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The Americas

The transatlantic relationship has been the cornerstone of the EU’s foreign and security policy. However, in a context where some in the US are looking inwards and questioning the values and institutions their country has built internationally, expectations on Europe have increased. The rise of new global power centres has added a new dimension to transatlantic debates, and both sides of the Atlantic must redefine the relationship to preserve security and prosperity, as well as maintain influence in an emerging international system where the 'West’– may no longer be dominant.

The EU has also cultivated and institutionalised relations with Canada and many countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Recent changes in the international context have made the EU a more attractive partner to LAC countries, which are facing economic slowdowns, rising criminality and problems related to the rule of law. However, the increasing contestation of democratic values (which used to bind LAC countries together) has put regional institutions under pressure and strained relations with the EU.

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    24May 2017
    Citizen security in Latin America
    By

    This Alert explains why the reduction of lethal violence and other forms of victimisation is a precondition for ensuring inclusive and sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

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    24May 2017
    The economic impact of violence in LAC: implications for the EU
    By

    Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) can be considered to be the most violent region in the world, particularly when measured by homicide levels. Given the high costs of violence in LAC, how can systematic assessments of the economic cost of violence enhance the scope for EU preventive action?

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    24May 2017
    Low carbon development in Latin America
    By

    This Alert looks at the challenges facing Latin America as it transitions from its current development paradigm to a low carbon development path. Which countries have the greatest potential when it comes to renewable energy investments?

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    23May 2017
    Towards San Salvador: where Europe meets Latin America
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    This Brief takes a look at the state of play in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in the run-up to the bi-regional EU-CELAC summit in El Salvador in October. What can the Union expect to achieve at the summit? And what kind of partner can CELAC be for the EU.

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    15March 2017
    No Trump cards for Moscow
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    Much of the current analysis of future US-Russia relations is focused on Trump’s presumed instincts and intentions towards Moscow. This Alert argues that the president’s policies towards China, Iran, energy and defence are all likely to present Russia with a difficult dilemma.

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    15March 2017
    World trade and Trump
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    Upon taking office, President Trump signed an executive order formally ordering the withdrawal of the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). This Brief examines the implications of Trump’s protectionist trade policies: the opportunities for third countries, as well the potential of sparking a trade war.

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    03November 2016
    Cybersecurity and democracy: Hacking, leaking and voting
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    As they enter a period of critical elections, the US and European countries are being confronted by a series of threats from cyberspace. Electronic voting infrastructure and networks of political groups have recorded repeated intrusion, while strategic leaks of compromising documents have sought to influence public opinion.

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    14October 2016
    Colombia: Nobel present, uncertain future
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    Last week, Colombians voted against the peace agreement that the government and the FARC had reached in August to end the country’s civil war. How did this happen? And how will the process move forward?

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    29July 2016
    Military coups: a very short introduction
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    This Brief seeks to explain why (and when) coups happen. What conditions are needed to persuade the military to attempt to topple a government? And what elements increase the likelihood of success or failure?

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    26May 2016
    US forces – between Europe and Asia
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    Recent developments to the east and south of Europe have pushed European defence back onto the agenda in Washington. What steps has the US taken to guarantee the security of its transatlantic allies? And are they enough?

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  • 15September 2011
    US Task Force 2011 EU-US counter-terrorism cooperation since 9/11: challenges and perspectives

    This first US Task Force, organised with the support of the European Commission and the United States Mission to the European Union, stimulated an interesting debate at transatlantic level on the development of homeland security, focusing in particular on the future balance between liberty and security.

  • 10November 2010
    EU-Washington Forum 2010: giving new impetus to the EU-US agenda

    The third annual EU-Washington Forum, held on 8-9 November 2010 in Washington DC, addressed the challenge of strengthening the EU-US relationship post Lisbon and explored options for reinvigorating the common agenda.

  • 20September 2010
    New growth models and transatlantic cooperation

    This preparatory seminar for the EU-Washington Forum 2010 took place at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC on 20 September 2010. The main talking points of the seminar included the role of innovation in 'smart economies', new skills for new jobs and the implications for transatlantic cooperation.

  • 20January 2010
    'The Obama Moment' Book Launch

    The Obama Moment’ was launched in Brussels on 20 January 2010, the first anniversary of US President Barack Obama’s inauguration. This latest EUISS book addresses the prospects for EU-US relations during the Obama era and provides an authoritative analysis of the most topical global questions of our time: multilateralism, the economy, disarmament and climate change. The launch was attended by William E. Kennard, the US Ambassador to the EU, and Alan Seatter, a director within the EC Directorate-General for External Relations.

  • 20November 2009
    EU Washington Forum 2009: responding to the Obama Agenda

    Bringing together leading politicians and thinkers from both sides of the Atlantic, the Forum reinforced the conviction that the future of global governance depends on effective multilateralism and increased EU-US cooperation.

  • 14September 2009
    Prospects for US-EU cooperation on security, freedom and justice

    Part of a larger project organised by three US think-tanks, the purpose of this seminar was to determine how the US and the EU can work more effectively on security cooperation, including a vast agenda of issues beyond the framework of NATO, as well as how to combat criminal and terrorist networks.

  • 06April 2009
    Change in Washington: new momentum for US-EU relations

    On 6th April, a group of experts and international observers from both sides of the Atlantic came together in Paris to take a fresh look at a new era in US-EU relations.

  • 21November 2008
    A new departure: global challenges and EU-US policies after the American elections

    The Institute’s Washington Forum, brought together EU and US policy makers and researchers to discuss key foreign policy issues likely to be high on the agenda of incoming US administration, providing an open exchange of views from both sides of the Atlantic.

  • 29October 2007
    Peace in the Middle East: is there a way forward?

    This event sought to foster a a transatlantic dialogue on the key questions for a negotiated solution: Palestinian politics; the regional context (including Iran); and the respective roles of the EU and the US in promoting the peace process.

  • 20November 2006
    The EU-US partnership delivering results?

    The 2006 EUISS Transatlantic Conference (Washington DC, 20th November 2006) was held less than two weeks after the Congressional elections, allowing the participants to reflect on the impact of this political change on Washington scene.

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