Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2016-06-06-Speech-1-163-000"
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"en.20160606.16.1-163-000"2
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"Madam President, when I set out to write this report, my aim was to have an end product that reflected the reality of the situation and was useful. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the shadow rapporteurs for their cooperation and efforts in helping to achieve this. I believe we have a report that is strongly supported across Parliament.
It deals with a critical issue bearing on so many current concerns in our countries. We have seen flows of refugees and economic migrants, as well as the terrorist threat, increasing – and, by the time these problems are on the doorstep of Europe, it is too late. It is therefore in our interest not only to put our own houses in order so that we reduce the pull factors and our own vulnerabilities, but also to help the African countries, in particular, to deal with their problems.
It is thus in all our interests for African countries, and the African Union in particular, to do more to create peace and stability on their continent, but they need help to achieve this, particularly in building capacity. A key priority is to make the African Standby Force operational and really effective as soon as possible. This requires stronger political will and engagement from the African countries themselves, more advocacy by us in African capitals and practical assistance by our Member States and – in terms of funding and civil resources – by the EU itself.
So often, Parliament’s reports give the impression that the EU alone is shouldering the world’s problems. This is far from the truth. We need to recognise the efforts of the United Nations, the African Union, the United States and NATO, as well as many individual European countries, in addition to the excellent contribution from the EU itself.
The EU must also avoid duplicating the work of others. There needs to be greater cooperation and communication between all those involved. Given the scale of the challenges and the complex involvement of other organisations and nations, the EU should seek an appropriate division of labour, focusing on where it can best add value, including through support to operations by individual Member States. There is probably sufficient funding available to Africa and for peace support operations. It is a question of how it is spent. There is a requirement for greater transparency and accountability in order to give assurance about appropriate spending. We have a duty to ensure funds are not abused or wasted. The EU should focus its efforts: it needs to prioritise. There are a great many issues to be dealt with and it would be most effective to be selective in the ones we attempt to tackle.
Our engagement over the years in helping overcome the problem of anti-personnel landmines, which have been such a threat in post-conflict development, is a case in point. I do not happen to believe that promotion of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) agenda is the right focus. Others are better able to provide military support. The EU can be useful in other ways. I therefore do not support the references to the CSDP that have been made through amendments to my report in committee.
In order for peace support operations (PSOs) in Africa to be effective in bringing about real change, there must be a consistent drive towards a more coordinated response by all international actors. The UN must carry the main responsibility for external military intervention, but the African Union must increasingly take the regional lead, supported by the most capable of our nations, as well as by the United States, NATO and the EU as appropriate. Enhanced international collaboration, appropriate division of labour and a continued emphasis on African capability and responsibility must be our priorities. The needs of the African countries concerned and the security and cohesion of our own countries should be the overall guiding principles for EU involvement."@en1
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