The Role of the European Parliament in the Development of the EU-USA Transatlantic Relations

Abstract

This article explores the scope and evolution of the European transatlantic policy with the United States of America (USA). Our research questions are related to the number and content of the texts adopted by the European Parliament (EP) and the role of the EP and its Committees in shaping the European transatlantic policies. We examine which are the committees that lead and guide the EP transatlantic conclusions. Within this context, this research paper highlights the substance of the European Union (EU) and the USA relations over the last 25 years and the major areas in which the EU cooperates with the USA. We have built our research on the European Parliament since it has legislative authority in shaping and guiding EU’s external policy. Therefore, our study brings a new perspective to the current literature on transatlantic relations by assessing the EU-USA relations from the EP conclusions and adopted legal texts. A document and policy analysis are conducted between 1999 and 2024, to assess each of the last five Parliamentary Terms and through the entire current EU laws in force. We conclude that despite studies asserting the weakening of the EU-USA relations, EU’s relations have been consistent since 1999 and even increasing in the last decade, from technical and legal achievement, based on the quantitative and contentive analysis of our research.

Keywords

• European Union
• United States of America
• Transatlantic Relations
• Transatlantic Agenda
• European Parliament

AB-ABD Transatlantik İlişkilerinin Geliştirilmesinde Avrupa Parlamentosu’nun Rolü

Öz

Bu makale, Avrupa'nın Amerika Birleşik Devletleri (ABD) ile olan transatlantik politikasının kapsamını ve gelişimini incelemektedir. Araştırma sorularımız, Avrupa Parlamentosu (AP) tarafından kabul edilen metinlerin sayısı ve içeriği ile AP ve Komitelerinin Avrupa transatlantik politikalarını şekillendirmedeki rolü üzerinedir. Çalışmada hangi komitelerin AP'nin transatlantik kararlarına yön verdiği ve öncülük ettiği incelenmekte olup, Avrupa Birliği (AB) ile ABD'nin son 25 yıldaki ilişkilerinin içeriği ve AB'nin ABD ile işbirliği yaptığı başlıca alanlar ortaya konmaktadır. AP’nin Avrupa dış politikasını yönlendirme ve şekillendirme konusunda yasama yetkisine sahip olması nedeniyle araştırmamız AP üzerine inşa edilmiştir. Çalışmamız AB-ABD ilişkilerini AP’nin onayladığı karar ve hukuki metinler üzerinden değerlendirmekte olup, transatlantik ilişkiler konusundaki akademik literatüre yeni bir perspektif sunmaktadır. Bu çerçevede, AP’nin 1999-2024 yıllarını kapsayan beşer yıllık periyotlar halinde yirmi beş senelik görev dönemi içinde onaylanan karar ve yasal metinler üzerinden ve mevcut AB kanunlarının bütünü taranarak belge ve politika analizi yapılmıştır. Çalışmanın sonucunda, AB-ABD ilişkilerinin zayıfladığını öne süren çalışmalara rağmen, araştırmamızın nicel ve içerik analizine dayanarak, AB’nin ABD ile ilişkilerinin 1999'dan bu yana istikrarlı olduğu ve hatta son on yılda teknik ve hukuki açıdan arttığı sonucuna varılmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Avrupa Birliği
• Amerika Birleşik Devletleri
• Transatlantik İlişkiler
• Transatlantik Gündem
• Avrupa Parlamentosu

Kaynakça

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