Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-12-14-Speech-3-276-000"
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"en.20111214.22.3-276-000"2
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"I supported this report because I am also concerned about European security and declining European influence in the world. In the present economic crisis, the constant defence spending cuts may seem unavoidable, but it is only in complicated situations that we understand that this is not the ideal solution from the point of view of defensive capability. Most European countries have significantly reduced their defensive capabilities since the end of the Cold War, presuming that different wars would remain a thing of the distant past and that the future would be bright. I also believe in a brighter future, one of the foundations of which is the European Union. In order to defend our values, however, we must consider different threats. I consider the present situation, in which Europe primarily relies on NATO’s greatest military power – the United States, consuming security that it does not particularly wish to pay for, to be irresponsible. However, what happens when US taxpayers cease to consider this to be reasonable – after all, they have their own concerns. Present experience in Libya has shown that European countries can no longer cope with events in their near vicinity without US assistance. Only a few countries on the outer borders of the EU, such as Greece and Poland that have a stronger sense of various threats, have contributed more than the average amount to our common security, and my home country of Estonia has also raised its defence expenditures to 2% of GDP. Of course it is not only the amount spent that is important, but how it is spent. Therefore, it is crucial to avoid duplication between Member States by increasing effectiveness and harmonising EU defence policy. Greater unity within Europe will ensure that we are taken seriously and deter those who dare to question our values."@en1
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