Obligates funds from assistance available to Eastern Europe, the Baltic States, and the Independent States of the former Soviet Union for United States Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe (e-PINE) projects.
Repeals The Cross-Border Cooperation and Environmental Safety in Northern Europe Act of 2000.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1026 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1026
To foster cross-border cooperation in Northern Europe.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 1, 2005
Mr. Shimkus (for himself and Mr. McCotter) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To foster cross-border cooperation in Northern Europe.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Cross-Border Cooperation in Northern
Europe Act of 2005''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Northern Europe is a vital part of Europe and one that
offers continuing opportunities for United States investment.
(2) Northern Europe offers an excellent opportunity to
continue to implement the United States vision of a secure,
prosperous, and stable Europe, in part because of--
(A) historical tradition of regional cooperation;
(B) the opportunity to engage the Russian
Federation in positive, cooperative activities with its
neighbors to the west;
(C) commitment by the Nordic and Baltic states to
regional cooperation and integration into western
institutions; and
(D) long-standing, strong ties with the United
States.
(3) In 1997, the United States established the Northern
Europe Initiative (NEI) which provided a conceptual and
operational framework for United States policy in the region,
focused on developing a regional network of cooperation in the
important areas of business and trade promotion, law
enforcement, the environment, energy, civil society, and public
health.
(4) Since then the United States Northern Europe Initiative
has sponsored a wide variety of regional and cross-border
projects, including the following:
(A) A United States-Lithuanian training program for
entrepreneurs from Belarus and Kaliningrad.
(B) The Great Lakes-Baltic Sea Partnership program
implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency.
(C) A Center of Excellence for Treatment of
Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Riga, Latvia.
(D) A regional HIV/AIDS strategy developed under
United States and Finnish leadership.
(E) Multiple efforts to combat organized crime,
including regional seminars for police officers and
prosecutors.
(F) Programs to encourage reform of the Baltic
electricity market and encourage United States
investment in such market.
(G) Language and job training programs for Russian-
speaking minorities in Latvia and Estonia to promote
social integration in those countries.
(H) A mentoring partnership program for women
entrepreneurs in the northwest region of Russia and the
Baltic states, as part of broader efforts to promote
women's participation in political and economic life.
(5)(A) With the then pending accession of Estonia, Latvia,
and Lithuania to the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO), the United States recognized the
need for new policy approaches to Northern Europe. In 2003, the
United States established the Enhanced Partnership in Northern
Europe (e-PINE).
(B) The United States Enhanced Partnership in Northern
Europe provides the conceptual and operational framework for
United States policy in the region, focused on developing a
regional network of collaboration between Nordic and Baltic
countries and the United States in promoting cooperative
security, vibrant economies, and healthy societies within
Northern Europe and beyond its borders.
(C) Much of the focus of the Enhanced Partnership in
Northern Europe has been on collaboratively extending the
lessons learned from the success of Baltic states to other
countries in the region.
(D) Though primarily policy-oriented in focus, the Enhanced
Partnership in Northern Europe has also sponsored projects and
initiatives in the region, including the following:
(i) Several joint projects between the United
States and Latvia and Lithuania focused on democracy
promotion and institution building in Belarus.
(ii) A mentoring partnership program for women
entrepreneurs in the northwest region of the Russian
Federation, Finland, the Baltic states, Belarus, and
Ukraine, as part of broader efforts to promote women's
participation in political and economic life.
(iii) An outreach program to bring parliamentarians
in the Baltic states to the United States.
(6) The United States commends European Union efforts in
Northern Europe associated with the EU's ``Northern Dimension''
which is designed to address challenges in Northern Europe with
regard to economic development, protection of the environment,
the safety and containment of nuclear materials, and other
issues.
(7) While the European Union, its member states, and other
European countries should clearly take the lead in addressing
the challenges posed in Northern Europe and the wider region,
in particular through appropriate yet substantial assistance
provided by the European Union, the United States Enhanced
Partnership in Northern Europe, and this Act are intended to
supplement such efforts and build on the considerable
assistance that the United States has already provided to the
Baltic states and the Russian Federation. Partnership with
other countries in the region means modest United States
investment can have significant impact.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to demonstrate concrete
support for continued cross-border cooperation in Northern Europe.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the United States Enhanced Partnership in Northern
Europe (e-PINE) is a sound framework for future United States
involvement in Northern Europe;
(2) the European Union should continue to authorize and
fund the `Northern Dimension' Initiative at appropriate yet
substantial levels of assistance and that the United States and
the European Union should continue to work collaboratively on
issues of mutual interest; and
(3) the United States should continue to support a wide-
ranging strengthening of democratic and civic institutions on a
regional basis to provide a foundation for political stability
and investment opportunities, including cross-border exchanges,
in Northern Europe and neighboring countries.
SEC. 4. SUPPORT FOR UNITED STATES ENHANCED PARTNERSHIP IN NORTHERN
EUROPE (E-PINE) PROJECTS.
(a) Availability of Amounts From East European and the Baltic
States Assistance.--Of the amounts available for fiscal year 2006 to
carry out the provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) and the Support for Eastern European Democracy
(SEED) Act of 1989 (22 U.S.C. 5401 et seq.) for assistance and for
related programs for Eastern Europe and the Baltic States, not more
than $2,000,000 is authorized to be available for the projects
described in subsection (c).
(b) Availability of Amounts From Independent States of the Former
Soviet Union.--Of the amounts available for fiscal year 2006 to carry
out the provisions of chapter 11 of part I of the Foreign Assistance
Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2295 et seq.) and the Freedom for Russia and
Emerging Eurasian Democracies and Open Markets Support Act of 1992 (22
U.S.C. 5801 et seq.) for assistance for the independent states of the
former Soviet Union and related programs, such sums as may be necessary
are authorized to be available for the projects described in subsection
(c).
(c) Projects Described.--The projects described in this subsection
are United States Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe (e-PINE)
projects relating to, but not exclusively, regional security, democracy
promotion, democratic institution building, economic growth,
environmental cleanup, law enforcement, public health, energy, business
and trade promotion, and civil society.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Northern europe.--The term ``Northern Europe'' means
the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic
of Lithuania, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Republic of Finland,
the Republic of Iceland, the Kingdom of Norway, and the Kingdom
of Sweden.
(2) United states enhanced partnership in northern europe
(e-pine).--The term ``United States Enhanced Partnership in
Northern Europe'' or ``Enhanced Partnership in Northern
Europe'' (commonly referred to as ``e-PINE'') means the
partnership formed in 2003 between the United States and the
countries of Northern Europe to promote security, economic
growth, and healthy societies in the region and appropriate
neighboring countries through policy coordination and
collaboration.
(3) United states northern europe initiative (nei).--The
term ``United States Northern European Initiative'' or
``Northern European Initiative'' (commonly referred to as
``NEI'') means the framework agreement established in 1997
between the United States and the countries of Northern Europe
(including the northwest region of the Russian Federation
(including Kaliningrad), the Republic of Belarus, and the
Republic of Poland) to promote stability in the Baltic Sea
region and to strengthen key institutions and security
structures of the United States and the countries of Northern
Europe.
SEC. 6. REPEAL.
The Cross-Border Cooperation and Environmental Safety in Northern
Europe Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-255) is hereby repealed.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on International Relations.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Europe and Emerging Threats.
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