Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-11-21-Speech-3-460-000"
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"en.20121121.27.3-460-000"2
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"Mr President, honourable Members, you have come up with a number of suggestions on how to improve our approach and our actions and I consider the report instrumental for our policy debate.
Let me end by saying – as the High Representative/Vice-President constantly does – how proud we are and should be of the servicemen and women who are operating in theatre at the present time. As we move towards Christmas and for us a holiday season, I am very conscious that men and women are serving across the world and especially, as was mentioned, in very dangerous places.
The High Representative/Vice-President and myself are extremely proud of the work that they do and I know that members of this House are too.
This has been an interesting and I think a very important debate. Not least because, in the context of looking at the economic situation that Member States and institutions find themselves in, it is absolutely vital that we discuss how best to make sure that we are able to respond to some of the crises and security threats we are faced with as individual nations, as parliamentarians and as institutions.
I am very pleased to note the relevance that the conclusions adopted on Monday by the Foreign Affairs/Defence Council chaired by the High Representative/Vice-President have in this respect and that they are in line with the contents of your reports.
Let me just remind you of a couple of key elements which are relevant to our debate today. By this I would like to convince Mr Van Orden to take a more positive view on CSDP.
Monday’s conclusions stressed that capabilities underpin the EU’s ability to act as a security provider in the context of a wider comprehensive approach. Also, the Council underlines the necessity to maximise the effectiveness of Europe’s defence expenditure in times of financial austerity, including through pooling and sharing.
It also stresses the wider impact of the defence sector on innovation, technology and growth and the need for synergies with wider EU policies in these fields
Mr Van Orden says that the EU does not need military means and can leave this to NATO. But is Operation Atalanta not an example that an EU military mission has an effect and is useful? It has an effect on piracy and it has been cooperating very well with NATO. The same can be said about our training mission in Somalia, which has had a positive effect on strengthening the Somalian Government. If I am correct, the British Government is supporting these EU operations.
I would also like to recall that the United States in their strategic review asked for greater responsibility and a greater role for the European Union as a security provider in the world.
On the issue of a special representative dealing with climate security, the European Union is already focussing political attention on climate security challenges through its established structures. The European Union is also sponsoring international debate including at the level of the UN Security Council. The priority appears to be to continue building up awareness and capacities at the multilateral level and in regional fora. In this regard, we take note of the report’s recommendation to work towards the nomination of a special envoy at United Nations level. The European Union is already coordinating its action on climate security aspects with the UN and its agencies. The nomination of a UN envoy would help this ongoing coordination and help maintain political visibility at UN level."@en1
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