Brussels, 02/03/2000 (Agence Europe) - Wednesday evening's debate in plenary on Javier Solana's statement over Cfsp/Esdp (see yesterday's EUROPE, pages 5 and 6, for the introduction of the High Representative for Cfsp) confirmed the priority that most Euro-MPs attribute to crisis and conflict prevention. Responding to them, the European Commissioner for External Relations, Chris Patten, recalled a series of initiatives he was soon to announce in the field of non-military crisis prevention and management: a) creation of a Rapid Reaction Facility able to react to crises "in days or weeks", without having to wait for months; b) non-military "headline goal" (like the "global military objective" of a force of 50,000 to 60,000 troops, it will be a question of setting an objective in terms of a police force, means for rescue, etc.); c) communication on anti-personnel mines (Mr. Patten cited the case of stocks in Ukraine and Moldova); d) communication on monitors for elections. Mr. Patten placed emphasis on the "human rights" dimension of the EU's foreign policy, stating that violations of fundamental rights and of the Habeas Corpus, tyranny and environmental degradation, "all these things go together"; regarding this, Mr. Patten (who has also been British Minister for the Environment) spoke of an "ecosystem of values and democratic institutions". At the same time, Mr. Patten observed that difficult choices are needed regarding resources, and, recalling that he had heard promises of more aid to Latin America, the Middle East, Indonesia, and more funding for the Stability Pact, wondered "where is the beef?".
As for Mr. Solana, he again repeated that "we are not in the business of creating a European army", but deploying European forces to "prevent people from killing each other". Recalling that Eurocorps would soon be deployed in Kosovo, Mr. Solana nevertheless asked MEPs: "do you really believe that it is enough to deploy forces to make people love each other who have hated each other for centuries". Furthermore, asked about the revision of the Treaty currently being studied in the IGC, and security and defence policy, he observed: I don't know what will happen, but "I have the impression that, as time goes by, the IGC's agenda will be broadened". Addressing MEPs concerned about the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, Solana reminded them that, towards the end of March, we shall see a "very important moment" for the Pact, with the first Conference of funding. Finally, he too stressing the EU's foreign policy role in favour of democracy throughout the world, the former Spanish Foreign minister said (and was warmly applauded by MEPs): "I know what I'm talking about, in my country I fought against dictatorship, I suffered, I was in jail".
Mr. Solana did not answer a question from Mr. Salafranca, member of the Partido Popular, who wanted to know if he would be prepared, when the time came, to chair the Permanent Political and Security Committee.
For MEPs, defence policy has to have a Community dimension and be autonomous,
but wonder about the budget
During the debate, several MEPs had asked that, each time Parliament hears Mr. Solana, they should be able to hear Mr. Patten too: this is what Mr. Pottering, President of the EPP Group, did, stressing that the European Commission must play a role in Cfsp. In particular, he wondered whether, despite all the rhetoric, Member States were ready to make the budgetary effort necessary to develop an EU intervention capability (some of them are reducing their military budgets, he said, in a thinly veiled allusion to his own country, Germany). Furthermore, the CDU member considered that Member States should cease their isolation policy vis-à-vis Austria and, regarding Belgium's decision to suspend military relations with Vienna (which Mr. Flahaut announced in Sintra), he wondered: what relations does he mean?
Most MEPs who spoke in the debate placed special emphasis on crisis-prevention: this was notably the case of Mr. Schori, Swedish Social-Democrat, Irish Labour MEP Mr. De Rossa, and Mr. Haarder, Danish member of the Liberal Group (who, like several other colleagues, also stressed the importance of parliamentary control on security and defence policy). The President of the United Left Group, Mr. Wurtz, blamed Mr. Solana for his "too unilateral" view and pleaded in favour of "a broad crisis and conflict prevention policy that alone deserved to be the subject of a Union-wide common strategy".
Mr Wurtz has doubts about the "autonomy" of the future European defence capacity, "judging from NATO's degree of involvement, and hence of the United States, in the European defence decisions, that part of the Council seems to be hoping and praying for".
Certain MEPs posed the problem of integration of defence policy in the Treaty, like Mr Dupuis, Belgian elected to the Lista Bonino, who declared that, as fifteen years were needed to achieve EMU, "fifteen years will have to be taken", if necessary, to make this policy a Community policy, but it must be done. Ms Napoletano, elected member of Democratici di sinistra, stressed that "this policy needs great democratic legitimacy".
Several sceptical voices heard
Mr Couteaux (French member of Union of a Europe of Nations), who was particularly sceptical and ironical, observed that Mr Solana is responsible for an issue which, he believes, does not exist because Europe "can only speak with one voice for not saying anything". "What interest can this so-called force defend, since the interests of Member States are not all the same", he asked concerning the future European Rapid Reaction Force. British Conservative Mr Van Orden said for his part that he had not heard any valid justification for the creation of European military bodies which, in his opinion, can only be in a position of rivalry with NATO. He also asked what the purpose was of an early warning unit in Council if one is "taken by surprise" by a humanitarian disaster such as the flooding in Mozambique. General Morillon (French, EPP) urged, on the other hand, for a European Security and Defence Policy allowing "burden sharing", something that the United States has been calling for since Europe became a world economic power, but wondered whether the Member States are willing to make the effort required.
For greater firmness towards Russia
Many MEPs raised the problem of Chechnya, including former Luxembourg Foreign Minister Mr Poos (Socialist), who exclaimed: "let us at least use the instruments available to us, and ensure that, in future, any euro spent in Russia will only be spent for alleviating the suffering" of war victims. Mr Cohn-Bendit (German, Green) was vehement: "I do not like the foreign ministers very much, and that includes a German minister of my own party or a minister of the French multi-party left, who do not say anything about Russia although they should be saying: 'If you want money, allow a civil peace corps to enter Chechnya'". Mr Cohn-Bendit went on to note: "money is still being given to those perpetrating massacres. It is not enough to say 'stop carrying out massacres', as they already know they should not carry them out. Putin knows, but he wanted this war to become president".
Mr Buttiglione (EPP, I) asked whether the EU is willing to intervene in order to prevent a "new explosion" in Iraq, gaining assurance from Baghdad regarding the work of the UN Commission on weapons and assuring for its part that, once the work of this commission is accomplished successfully, the embargo against Iraq will be lifted. Austrian Social Democrat Mr Swoboda, speaking of recent remarks by Mr Jospin in Israel (on "terrorism" of the Hetzbollah), asked what in fact the European Union's position was in this connection.
Mrs Lalumière (French, Socialist Group) paid tribute to the efforts made by Mr Solana to contribute to the development of security and defence policy "worthy of the name", while Mr van den Bos (Dutch Liberal) asked whether Mr Solana, with all the tasks he has to carry out, still manages to sleep at night.