Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-03-29-Speech-4-012"
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"en.20070329.5.4-012"2
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"Mr President, let me start by apologising for missing the first few minutes of the very interesting and very important speech by the High Representative. The Commission agrees with the points made by the High Representative in the annual programme he has presented.
My conclusions are simple: the more consistent we are, and the clearer we speak with one voice, the stronger we shall be.
European citizens may sometimes be ambivalent about the EU. However, in a world of growing challenges to peace and security and where our values are under threat, individual Member States can do little alone. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, the European Union has become a global player, with a population of half a billion across 27 countries, accounting for a quarter of world income, over a fifth of world trade and some 60% of global development assistance. We have the means to play our role in world affairs.
The internal market has been the main source of our strength. It has also been the key factor for enlargement, the most successful peace and security initiative ever carried out in Europe, and for the European Neighbourhood Policy, which aims to bring both the eastern European and Mediterranean countries closer to us and our values.
In order to take on the new long-term challenges, in particular the fight against terror and arms proliferation, poverty and disease, organised crime and illegal migration, climate change and threats to our energy supply, we need a fully joined-up foreign policy – one which includes common foreign and security policy aspects, but also goes well beyond.
The point of departure must be increased coherence in the use of our instruments. As we said in the Commission’s Communication ‘Europe in the World’, the overall effectiveness and therefore the global influence of the EU depend on optimal use of all available leverage in support of external goals.
The Commission is already doing this. Experience has shown that dealing with crises is not just a matter of sending soldiers and policemen. It is about rebuilding and strengthening institutions, improving governance, reinforcing human rights and democracy, and setting the conditions for economic life. These are long-term tasks, and they need to bring security together with humanitarian and development aid, trade, investment and all relevant external aspects of internal policies.
We are present in almost all the hot spots. We will remain a major player in Afghanistan, where we have spent more than a billion euros over the last five years; in the Middle East, where we are using the Temporary International Mechanism to support the Palestinians; and in Iraq, where we are preparing for a long-term engagement.
Institutionally, there are many recent examples of positive synergies: the EU’s contribution to the Aceh peace process is a mix of common foreign and security policy and Community instruments; the Border Assistance Missions in the Palestinian territories and in Moldova and Ukraine illustrate how Community assistance helps reinforce the impact of the CFSP and vice versa. In Kosovo and Afghanistan, the major ESDP operations under preparation will be supported by Community initiatives. We shall also help finance the future International Civilian Office in Kosovo.
That being said, the biggest challenges for the common foreign and security policy are still before us. It is much easier to agree to set up mechanisms to address instability in the developing world and support effective multilateralism than to make common decisions which affect Member States’ vital bilateral relationships outside the European Union. The risk of splits is always present. We need to have faith in our own strength."@en1
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