Nations Climate Change, The Paris Agreement [online] available at; https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-parisagreement 86. United Nations Human Rights Council [online], available at; https://www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/hrc/pages/home.aspx 87. US China Business Council.(n.d.). Understanding the US-China Trade Relationship. [online] Available at: https://www.uschina.org/reports/understanding-us-china-traderelationship[Accessed 30 Nov. 2018]. 88. US department of State, 2017, The United States Withdraws From UNESCO [online] available at; https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/10/274748.htm 89. Ustr.gov. (n.d.). European Union | United States Trade Representative. [online] Available at: https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/europe-middleeast/europe/european-union[Accessed 29 Nov. 2018]. 90. Wolff, G. (2018). How could Europe benefit from the US-China trade war? | Bruegel. [online] Bruegel.org. Available at: http://bruegel.org/2018/10/howeurope-can-benefit-from-the-trade-war/ [Accessed 9 Dec. 2018]. 91. Woody, C. (2018). A few days after the US election, China's Xi Jinping gave an ominous warning to Obama — and to Trump. [online] Business Insider. Available at: https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-xi-jinping-warnedtrump-could-sow-chaos-after-2016-election-2018-6 [Accessed 25 Nov. 2018].

Further Reading  America First Policies: https://www.americafirstpolicies.org/  European Parliament – Committee on Foreign Affairs: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/en/afet/home.html  Trump’s America First policy – Financial Times: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/en/afet/home.html  EU External Relations: https://eurlex.europa.eu/summary/chapter/external_relations.html?root_default=SU% 20M_1_CODED%3D28

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Useful Links     

Website of the EPP party: https://www.epp.eu/ Website of the S&D party: https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/ Website of ALDE party: https://alde.eu/en/ Website of ECR party: https://www.ecrgroup.eu/ Website of GUE/NGL party: http://www.guengl.eu/

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