In his State of the Union speech on Wednesday 13 September, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker called for the removal of unanimity when voting on foreign affairs issues, so as to be able to take action more quickly.
"I would like the member states to examine which external policy decisions might no longer be adopted by unanimity, but by qualified majority", he told MEPs.
In Juncker's opinion, the 'bridging clause' contained in the treaty (Article 31.3) allows this if the European Council decides on it by unanimity. And by using it, the Union would carry more weight on the international stage because it would be "able to take foreign policy decisions more swiftly".
Under the current system, foreign policy decisions (such as the adoption or lifting of sanctions, or the launch of missions and operations relating to the common security and defence policy) require unanimity.
Apart from this, foreign affairs were the poor relation in Juncker's speech as he did not mention any EU action in the world except on migration issues in the EU's neighbourhood.
In the area of defence, "further efforts are needed", he said, adding that by 2025 "we should have a European Union of operational defence". "We need this. And NATO is in favour of it", he said, referring to the comments of those who think these two elements are incompatible.
In his letter of intent sent to the European Parliament and Council the same day, Juncker said he would like the "swift adoption, by the co-legislators, of the European defence industrial development programme, and the follow up of the European defence plan of action, in particular with focus on implementation of the European defence fund, including the financial toolbox" by the end of 2018, in line with the guidelines decided upon by the European Council in June (see EUROPE 11814).
To Ankara: "Free our journalists!"
Juncker also spoke about Turkey. Reiterating that to join the EU, "absolute priority" needed to be given to respecting the rule of law, justice and fundamental rights, Juncker clearly stated that "this excludes Turkey's accession to the EU in the near future".
"For some time now, Turkey has been taking giant steps away from the EU. The place for journalists is in editorial offices where the freedom of expression reigns. Their place is not in prisons (...) Release journalists, and not only our journalists!", he said as a comment to Ankara.
Juncker also called on Turkey's leaders to stop "insulting our member states and our heads of state and government by treating them as fascists or Nazis". "Europe is a continent made up of mature democracies. He who offends, closes off to himself the road to our Union", he warned. He spoke of his feeling that Turkey is trying to close its path to the Union in order then to make the EU responsible for a failure in the accession negotiations (see EUROPE 11850).
In contrast, Juncker would like the EU to offer credible enlargement prospects to the Western Balkans, so as to create "more stability in our neighbourhood". He nevertheless again stated that there would be no new accessions under his mandate "because in the years to come, the European Union will have over 27 members".
The representatives of the political groups did not react much on the subject of foreign policy. The leader of the European Parliament's EPP Group, Manfred Weber (Germany), called on the EU to have a clear position towards Turkey, as the Parliament has shown by voting for the suspension of accession negotiations (see EUROPE 11824). "I wonder why the European Council and European Commission react so little. A clear signal to Turkey is needed", he said. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)