The State of the European Union. The European Parliament faces its most important elections yet

RECOMENDACIONES 141 – This will be a matter of advancing in areas in which there are points of convergence, attempting to resolve disputes (trade, Iran, etc.) and setting aside differences until a more opportune moment ar- rives to address them. Progress can be made on a number of issues such as improving trading mechanisms, security, counterterrorism and NATO, and there are plenty of other areas worth exploring such as opportunities in Latin America and Africa, sustainable develop- ment, the digital economy and new types of employment opportu- nities. – The EU should attempt to change prevailing attitudes in Washington so as to halt protectionism and trade wars, focusing on two objec- tives. The first is convincing the White House to lift the illegal tariffs it imposed on steel in June 2018. The second is pressuring the ap- pellate body of the World Trade Organization to fill judicial vacan- cies in an expeditious and credible manner, clearing the way for negotiations on the reform of the WTO to move forward. – In the sphere of security: • As the US gradually closes its ‘security umbrella’, Europe can, and must, open its own. The best way to meet the upcoming 2% NATO budget target is to create a European Pillar within the Atlantic Alliance with the long-term intention of achieving full strategic autonomy. This implies moving forward with Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), a European military headquar- ters and the European Defence Fund (EDF). • Our relationship with NATO affords ample opportunities for joint investment in new areas of strategic importance from artificial intelligence to cyber warfare and the militarisation of space. – Europe cannot accept the continuation of sanctions against European companies imposed following the US withdrawal from the nuclear pact with Iran and must try to reverse the current situ- ation by acting in coordination and, if necessary, taking the matter before an international court. – Europe can also endeavour to strengthen bonds and build a more constructive relationship with the US and the new Democratic ma- jority in the House of Representatives that took office in early January following last November’s mid-term elections. The EU and its individual Member States can further this relationship at various levels: parliamentary, civil society and the business community. The new political cycle may prove to be positive for Europe or at least provide opportunities for damage control on points such as funding