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U.S.-EU Summit: Overview Fact Sheet released by the Bureau of European and Canadian Affairs, U.S. Department of State, December 5, 1997

The December 5 summit between the United States and the European Union provided an opportunity to review progress in the transatlantic relationship at the conclusion of Luxembourg's presidency of the EU. At the summit, U.S. and EU leaders renewed their commitment to the two-year old U.S.-EU New Transatlantic Agenda (NTA), and continued their discussions on a wide range of critical issues.

Several joint statements have been released in conjunction with the summit, as well as the Senior Level Group Report prepared for the Summit. The U.S. and the EU made a breakthrough on a set of guidelines and a work plan to foster growth and development of electronic commerce. This signals a strong commitment on the part of U.S. and EU leaders to encourage the robust development of this crucially innovative commercial sector. The two sides also blessed new initiatives to support reforms in Ukraine; a long-term strategy for democratization in Bosnia-Herzegovina; a joint information campaign to combat trafficking in women; and high-level U.S.-EC development, humanitarian and assistance cooperation.

In addition, the U.S. and EU signed a Science and Technology Agreement, and provided a demonstration of the Transatlantic Information Exchange Service (TIES), a partnership promoted by the U.S., the European Union and NGOs.

An innovative format was followed this year, with both a restricted leaders-only session and a cabinet-level plenary session, followed by a general report to the leaders over lunch.

The plenary session, hosted by Acting Secretary Strobe Talbott at Blair House, focused on a number of important topics. Participants reviewed our diplomatic cooperation in key regions, such as Ukraine, the former Yugoslavia and the Middle East; examined priority trade and economic questions, including current trade frictions and opportunities to work together on cutting-edge trade issues such as electronic commerce and regulatory cooperation; and discussed climate change and regional law enforcement cooperation, among other critical global issues.

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