Croatian MEP Tonino Picula is this year's third most influential MEP on trade and foreign affairs, according to the Influence Index of the independent think tank VoteWatch Europe, his office said on Thursday.

Picula ranked third out of 218 MEPs on the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Subcommittee on Human Rights, the Subcommittee on Security and Defence, and the Committee on International Trade.

Picula is the European Parliament rapporteur on the future of EU-US relations and on the relations with Montenegro as well as chairman of the Working Group for the Western Balkans.

Following the publication of the Influence Index, he said international relations, security and defence, notably in light of the new challenges to the international order, were key for the future of the EU and its member states.

He said the United States was the EU’s key partner and that his report on their relations would be the basis for working together to contribute to global peace and dealing with climate change, taxation and migration.

This year Picula presented the report on the future of EU-US relations which defined the priorities of the dialogue between the EU and the US as well as detecting the biggest common challenges. The EP adopted the report with a two-thirds majority of 550 votes.

The report underlined the need for a renewed agenda that would highlight multilateral cooperation for a healthier world, the fight against climate change, reformed trade rules, the promotion of democracy and an order based on common values, and a global order reform aimed at eliminating social and economic inequalities.

Also adopted was Picula’s report on Montenegro in which he underlined the country’s progress in fighting organised crime and called for accelerating reforms, underlining the importance of the rule of law, press freedoms and the fight against corruption.

After the publication of the Influence Index, he said it was important for the EU to keep its credibility in the policy of enlargement to the Western Balkans, saying it was the basic test the EU must pass to realise its agenda of strategic autonomy in foreign policy, security and defence.

As a negotiator, Picula finalised the adoption of the IPA III instrument, which is the foundation for the pre-accession financing of EU candidates in the 2021-27 period and which is aimed at boosting their democratic, normative and socio-economic transformation.