[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2230-E2231]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

IN PRAISE OF THE TRANSATLANTIC LEGISLATORS' DIALOGUE MEETINGS HELD
EARLIER THIS MONTH IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

______

HON. TOM LANTOS

of california

in the house of representatives

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I would like to call the attention of my
colleagues in the Congress to a highly successful meeting of the
Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue (TLD) that was held in Las Vegas
from October 5-8, 2007. The United States delegation is currently
benefiting from the excellent leadership of Chairwoman Shelley Berkley,
the gentlelady from Nevada. She worked tirelessly to make this meeting
a great success and introduced her European guests to the fine city of
Las Vegas that she represents.
Chairwoman Berkley first became a member of the TLD in April 2006,
served as its vice-chair in December 2006, and took the reins during
the new Congress in 2007. She has long been an advocate for
transatlantic relations. She is ably joined by her Republican vice-
chairman, Representative Cliff Stearns from Florida, who also has a
history of European engagement.
The TLD constitutes the formal response of the European Parliament
and the U.S. Congress to the commitment in the New Transatlantic Agenda
(NTA) of 1995 to enhance parliamentary ties between the European Union
and the United States. Building on the existing interparliamentary
relationship, the TLD includes bi-annual meetings between American and
European legislators that address topics of mutual interest with a view
to fostering an ongoing dialogue and enhancing the level of
transatlantic discourse.
The most recent session in Nevada focused on a wide range of foreign
policy challenges, including the Middle East, Kosovo, Russia, and
China. Another session focused on regulatory initiatives being
addressed under the auspices of the newly established Transatlantic
Economic Council in which legislators are involved for the first time
in administration discussions regarding more effective regulation.
I particularly welcomed Representative Berkley's initiative to place
anti-Semitism on the TLD agenda for the first time ever, as this issue
must be seriously addressed by legislators on both sides of the
Atlantic. The delegates also discussed the growing challenge of climate
change. In addition, Representative Berkley showed her European
counterparts a wide range of issues facing her constituency, bringing
the delegation to Nellis Air Force Base to view military training
facilities and arranging a briefing on Department of Energy plans to
establish a safe repository for nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain.
I commend Chairwoman Berkley for the energy that she has brought to
the Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue, as well as the outstanding job
she did organizing a productive and informative session in Nevada. Her
attention to detail was remarkable as were her efforts to be a
hospitable and thoughtful hostess, including inviting European consuls
to attend evening events and renowned speakers to make opening remarks
during meeting sessions. Chairwoman Berkley is an excellent ambassador
of American goodwill towards the European Union, and I am deeply
grateful for the outstanding work she has done as leader of the
American delegation of the TLD.
Madam Speaker, I would like to enter into the Congressional Record
the joint statement that was agreed upon by American and European
legislators at the 63rd meeting of the TLD in Las Vegas. It highlights
the rich agenda of this meeting, as well as the numerous areas in which
there was strong agreement across the Atlantic.

Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue 63rd Meeting of Delegations From
the United States and the European Parliament--Joint Statement

We, Members of the European Parliament and the United
States House of Representatives, held our 63rd
interparliamentary meeting (Transatlantic Legislators'
Dialogue) in Las Vegas, Nevada on 5-8 October 2007.
Building on the joint statement issued following our last
meeting in Charleston on 1-3 December 2006, we stressed the
importance of regular dialogue on a range of political,
social and economic issues that affect all of our citizens.
We agreed to report back to our parent bodies on the content
and outcome of our discussions, particularly in the areas
where joint efforts are likely to result in positive
outcomes.
We agreed that legislators on both sides of the Atlantic
should increase dialogue and consultation amongst themselves
in order to prevent possible conflicts of legislation. Direct
and timely contacts between specialist committees from
Congress and the European Parliament--such as those that have
occurred in recent months within the TLD framework--have been
valuable means of enhancing cooperation; the exchange of
information should be continued and enhanced. The European
delegation welcomed the invitation from the U.S. House
Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture to
discuss agricultural issues and organic farming in greater
detail.
We examined a wide array of foreign policy issues, agreeing
that joint action by the United States and the European Union
is the most effective way to approach problems that affect
both sides ofthe Atlantic. We had a stimulating discussion
led by Ambassador Dennis Ross on the myriad of challenges in
the Middle East, particularly regarding the nuclear threat
posed by Iran and efforts to further the peace process in the
region. We discussed the future status of Kosovo, including
the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the
Balkans. We expressed concerns about worrying developments in
Russia's domestic and foreign policies and agreed to discuss
these issues in greater detail at our next session.
We assessed our economic and political relations with
China, emphasizing the importance of toy and product safety
as well as the need for transparency in China's financial and
business practices. In particular, we called on China to play
a greater role in promoting a peaceful resolution to the
ongoing conflict and particularly to the current violent
crackdown in Burma. We also called upon China to assist in
solving the horrific humanitarian crisis in Darfur.
During the dialogue we explored the current status of anti-
Semitism, anti-discrimination, race hate and civil liberties
in the United States and Europe. Abe Foxman of the Anti-
Defamation League provided an overview of the current
situation. We agreed to continue our open discussion about
these issues at future meetings as well as to address them
within the United States and EU Member States.
We discussed climate change following an informative
presentation by Michael Totten of Conservation International.
We agreed to continue exchanging strategies for combating the
environmental challenges confronting our planet.
We also: 1. had a briefing at Nellis Air Force Base and
visited the facility designated for training American and
coalition military personnel; we also saw a presentation
about the Thunderbird pilots and viewed the F-22 fighter
plane.
2. heard a briefing by the United States Department of
Energy regarding its plans to establish a safe repository for
nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain as well as concerns
summarized by the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects.
We welcomed the establishment of a Transatlantic Economic
Council (TEC) at the April 2007 EU-US Summit. We agreed that
the TEC initiative should be characterized by transparency
and consultation of stakeholders: legislators, consumers, and
producers should be informed in a comprehensive and timely
manner by the EU and US executive bodies on the advancement
of activities as well as the definition of priorities for
future work. The establishment of the

[[Page E2231]]

`advisory group' to the TEC, which includes the leaders of
the three dialogues constituted under the New Transatlantic
Agenda, is an important step in this direction. Furthermore,
we believe that awareness of the transatlantic impact of
proposed legislation and regulation should be developed in
the relevant legislative and regulatory bodies.
Our discussions focused on a range of regulatory issues
that will affect legislators in the United States and the
European Union. With regard to priorities for future
activities within the TEC, the TLD welcomed progress on items
contained in the list of `lighthouse projects' and related
initiatives included in the 2007 Summit declaration. In
particular, we developed a series of recommendations that we
agreed should be taken into account during the TEC's first
meeting on 9 November 2007:
With regard to accounting standards, efforts should be made
to reach agreement on the equivalence of US GAAP and IFRS (as
implemented by the EU) in order to avoid requirements for
reconciliation. Important progress registered in recent
discussions between regulators needs to be finalized as soon
as possible.
With regard to trade and cargo security, achieving
reciprocity and mutual recognition of security standards is
of the utmost importance. We recognized concerns about the
recently-passed U.S. legislation requiring 100 per cent cargo
scanning.
With regard to intellectual property, a commitment is
needed to harmonize the different patent regimes on the basis
of the `first-to-file' system.
With regard to investment, obstacles to bilateral
investment should be addressed via an operative dialogue.
With regard to biofuels, developing compatible
specifications between the EU and U.S. is a clear priority,
particularly in view of achieving wider international
harmonization at International Standards Organization (ISO)
level.
With regard to the safety of toys and other products,
recognizing that it represents a major concern to consumers
on both sides of the Atlantic, improvements should be
discussed between regulators and complementary standards
should be developed.
Both sides renewed their commitment to make the TLD's work
more relevant to the United States House of Representatives
and to the European Parliament. In so doing, we resolved to
provide the TLD with the required resources to improve the
effectiveness of our dialogue and realize the full potential
of our interparliamentary relationship.

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