Brussels, 09/09/2015 (Agence Europe) - MEPs made clear their support, on Wednesday 9 September, for what the EU and the high representative are doing in the Middle East.
“We are all in agreement that the EU should, indeed, be a strong player in the Middle East peace process with strong initiatives”, stated Martina Anderson (UK), on behalf of GUE. “It is very important to see that the EU has an ever more important and active role in the Middle East peace process. We must renew our commitment to the peace process in the region”, argued Victor Bostinaru (Romania), for the S&D. “A lasting solution to the conflict can only come in a regional context with the major players and there has to be close cooperation between the EU and the United States and with the Arab League”, he added. Elmar Brok (Germany), speaking for the EPP, also underlined the importance of cooperation with the Arab League. “The Arab countries must be involved in security and be intermediaries if there is to be a viable Palestinian state and a safe Jewish state”, he argued. Charles Tannock (ECR, UK) argued that negotiations should focus first on confidence-building before discussing such issues as Jerusalem, the settlements and the Palestinians' right of return. James Carver (EFDD, UK), on the other hand, was against the EU's having any role in the negotiations. “There's a Quartet (Ed: of which the EU is part), the United Nations, are we not going to cause confusion? Does the EU have a role to play in this? Would this role not be more destructive than anything else?” he wondered.
During the debate, EU High Representative Federica Mogherini said she was “sure the EU can wield an influence”, adding that this was a long-term project. “I will do everything in my power to relaunch the process but it will take time to get results if we manage”, she warned. “We have to help bring the parties closer together, find the right format. There has to be negotiation”, she added, stating that the starting point had to be re-establishing a minimum level of trust and putting in place an agenda that will allow the parties to make progress. She said that the EU special envoy was working with the Quartet to encourage the parties to make progress on the ground and to rebuild trust. However, she made clear, “the conditions for relaunching the negotiations are not yet in place. There is a lack of trust on both sides” (our translation throughout).
MEPs could, on Thursday 10 September, adopt a joint resolution that they debated for four hours. Several stated during the course of the debate that this joint resolution was a clear signal of support for Mogherini. Also on 9 September, MEPs decided, by 344 votes to 282, with 35 abstentions, to change the name of their “delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council” to the “delegation for relations with Palestine”. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)