Does the Special Relationship Have a Role to Play in Future Eu-Us Relations?

As the European Union (EU) gathers momentum, an equitable and credible partner to the US will shortly exist with the potential to share the burden of today's global challenges. However, despite the 'Solana Paper's' statement that this trans-Atlantic relationship is one of the core elements of the international system, with the numerous trade and foreign policy conflicts that exist between the two powers, the relationship has effectively floundered.1 There is a growing sense in the US that the EU is becoming increasingly antagonistic towards the US and all it stands for. Peter van Ham of the International Herald Tribune has written that the US response to this resistance is that the EU is being treated by Americans with indifference at best; at worst is considered irrelevant; and will be increasingly marginalized in a world where the US intends to remain the unchallenged hegemon.