Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-05-11-Speech-3-018-000"
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"en.20110511.4.3-018-000"2
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"Mr President, Baroness Ashton, ladies and gentlemen, the common security and defence policy (CSDP) is going through an extremely difficult time.
Just when developments in the international system require the European Union to become a credible actor in security and defence; just when the European approach to crisis management through supporting democracy rather than exporting it appears to be more suited to the challenges of our times; just when the economic crisis makes the option of developing a common defence inevitable; just when the Treaty of Lisbon provides new instruments to develop the CSDP within the framework of an integrated approach; in short, just when a quality leap in the CSDP has become necessary and possible, the European edifice seems to be creaking dangerously and there is a real risk that the ambitions and possibilities of the CSDP will have to be drastically downsized.
The report I am presenting seeks to tackle this contradiction and suggests possible answers for the other institutions. With regard to the Libyan crisis, we do not confine ourselves to expressing our disappointment either at the European Union’s inability to define its position and take joint action or at the restrictions placed on the EUFOR Libya mandate. We believe the time has come for a European political initiative, in conjunction with our other partners, to bring about a ceasefire and to hold negotiations that will put an end to the Gaddafi regime and begin a transition to an inclusive democracy. NATO’s military intervention is clearly unlikely to solve anything and it will do well to adhere scrupulously to the mandate of the UN resolution, avoiding any disproportionate use of force.
At the same time, we hope that CSDP assets will be used effectively to provide humanitarian assistance to the civilian population under attack and that future operations will be planned in such a way as to support the development of democracy in Libya. The Libyan situation also calls for reflection on a wider scale, and I believe it reinforces the report’s suggestions. Responsibility for the future of Europe and for security and defence, of course, lies primarily with the European Council, its members and also its President, who represents the Union in matters of foreign and security policy at that level.
We say to them clearly that bilateral cooperation and coalitions of the willing cannot replace the CSDP as the Union’s policy. We do not find the idea of renationalising this policy convincing, not because we are Treaty purists, but because, if it were renationalised, this policy would not be equal to the challenges that lie ahead. We propose that Parliament should enter into a strategic dialogue with the European Council, which we call on to discuss Parliament’s recommendations, to draw up a proper foreign policy strategy and to devote an extraordinary meeting to European security and defence.
We call on you, Baroness Ashton, to intensify your efforts to build a consensus among the Member States and to make use of your multiple functions to improve consistency between the CSDP, the common foreign and security policy and the other facets of the Union’s external action. The European External Action Service is an instrument with enormous potential for this work. The report puts forward several proposals for the role it should play, starting with that of being a crisis management board able to provide a genuinely integrated response to crises, and we are delighted to see that it is taking shape. The Libyan situation also confirms the inadequacy of Europe’s military capability, which is well below the overall high level of national defence budgets.
It is quite obvious that strength only lies in unity. This involves pooling, sharing, strengthening of the European Defence Agency, permanent structured cooperation, development of an efficient and competitive European defence market, strengthening of the industrial and technological base, and enhancement of joint command and control capabilities. The inadequacy of these capabilities has been a factor preventing Europe from responding promptly to the Libyan crisis, starting with setting up a permanent operations general headquarters. The report formulates a large number of concrete proposals on this and other issues, such as the integration of external and internal security policies in a way that respects the primacy of the Community method.
It is noteworthy that in this respect, the main pro-European political groups are united, and I thank the shadow rapporteurs and coordinators for this fruitful collaboration. Parliament is ready to support the development of a CSDP that is fully integrated with the Union’s external action and is rooted in the values and principles of Europe. Baroness Ashton, we hope you can respond convincingly to us both in words and, above all, in deeds."@en1
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