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European Union

The United States has long supported the evolution of a Europe made up of prosperous and free countries that no longer go to war with each other. Yet recent decisions by the European Union, particularly the effort to carve out a defense identity separate from NATO, pose increasing challenges to transatlantic relations and U.S. interests around the world.

HIGHLIGHTS

Our Research & Offerings on European Union
  • Issue Brief posted May 10, 2013 by Luke Coffey, James Phillips On Hezbollah, the U.S. Should Work Around the EU

    The European Union (EU) has repeatedly failed to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. This failure makes Europeans and the Euro-Atlantic region less safe. It also shows the EU’s shortcomings when it comes to agreeing on common positions and demonstrates why individual European countries need to develop their own policies regarding national security. Since…

  • Special Report posted April 29, 2013 by Robin Harris, D. Phil. Britain and Europe: Where America’s Interests Really Lie

    Introduction The United States has a strong and continuing interest in a prosperous and stable Europe, but the policies and pronouncements of President Barack Obama and the U.S. Department of State are making that goal less, not more, attainable. This is especially true as regards current, very public U.S. pressure on Britain to stay inside the European Union, apparently…

  • Lecture posted March 5, 2013 by Luke Coffey Future of Europe: Political and Economic Realities Facing the European Union

    I would like to begin by thanking the CATO Institute for hosting this event and for inviting me to participate. I am going to offer an alternative view of Europe today. I am a pro-states-rights American. I believe that power should be shifted to, and decisions should be made at, the lowest level closest to those most affected. My views on Europe are shaped first and…

  • Issue Brief posted February 21, 2013 by Luke Coffey, Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., Theodore R. Bromund, Ph.D. John Kerry’s Grand Tour: Priorities for Europe

    From February 24 to March 6, John Kerry will make his first trip overseas since being appointed U.S. Secretary of State. During this period, he will be visiting the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. The Obama Administration has too often taken America’s relations with Europe for granted. Secretary…

  • Issue Brief posted January 9, 2013 by Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., Luke Coffey, Theodore R. Bromund, Ph.D. Hagel, Kerry, and Brennan Senate Confirmation Hearings: U.S. Policy on Europe

    In the coming weeks, the United States Senate will begin the confirmation process for three key Administration positions: Senator John Kerry (D–MA) for Secretary of State, former Senator Chuck Hagel (R–NE) for Secretary of Defense, and White House Chief Counterterrorism Advisor John Brennan for Director of the CIA. All three have been prominent backers of President…

  • Backgrounder posted September 4, 2012 by Theodore R. Bromund, Ph.D., Andrew Robert James Southam The U.S.–U.K. Extradition Treaty: Fair, Balanced, and Worth Defending

    Abstract: The 2003 Extradition Treaty between the United States and Great Britain is intensely controversial in the United Kingdom. The treaty resulted from a British process and is a modern and praiseworthy approach to extradition that is based on an objective evidentiary test, requires dual criminality in all cases, and has a proportionality standard. The European…

  • Issue Brief posted July 24, 2012 by Morgan Lorraine Roach Zimbabwe: Sanctions Should Stand

    On Monday, the European Union announced that it is resuming direct aid to Zimbabwe’s government and that sanctions on some targeted individuals and entities (excluding President Robert Mugabe) will be suspended following the country’s constitutional referendum that could come as early as October. This decision is flawed, and it is unlikely to contribute to…

  • Issue Brief posted March 1, 2012 by Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., Theodore R. Bromund, Ph.D. Five Conservative Principles That Should Guide U.S. Policy on Europe

    The Obama Administration has attached little importance to the transatlantic alliance, and Europe has barely figured in its foreign policy. The Administration’s highly touted “pivot to Asia” is simply a belated admission that it has less interest in Europe than any post–1945 U.S. Administration. While Europe is the home of some of America’s most important allies, the…

  • Special Report posted February 22, 2012 by Robin Harris, D. Phil. The U.K. Governing Coalition: The Challenges Ahead and Why America Has a Stake in Britain’s Success

    Abstract: In May 2010, the U.K. general election resulted in a hung Parliament from which emerged a Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition with Conservative leader David Cameron as Prime Minister. The experiment was widely justified by the evident need to cope with the economic crisis and, in particular, the unsustainable budget deficit inherited from the outgoing Labour…

  • Special Report posted February 17, 2012 by The Heritage Foundation Economic Freedom Task Force America’s Global Agenda for Economic Freedom

    Abstract: Promoting economic freedom at home and abroad is essential to revitalizing the U.S. economy. In 2010, for the first time ever, the United States fell from the ranks of the economically free in the Index of Economic Freedom, and economic freedom in the U.S. has continued to decline. The U.S. influence can be decisive in promoting property rights and…

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  • Special Report posted April 29, 2013 by Robin Harris, D. Phil. Britain and Europe: Where America’s Interests Really Lie

    Introduction The United States has a strong and continuing interest in a prosperous and stable Europe, but the policies and pronouncements of President Barack Obama and the U.S. Department of State are making that goal less, not more, attainable. This is especially true as regards current, very public U.S. pressure on Britain to stay inside the European Union, apparently…

  • Testimony posted September 23, 2011 by J.D. Foster, Ph.D. The European Financial and Economic Crisis: Origins, Taxonomy, and Implications for the U.S. Economy

    Chairman Warner, Ranking Member Johanns, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is J.D. Foster. I am the Norman B. Ture Senior Fellow at The Heritage Foundation. The views I express in this testimony are my own, and should not be construed as representing any official position of The Heritage Foundation. The European Economic Crisis is no accident. It is…

  • WebMemo posted August 16, 2011 by James M. Roberts, J.D. Foster, Ph.D. Flashing Red: European Debt Crisis Signals Collapse of Social Welfare State

    Europe’s socialist (or “social democratic”) welfare state is collapsing under the load of unsustainable debt. There is no chance European politicians will ever make good on the many costly and unfunded entitlements they have promised their citizens. The fundamental problem in the European Union is a monetary policy failure. In conjunction with the debilitating…

  • Backgrounder posted September 16, 2010 by Sally McNamara Russia’s Proposed New European Security Treaty: A Non-Starter for the U.S. and Europe

    Abstract: In several ways, Russia’s proposed new European Security Treaty would undermine European security—the opposite of its stated purpose—not least of all by sharply limiting NATO’s ability to act and to accept new members. Instead of adding to the existing European architecture and treaties, the U.S. and its European allies should work to advance relations with…

  • Backgrounder posted September 4, 2012 by Theodore R. Bromund, Ph.D., Andrew Robert James Southam The U.S.–U.K. Extradition Treaty: Fair, Balanced, and Worth Defending

    Abstract: The 2003 Extradition Treaty between the United States and Great Britain is intensely controversial in the United Kingdom. The treaty resulted from a British process and is a modern and praiseworthy approach to extradition that is based on an objective evidentiary test, requires dual criminality in all cases, and has a proportionality standard. The European…

  • Testimony posted May 9, 2011 by Sally McNamara Overview of Security Issues in Europe and Eurasia

    Testimony before the Subcommittee on Europe and Eurasia Committee on Foreign Affairs United States House of Representatives May 5, 2011 My name is Sally McNamara. I am Senior…

  • Lecture posted March 5, 2013 by Luke Coffey Future of Europe: Political and Economic Realities Facing the European Union

    I would like to begin by thanking the CATO Institute for hosting this event and for inviting me to participate. I am going to offer an alternative view of Europe today. I am a pro-states-rights American. I believe that power should be shifted to, and decisions should be made at, the lowest level closest to those most affected. My views on Europe are shaped first and…

  • Issue Brief posted March 1, 2012 by Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., Theodore R. Bromund, Ph.D. Five Conservative Principles That Should Guide U.S. Policy on Europe

    The Obama Administration has attached little importance to the transatlantic alliance, and Europe has barely figured in its foreign policy. The Administration’s highly touted “pivot to Asia” is simply a belated admission that it has less interest in Europe than any post–1945 U.S. Administration. While Europe is the home of some of America’s most important allies, the…

  • WebMemo posted July 21, 2011 by Theodore R. Bromund, Ph.D. The U.N. Arms Trade Treaty: Still Seriously Flawed

    On July 11–15, the United Nations held a third meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the Arms Trade Treaty. The committee discusses the content of the treaty in advance of a meeting of the conference in 2012 to finalize the treaty and open it for ratification. This treaty is purportedly intended to address the absence of commonly agreed international standards for the…

  • WebMemo posted November 22, 2011 by James M. Roberts, Andrew W. Markley CSR: New EU Strategy Threatens U.S. and European Companies

    Apparently the bureaucrats in the European Union Commission’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) department were not content to see the EU’s burdensome regulatory requirements dragging EU economies into recession and financial crisis, so they came up with a new CSR strategy. Released on October 25, it fundamentally redefines the EU’s approach to CSR and signals a new…

Find more work on European Union
  • Issue Brief posted May 10, 2013 by Luke Coffey, James Phillips On Hezbollah, the U.S. Should Work Around the EU

    The European Union (EU) has repeatedly failed to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. This failure makes Europeans and the Euro-Atlantic region less safe. It also shows the EU’s shortcomings when it comes to agreeing on common positions and demonstrates why individual European countries need to develop their own policies regarding national security. Since…

  • Special Report posted April 29, 2013 by Robin Harris, D. Phil. Britain and Europe: Where America’s Interests Really Lie

    Introduction The United States has a strong and continuing interest in a prosperous and stable Europe, but the policies and pronouncements of President Barack Obama and the U.S. Department of State are making that goal less, not more, attainable. This is especially true as regards current, very public U.S. pressure on Britain to stay inside the European Union, apparently…

  • Issue Brief posted February 21, 2013 by Luke Coffey, Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., Theodore R. Bromund, Ph.D. John Kerry’s Grand Tour: Priorities for Europe

    From February 24 to March 6, John Kerry will make his first trip overseas since being appointed U.S. Secretary of State. During this period, he will be visiting the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. The Obama Administration has too often taken America’s relations with Europe for granted. Secretary…

  • Issue Brief posted January 9, 2013 by Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., Luke Coffey, Theodore R. Bromund, Ph.D. Hagel, Kerry, and Brennan Senate Confirmation Hearings: U.S. Policy on Europe

    In the coming weeks, the United States Senate will begin the confirmation process for three key Administration positions: Senator John Kerry (D–MA) for Secretary of State, former Senator Chuck Hagel (R–NE) for Secretary of Defense, and White House Chief Counterterrorism Advisor John Brennan for Director of the CIA. All three have been prominent backers of President…

  • Backgrounder posted September 4, 2012 by Theodore R. Bromund, Ph.D., Andrew Robert James Southam The U.S.–U.K. Extradition Treaty: Fair, Balanced, and Worth Defending

    Abstract: The 2003 Extradition Treaty between the United States and Great Britain is intensely controversial in the United Kingdom. The treaty resulted from a British process and is a modern and praiseworthy approach to extradition that is based on an objective evidentiary test, requires dual criminality in all cases, and has a proportionality standard. The European…

  • Issue Brief posted July 24, 2012 by Morgan Lorraine Roach Zimbabwe: Sanctions Should Stand

    On Monday, the European Union announced that it is resuming direct aid to Zimbabwe’s government and that sanctions on some targeted individuals and entities (excluding President Robert Mugabe) will be suspended following the country’s constitutional referendum that could come as early as October. This decision is flawed, and it is unlikely to contribute to…

  • Issue Brief posted March 1, 2012 by Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., Theodore R. Bromund, Ph.D. Five Conservative Principles That Should Guide U.S. Policy on Europe

    The Obama Administration has attached little importance to the transatlantic alliance, and Europe has barely figured in its foreign policy. The Administration’s highly touted “pivot to Asia” is simply a belated admission that it has less interest in Europe than any post–1945 U.S. Administration. While Europe is the home of some of America’s most important allies, the…

  • Special Report posted February 22, 2012 by Robin Harris, D. Phil. The U.K. Governing Coalition: The Challenges Ahead and Why America Has a Stake in Britain’s Success

    Abstract: In May 2010, the U.K. general election resulted in a hung Parliament from which emerged a Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition with Conservative leader David Cameron as Prime Minister. The experiment was widely justified by the evident need to cope with the economic crisis and, in particular, the unsustainable budget deficit inherited from the outgoing Labour…

  • Special Report posted February 17, 2012 by The Heritage Foundation Economic Freedom Task Force America’s Global Agenda for Economic Freedom

    Abstract: Promoting economic freedom at home and abroad is essential to revitalizing the U.S. economy. In 2010, for the first time ever, the United States fell from the ranks of the economically free in the Index of Economic Freedom, and economic freedom in the U.S. has continued to decline. The U.S. influence can be decisive in promoting property rights and…

  • Issue Brief posted February 16, 2012 by Luke Coffey The Obama–Cameron Summit Must Advance U.S.–U.K. Defense Cooperation

    President Obama will host British Prime Minister David Cameron at the White House on March 13–14. The official visit will be dominated by the eurozone crisis, developments in Syria, Iran’s nuclear program, and Afghanistan. For the U.K., the Falkland Islands will also be an important agenda item. In addition, this visit will be an important opportunity for the two leaders…

Find more work on European Union
Find more work on European Union