IP/06/795 EU – US Summit, Vienna, 21 June 2006

Brussels, Belgium – Commission President José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Council and Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel and US President George W. Bush will meet at the EU-US Summit on 21 June 2006 in Vienna to discuss foreign policy co-operation, energy security, economy and trade, and other global challenges. On energy, leaders are expected to step up EU-US cooperation to a strategic level and to promote a set of principles for responsible energy policies worldwide. Iran, the Middle East and the promotion of democracy are expected to dominate the foreign policy agenda.

Other participants at the summit will be Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for Trade Mandelson, and Austrian Foreign Minister Plassnik as well as High Representative Javier Solana from the EU side and Secretary of State Rice from the US side.

President Barroso said: ” EU-US relations have strengthened considerably over the last year and we are working together systematically to address common economic, political and environmental challenges. With shared values and interests, the EU and the US are natural partners to take the lead. Our Summit meeting will confirm this productive year and look to strengthen further our global partnership.”

The four main topics on the agenda are:

• Foreign Policy – focusing on Iran, the Middle East and promotion of democracy.
• Energy – strengthening EU-US strategic cooperation on energy and advancing principles of good practice in energy markets.
• Economy and trade – moving towards conclusion of the Doha WTO round negotiations, maintaining open investment regimes, and adopting a strategy for the enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in third countries. The EU will also raise the need to extend the US Visa Waiver Programme to all citizens of EU Member States.
• Global challenges – improving ways to meet the challenge of climate change.

In the margins of the Summit, Commissioner for External Relations and Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Austrian Foreign Minister and Council President in office Ursula Plassnik and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will sign a Higher Education and Vocational Training Agreement aiming at stimulating further exchangesbetween the peoples of the EU and the US and improving the quality of human resource development

In the margins of the Summit Vice President Verheugen and Commissioner Peter Mandelson and US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez will also launch a joint EU – US Action Strategy on the global enforcement of intellectual property right. This ground-breaking agreement envisages closer customs co-operation, including more data sharing.

Background
The EU-US Summits arose from the Transatlantic Declaration, which was adopted in 1990. The Declaration formalised contact between the EU and the US and laid down the principles for greater EU-US cooperation.
For more information on the summit see:
http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/us/intro/summit.htm
http://www.ue2006.at/en/The_Council_Presidency/EU-USSummit/index.html