Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-06-04-Speech-3-029"
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to begin by congratulating the rapporteurs, Mr Saryusz-Wolski and Mr Kuhne, for the constructive, comprehensive and future-oriented approach upon which both reports were based.
In this connection, let me say a few words about the Instrument for Stability. This important new Community funding mechanism has been added to the crisis management and conflict prevention instruments and has been allocated an average of more than EUR 200 million a year for the period from 2007 to 2013. The Commission believes that the Instrument for Stability has proved that it was worthwhile implementing it, in terms of both administration of funds and the quality of the measures taken.
The Commission would very much welcome closer interinstitutional cooperation in relation to the European Union’s external activities if this could guarantee more coherence, efficiency and visibility for EU foreign policy. The Commission is of the opinion that we should pool our energies. That is what Europe needs. That is what the people of Europe – and also the international community – expect from us.
Thank you for your attention.
Given the wide range of topics covered by the two reports, I would like to limit myself to several aspects that are particularly relevant for the Commission, that is, the implementation of the Lisbon Reform Treaty, the European Security Strategy, the Neighbourhood Policy and the issue of joint action, particularly the Commission’s role within the framework of crisis management.
Like most of you, the Commission also hopes that the new Reform Treaty will be ratified this year. If we are to better represent the interests of all EU citizens on the world stage, then the Treaty is vital. A secure, economically healthy, socially balanced and stable Europe that, at the same time, plays a leading role on a world stage that reflects its economic influence, needs a strong EU foreign policy. Therefore, everything that will finally result in a cohesive foreign policy should be supported. This is not primarily an institutional problem or a problem of procedure, nor is it a problem of legal principles – it is a political problem. For EU foreign policy to be effective, all Member States must summon the necessary political will to support the European Union’s common interests. This would in any case be in everyone’s interests. United we stand, divided we fall. We have the choice.
The Commission is currently preparing its contribution to reworking the European Security Strategy. Today we see new dangers and challenges to which the narrow idea of security from 2003 can no longer respond appropriately. The idea of threat now needs to be reformulated, and more significance should be given to the links between security and development, security and energy, security and climate change and even to concerns that we are experiencing at the moment, such as the increase in prices, the availability of commodities, the risk of food shortages and the whole issue of migration.
In this respect, the CFSP and ESS/ESDP annual reports contain many points on which the Commission is in agreement. I expect that these points will also be accepted by the European Council in December 2008.
Promoting democratisation in other countries must continue to be a central element of our foreign policy strategy. We have experience in this; the expansion of the European Union, during which we have gained important experience that we can apply to the benefit of the European Neighbourhood Policy, is a successful example.
The Neighbourhood Policy is now one of our most important instruments – if not the most important instrument – for strengthening peace and stability in our part of the world and helping to create prosperity and security. Our ambition must continue to be to achieve as much integration as possible into Community policies. To enable our partner countries to really benefit from this offer, we need a peaceful solution to continuing conflicts, about which Mr Solana has just spoken so movingly, be they in the Caucasus, Moldova, the Middle East or Western Sahara.
The overall development and therefore the global influence of the European Union depend on optimal use of all its resources and instruments. Fortunately, we are not starting from scratch. We have already made use of a range of Community instruments, including development aid and humanitarian aid, to support the EU’s crisis management measures – from Afghanistan to Kosovo, from the Middle East to Chad.
In addition, the budget administered by the Commission for the CFSP has been increased tremendously, almost ten-fold since 2002. There are currently 11 ESDP missions in the areas of policy, the rule of law and monitoring and two further missions in the military area. The Commission is now included in the planning of these missions from the beginning as a matter of course. This was the case with the operations in Kosovo, Chad and the Central African Republic."@en1
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