A quote from Wolfgang Ischinger, the German ambassador to Britain (and the German ambassador to the US from 2001 to 2006) in al-Guardian, 20 March 2007

On three critical global issues – nuclear non-proliferation, Middle East peace and climate change – it [Europe, i.e. the EU] is better placed than anyone.

Opening nuclear negotiations with Tehran was a European idea in 2004, initially given a lukewarm reception by Washington. More recently, as the EU3 (Britain, France and Germany) approach began to be seen as the only game in town, Washington has offered more active support, but so far always stopping short of speaking to Tehran directly on the nuclear issue. Bringing Russia and China on board was, again, a European initiative. If a solution emerges, it is likely to be European-brokered. There is much greater cohesion among Europeans on Iran than there was on Iraq five years ago: on Iran, the EU will not be split.

When it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, barely any progress has been made over the past six years. The adoption of the “road map” and the creation of the quartet (EU, Russia, UN, US) were born of European ideas. They were formally endorsed by Washington, but never seriously pursued and later quasi-abandoned. This year, a major effort by the current EU presidency has led to the quartet’s revival, and more diplomatic activity. Many in the region doubt, however, whether Washington will have the determination necessary for a breakthrough in the peace process without even more active input from Europe. The European willingness to take more responsibility in the region, and to play a role in ending the Lebanon war in 2006, including the deployment of military forces to the country, was an eye-opener for many – in the region and beyond.

On climate change, the critical question is who can – and will – lead the international debate about a post-Kyoto regime. If a deal can be hammered out in 2007, and if it has any chance of endorsement in the US, China and India, it will most likely be the result of the EU’s ongoing efforts to move ahead with ambitious goals on CO2 emissions and energy saving.