EU:EU enlargement has caused the US to look at its relationship with Europe in a new light, with relations between the two increasingly defined by how to promote joint interests globally, the European Commission's ambassador to Washington, John Bruton, said in Dublin yesterday.
Addressing the National Forum on Europe's plenary session at Dublin Castle, Mr Bruton said America was paying attention to the EU for the first time because of enlargement and the introduction of the euro. "Many Americans think I am the first EU ambassador to the US," the former taoiseach said. [Mr Bruton is, however, the first political figure to fill this role.]
"The reason for that is Americans are only now waking up to the existence of the European Union because of enlargement" which was "critically important in terms of enhancing US attitudes to Europe".
In a wide-ranging speech that touched on issues including Europe's political and economic links with the US, globalisation, terrorism, climate change and international trade, Mr Bruton outlined the importance of EU-US joint interests on issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and nuclear proliferation, particularly in relation to Iran's nuclear ambitions.
America's approach to its relationship with Europe, he said, had changed from concern about how Europe would react to the threat of communism to thinking of how to "promote joint interests globally". Discussing climate change, Mr Bruton, who took up his post in 2004, acknowledged that there were major differences between European and US ideas of how to tackle the problem.
The "pledge-and-review" model of non-mandatory targets which the US favours over a binding international treaty on emissions cuts, was "not enough", and such pledges "would not be worth the paper" they were written on, he said.
Minister of State for European Affairs Dick Roche told the gathering that Ireland had always promoted the idea of closer relations between the EU and the US, adding that "our shared values" offered a platform from which to approach a number of issues of joint interest.
However, he said events since 2000 had "pointed up differences" and remarked that the "negative public perception" some in Europe had of the US was a matter of concern.
Labour's Joe Costello said he saw "major differences" between Europe and the US in terms of foreign policy, with the US taking a "hard line" and showing more willingness to engage in conflict.
In response, Mr Bruton said that "lessons had been learned" in the US about the limits of unilateralism and using military force. Unlike in its first term, the Bush administration was now making more of an attempt to find "multi-lateral solutions", he said.
Senator Deirdre de Burca (Green Party) queried the risks involved in the EU and US promoting joint interests internationally.
"Is there a risk to the EU of being seen as tying itself too closely to the US?" she asked the forum, referring to divergent views on the Iraq war and the US policy of extraordinary rendition.
Several speakers raised the issue of US troops using Shannon airport as a refuelling stop, but Mr Bruton said he would not be commenting on the Government's position on the matter.