EU-funded project seeks to build bridges across the Atlantic
This agenda, entitled ‘Managing Disorder: A Stronger Transatlantic Bond for More Sustainable Governance’ is the final policy paper from the EU-funded TRANSWORLD project. Since March 2012, the consortium has produced over 45 papers on how the EU and the US can maximise cooperation in order to encourage regional and global peace and prosperity. The project, made up of 13 academic and research centres from the EU, the US and Turkey, has researched the evolution of this relationship and traced its role in shaping global governance. The starting point was an understanding that in a confusing multipolar interconnected world where old certainties no longer ring true, transatlantic relations appear to have foundered. TRANSWORLD therefore sought to provide a new approach to identifying the direction that transatlantic relations are taking, and issue guidance on how to rebuild this vitally important relationship. The ‘Managing Disorder’ paper notes that new global tensions have arisen that complicate cooperative efforts to tackle issues such as global inequality and climate change. These tensions include the deterioration of regional crises, the emergence of non-state actors such as violent jihadist groups and the proliferation of criminal organisations. To complicate matters further, internal difficulties both within the EU and the US have weakened collective responses. Political polarisation has often resulted in gridlock in the US, while the EU has been mired in what the paper describes as a ‘crisis of confidence’. The researchers argue that the US-European partnership must be strengthened in order to effectively address some of the most pressing regional and global challenges. The paper puts forward a number of recommendations including fortifying contacts between individual US states and EU countries, exchanging best practices on fighting climate change and reaching out to countries such as China in order to gain consensus on ambitious emissions targets. It also argues for a multi-tiered transatlantic approach towards Russia that combines strong defence and sanctions with high-level engagement to prevent uncontrolled escalation. In order to address the multiple crises across the Middle East, transatlantic allies should promote inclusive politics, isolate jihadist groups and pursue the creation of collective security governance that brings Iran (which is majority Shi’a) and the Sunni Arab states together. The publication of ‘Managing Disorder’ marks the completion of the project, and follows TRANSWORLD’s final conference which was hosted by the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) and the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) in July 2015. The conference included an exchange of views with policymakers and officials from both sides of the Atlantic. Marc Grossman, who served as US Ambassador to Turkey and Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs, concluded that both the US and Europe must get past “non-issues like bananas and chlorinated chicken” if the transatlantic partnership is to be revitalised. For further information please visit: TRANSWORLD http://www.transworld-fp7.eu/(opens in new window)
Countries
Italy