The EU-US Summit that took place on Wednesday provided officials from both parties with the opportunity to make a strong political statement: one of a strong partnership between two Western powers.
The Summit took place at the European Council headquarters in Brussels, and constituted President Barack Obama's first visit to EU institutions.
During the Summit, President Obama met both the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, and the President of the European Council, Herman van Rompuy, to discuss a variety of topics. As many had foreseen, the discussion was mostly centered on the current crisis in Ukraine and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, also known as "TTIP".
All parties highlighted the importance of working together to preserve peace and security in Europe and the world. The European Union restated its support for Ukraine's better life as a nation, and both parties agreed to intensify and deepen sanctions to Russia if it becomes necessary to do so. This keeping in mind, of course, that sanctions are only means to an end, and a de-escalation of this crisis should remain the primary goal.
Russia's actions have affected everyone, not just Ukraine, and it is therefore imperative that the EU and the US work together to ensure that unacceptable actions bear serious consequences. A strong partnership between countries which societies are based on values sends a strong signal to States around the world which have proven to have no regard for the rule of law.
When asked to address concerns referring to tougher consequences being faced by the European Union than the United States from reciprocal sanctions from Russia, officials maintained that coordination is the key to success. Many think the United States has less to lose from imposing tough sanctions on Russia than the EU, and therefore perceive American sanctions to be stronger than European ones. President Barroso reminded those present that smaller sanctions from the EU have as large an effect as larger ones from the United States because of the existence of closer ties between EU Member States and Russia.
Furthermore, President Obama commented on the excellent coordination experienced so far with regard to the sanctions imposed. He also recognized that difficulties may arise in relation to the need to deepen the present sanctions, he assured the public that careful analyses are being made before any sanctions are imposed.
Europe's energy dependency on Russia has become increasingly relevant in the current geopolitical climate. Given the fact that different Member States have different levels of energy dependence, potential actions by the European Union against Russia would trigger varying effects across Europe.
EU officials have called the Ukrainian crisis a "wake up call" to the importance of diversifying Europe's energy sources. The United States exports as much natural gas as Europe needs each day. It is therefore crucial for the EU to work with US officials in order to achieve a meaningful agreement that will help diversify Europe's energy sources. This change will not happen overnight, but every step we take now brings us closer to a better future.
A second topic that remained central to the Summit was the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership that is currently being discussed in both the EP and the United States. Everyday trade between both sides of the Atlantic amounts up to 2.2 billion Euros. TTIP is expected to create millions of jobs and benefit every citizen in Europe and the United States, not just an elite few.
Both parties cited TTIP as an example of a deepening in their relationship that will serve as an injection of dynamism to both economies and increase the growth potential of both large and small businesses. They also made it clear that a weakening of consumer or environmental protection mechanisms will not be acceptable, and that both of these remain a priority in the discussions.
In addition parts of the discussion concerned terrorism, conflicts in countries such as the Central African Republic and Syria, climate change and data law concerns in the European Union. On the latter, the Council President commented on the need to address governments' concerns, and welcomed the new American initiatives announced by President Obama. These new initiatives seek to address some of the present concerns and promote equal treatment of EU and US citizens in data protection agreements.
Overall, the Summit provided a space for dialogue between two of the biggest economic powers in the world. A strong partnership makes both parties more secure and prosperous, and, in President Obama's words: "the world is safer when the US and the EU stand together."
President Obama will return to Brussels for the G7 Summit scheduled to take place in June. The G8 Summit, originally scheduled to take place in Sochi, was moved to Brussels and renamed after Russia's invasion of Crimea.
David Casa is the PN MEP head of delegation in the European Parliament