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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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    31May 2017
    Haiti: what resilience for the least resilient
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    This Alert looks at the challenges facing Haiti’s resilience given its status as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and particularly in light of repeated natural disasters. The Alert also states that domestic and international development efforts should focus on supporting education in order to alleviate poverty.

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    24May 2017
    Low carbon development in Latin America
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    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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    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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    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.

  • 25April 2017
    EU-LAC: joining forces to address common security and development challenges

    This workshop brought together experts on several topics to provide insights and identify opportunities for increased EU-LAC cooperation. Key topics included the changing political dynamics in the Americas, public security and new cooperation instruments.

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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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    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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    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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  • 15January 2006
    The future of EU-US burdensharing

    The Institute organised a seminar on future patterns in burdensharing. Among the key issues analysed was how to define burdensharing in light of today's multifaceted menaces and the type of instruments required to facilitate such cooperation.

  • 08July 2005
    Transatlantic Conference: new Bush - new EU - new issues

    Although the transatlantic relationship has been dogged by differences over the war in Iraq, the embargo on arms exports to China and divergences in policy towards the Middle East, significant efforts to facilitate a rapprochement have now emerged.

  • 22April 2005
    Islam in Europe and US security

    The EUISS co-sponsored a Conference on Democracy and Global Islam organised by the Center on Institutions and Governance based at UC Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies. The conference was the first of its kind to discuss the impact of globalising Islam on Europe's growing Muslim population with regard to US security.

  • 14November 2004
    US Elections: what impact on the European Union’s policy?

    The Institute organised a brainstorming session among Europeans experts on the US elections and their consequences for Europe. First examining the evolution of American society and policies, then analysing the European foreign policies vis-à-vis the United States.

  • 04June 2004
    The 2004 Transatlantic Conference. The EU and the US: redefining the partnership

    The 2004 Transatlantic Conference focused on the security agendas of the United States and EU, visions for the Middle East and trends in the transatlantic partnership. The conference was attended by nearly a hundred participants representing governments, international organisations, policy institutes, and academia.

  • 28June 2003
    Transatlantic security cooperation: facing the new challenges

    The Rome conference was the second transatlantic conference organised by the EU Institute for Security Studies in 2003. It focused on the EU and US strategic concepts, EU-NATO cooperation, armaments cooperation, and future trends for transatlantic links.

  • 01April 2003
    The EU and the US: partners in stability?

    The April 2003 Transatlantic Conference, The EU and the US: partners in stability?, was held in Paris. Bringing together officials and academics from both sides of the Atlantic, the conference analysed the state of transatlantic relations after the invasion of Iraq.

  • 07March 2003
    Balkans: the transition from a reduced US commitment

    The 8th meeting of the Institute’s Task Force on South-Eastern Europe was held on 7 March 2003 in Paris. Attended by a number of European and American officials and experts, this session assessed the convergences and divergences between EU and US policy in the Western Balkans today and the next imperatives of the international community’s agenda for the region.

  • 25November 2002
    The decisive intervention. Transatlantic brainstorming on Iraq

    A transatlantic ‘brainstorming’ on Iraq brought together more than 40 officials and experts from both sides of the Atlantic. In the seminar, the options for tackling the Iraqi threat, from UNSC-sponsored inspections to military intervention, were considered. Special attention was paid to the difficulties of the aftermath of a war and occupation, and the implications for the transatlantic alliance and the Middle East region.

  • 07June 2002
    Madrid Transatlantic Conference

    The Madrid conference was organised in cooperation with the Real Instituto Elcano, under the aegis of the Spanish Presidency of the European Union.

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