On 25 October, in Strasbourg, the European Parliament adopted the report by Elmar Brok (CDU), Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, regarding progress made in CFSP over the 2000-2001 period. The debate and the resolution adopted by a strong majority showed the determination felt by MEPs after the attacks on 11 September to make the fight against international terrorism an integral part of Common Foreign and Security Policy. We reproduce the text of the Brok Resolution in full in EUROPE/Documents.
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European Parliament resolution on the progress achieved in the implementation of the common foreign and security policy
The European Parliament,
having regard to the 2000 annual report from the Council, submitted to the European Parliament on 4 May 2001 pursuant to point 40 (Section H) of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999, on the main aspects and basic choices of the CFSP, including the financial implications for the general budget of the European Communities,
having regard to Article 21 of the EU Treaty and Rules 103(3) and 163 of its Rules of Procedure,
having regard to its resolution of 30 November 2000 on the progress achieved in the implementation of the common foreign and security policy,
having regard to the European Council report to the European Parliament on the progress achieved by the Union in 2000, submitted pursuant to Article 4 of the EU Treaty,
having regard to the Presidency report to the Göteborg European Council on European Security and Defence Policy,
having regard to the EU programme, adopted by the Göteborg European Council, for the prevention of violent conflicts,
having regard to the conclusions and plan of action of the Extraordinary European Council meeting on 21 September 2001 and UN Security Council Resolution 1368,
having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy,
having regard to the horrific terror attacks of 11 September 2001 in the United States of America and the changed security-policy situation that has resulted,
having regard to the newly created decision-making machinery under European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), set up following the Nice European Council,
welcoming the Commission's reform efforts seeking to bring traditional means of Community action into line with the requirements of an effective and coherent EU foreign policy, which have produced, for example, "EuropeAid", to administer EU cooperation programmes as a whole, including development aid, the "Rapid Reaction Mechanism" (RRM), to provide initial funding for civil crisis management measures, and the measures to set up an integrated external service,
acknowledging the Council's willingness to link budgetary decisions on the Union's external aid more closely to the foreign policy goals and priorities agreed in advance and to hold a proper keynote debate on that subject in January of each year,
noting that the new civil and military crisis management machinery has been set up under ESDP but that provision of the projected military capabilities in accordance with the "headline goal" laid down in Helsinki is still overdue,
looking to the EU and NATO to agree on joint operations planning and the provision of NATO resources and capabilities, without undermining the decision-making autonomy of the two organisations,
having regard to the first official EU-NATO ministerial meeting, held in Budapest on 30 May 2001, and acknowledging the fruitful cooperation between the EU and NATO in crisis management in the western Balkans, especially in southern Serbia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
welcoming the EU programme adopted by the Göteborg European Council for the prevention of armed conflicts and endorsing the shift in the EU's substantive aspirations after Nice, whereby future EU foreign policy is to be built on the twin pillars of "conflict prevention" and (civil and military) "crisis management",
renewing its earlier call in connection with the annual CFSP debate for the Commission and Council likewise to submit an annual report on the progress achieved in conflict prevention and crisis management using civil resources, which should make a qualitative assessment of actual progress on the ground and not merely specify the number of measures undertaken,
acknowledging that, by sending EU observers (EUMM) to parts of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and arranging European monitoring of observers in the occupied territories in the Middle East, the EU is making an important contribution to measures to build confidence between the parties to the respective conflicts,
whereas the effectiveness of joint strategies must be improved by creating a closer tie-in to practical measures; whereas, above all, their implementation must be goal oriented so as to enable common positions and joint actions to be adopted by majority vote,
whereas the troika under the Swedish Presidency visited North Korea in early May 2001 to prevent the incipient moves towards détente between North and South Korea from stopping short and to offer EU support to help bring about a lasting peace settlement for the Korean peninsula; whereas the European Parliament is making its own contribution by establishing parliamentary relations with North Korea,
having regard to the visit to Kaliningrad in July 2001 by a joint parliamentary delegation from Poland, Lithuania, Russia, and the European Parliament,
CFSP trends in the years 2000 and 2001
Recognises, now that the CFSP bodies and tools have finally been put in place in accordance with the Treaty of Amsterdam, that the EU is, for the first time, trying to give effectively expression to the political will to develop a distinctive foreign policy profile and the ability to act on its own initiative in crisis situations;
Acknowledges that, as the crises have intensified in the western Balkans and the Middle East, the EU has assumed a diplomatic mediation role with the aim of linking short-term operational crisis management measures to long-term prospects;
Applauds the personal commitment of Javier Solana, High Representative for CFSP, and of Chris Patten, Commissioner for External Relations, to the reform of the EU's external relations now under way and, although the pillar structure is still in place, their joint efforts to provide consistency and coherence in European foreign and security policy; continues nevertheless to support its goal of consolidating the office of high representative within the Commission by requiring the High Representative to be accountable to both the Council and the European Parliament;
Progress in European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP)
Hopes that a decision on the operational readiness of a European "Rapid Reaction Force" can be reached no later than the Laeken European Council in December 2001; hopes in that connection that despite restrictive budget policies sufficient financial resources can be raised to overcome the strategic imperfections of an effective ESDP and achieve the EU's own headline goal;
Looks to Turkey, as a member of NATO and a candidate country for membership of the EU, to respect the decision-making autonomy of the EU as such and to refrain from further blocking the provision of NATO resources and capabilities; welcomes Turkey's willingness to take part in EU crisis management measures;
Calls for a strong parliamentary dimension to the ESDP both by fostering a security and defence policy culture within the European Parliament and by intensifying cooperation between the European Parliament and the national parliaments; recommends, therefore, that:
a standing delegation from the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy be set up to handle relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, of which the European Parliament is already an associate member, and
the chairmen of the foreign affairs and defence committees of the national parliaments of Member States and of candidate countries and the European Parliament hold joint meetings and this conference be expanded to include other members of the committees concerned so as to make it politically representative;
Looks to the Member States and to the Council to conduct an intensive debate on the new security threats and to adopt a European common position to the US missile defence system taking into account the existing disarmament and non-proliferation treaties;
Considers that combating international terrorism must become a central component of European foreign and security policy, with aspects of external security having to be combined with those of internal security; calls on the Council and the Commission to draw up a comprehensive common strategy on combating terrorism making use of all capabilities of Europol and Eurojust, which should have an improved legal basis and a greater operability; advocates that in the course of a sustained campaign to combat terrorism, EU Member States urgently step up their efforts to improve exchanges of intelligence agency information, against money laundering, drug trafficking and computer crime; notes in that connection that the close alliance with both the United States and other major geo-politically crucial powers will be necessary as the United Nations and its Security Council would be an important platform for a comprehensive and global alliance against terrorism;
Believes strongly that the new International Criminal Court is the appropriate institution in which to bring the perpetrators and those behind these terrorist acts to justice;
Notes that NATO and its enlargement process remain indispensable for collective security in Europe and that the OSCE also plays an important role in the European security structure;
Stresses that in the field of conflict prevention the European Parliament should establish the same contacts with the OSCE as it has established with the NATO for the ESDP;
Regrets that the transfer of the WEU Institute for Security Studies to the European Union in the form of a Joint Action adopted by the Council on 20 July 2001 without consulting or informing the European Parliament, and the fact that it is understood by the Council as a pure instrument of the Member States rather than as a scientific Community agency; considers that in view of the Institute's research function it should have been founded as an agency under standard Community legislative procedure;
Conflict prevention and crisis management
Believes that the EU should strictly enforce the principle of conditionality when mediating in crisis situations;
Maintains, therefore, that the Stability and Association Agreement (SAA) should not be applied to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia unless constitutional reform and a lasting end to military activities on both sides are successfully accomplished;
Appeals to all States not to supply arms to Macedonia, and instead of arming that country to contribute to its economic and social development;
Acknowledges that EU crisis management has proved more effective in the Macedonian crisis but notes that the EU was slow to intervene and missed the opportunity for early conflict prevention;
Criticises the fact that responsibilities for the many and varied forms of EU involvement in the western Balkans continue to be fragmented and calls for a more transparent unified leadership structure to be established both for conflict mediation and for reconstruction measures, with the duties of the Special Envoy on the Stability Pact perhaps being incorporated into this uniform leadership structure, and a more efficient and rapid processing of aid measures;
Regrets that economic aid to south-east Europe is too slow and too modest;
Supports the "road-map" proposed by the Mitchell commission for the resumption of the Middle East peace process and repeats its call for a freeze on settlement building in and the sending of international observers to the occupied territories;
Recommends that implementation of the Association Agreement with Israel and financial aid for the Palestinian Authority should be closely linked to the recommendations of the Mitchell commission;
Calls on the Council, the Commission and the Member States to proceed without delay with drawing up a consistent European Union policy on the countries of the Middle East having as its principal objective the establishment of the rule of law and democracy in all countries of the region;
Believes that giving priority to the Barcelona Process would absolutely enhance conflict prevention and crisis management and restore political and social peace in the Mediterranean area; calls for a rapid flow of resources to be provided under the MEDA Programme; regrets that the development of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership is directly linked to the situation in the Middle East therefore suffering from the repercussions of the present deadlock of the peace process;
Considers that a European foreign policy based on conflict prevention should increasingly address itself to matters with implications across the board, for example energy and water supplies and the trade in drugs, diamonds, and small arms, human trafficking, and also, wherever possible, promote regional cooperation so as to build greater mutual trust between countries and strengthen economic integration;
Strategic partnerships
Believes that enlargement of the EU will do much to preserve peace and stability in Europe and foster cooperation between Europe and its neighbours; leaves, however, each candidate country free to decide whether to apply for NATO membership;
Believes that the enlargement of NATO can contribute to peace and security in Europe as long as this is not perceived as a threat by neighbouring countries;
Points once again to the significance of relations with Russia, and welcomes the medium-term strategy for developing relations between the Russian Federation and the EU proposed by the Russian government in October 1999; considers that practical cooperation issues, for example in the energy sector or in the field of security or regarding Russian participation in EU-led military crisis management operations, should have pride of place; believes that the dialogue on Kaliningrad should be continued; considers that critical scrutiny must continue to be brought to bear on the situation of the independent media in Russia and continuing pressure exerted to bring about a political and humanitarian solution to the Chechnya question;
Recommends that a coherent and comprehensive long-term policy be devised for the Caucasus region with a view to contributing to the stability and the development of the whole area;
Welcomes the invitation from the Göteborg European Council for Ukraine and Moldova to join the European Conference; hopes that incorporation of the partnership with Ukraine within a multilateral forum of that kind will assist Ukraine's efforts to promote democratic development, respect human rights and the rule of law, and implement market-oriented economic reforms; considers it necessary, in view of the failure of the EU and Ukraine to agree on their long-term relations, to link the Ukraine closely to Europe by establishing an EU-Ukraine free-trade area;
Encourages the Belgian Presidency, acting in the spirit of the Cotonou Agreement, to frame a common strategy for conflict prevention in Africa, focusing above all on the greater involvement of grass-roots organisations in all stages of development cooperation, as already provided for under the Cotonou Agreement; considers the EU common position of May 2001 as an encouraging step in that direction;
Is of the opinion, now that the EU has developed bilateral relations with the Rio Group and different regional groups, that the time is right to build a strategic partnership with Latin America; considers that a key part would be played in such a common strategy by efforts to support the peace process and foster social change in Colombia;
Underlines its commitment to the coalition against international terrorism and considers it essential to extend the scope of transatlantic relations between the US and the EU beyond foreign and security policy issues and believes that closer cooperation, not least in the areas of trade, environment, internal security, and drug policy, together with international efforts to combat terrorism, will constitute a key building block of a transatlantic market; considers that as the two partners seek more actively to develop their respective regional integration systems, a more intensive transatlantic relationship will assume increasing importance;
Underlines that the EU should undertake everything possible to strengthen the peace-building capacity of the United Nations and to help bring about a speedy reform which will enable the United Nations to react in the new international situation;
Global responsibility for peace, security, and sustainable development
Expects a stronger commitment from the EU in the Maghreb and Mashreq countries to supporting the process of economic and social modernisation, with a special emphasis on the social impact of those processes; considers that that commitment should have built into it a comprehensive social dialogue, including a dialogue of religions, so as to create a common region of stability and peace; recommends that troika contacts be stepped up with Algeria to foster a process of political reform and political dialogue encompassing all Algerians, in the interest of enhancing democracy, the rule of law and tolerance, and takes the view that the outcome of the ongoing negotiations on an association agreement must be made conditional on a peaceful solution to the internal crisis; insists, furthermore, that the European Union should cooperate actively in settling the conflict in Western Sahara in accordance with the United Nations resolutions, along the lines requested by the European Parliament in its resolution of 16 March 2000 and the Statement by the German presidency of the Council of June 1999;
Believes that the EU must step up contacts with groups in Afghanistan which, in contrast to the present regime, wish to create greater democracy and restore the right of women to take part in public life, receive an education and in general have their ordinary civil rights reinstated; recommends that greater attention be paid to circumstances in Chechnya, focusing among other things on a resolution of the conflict between Russia and Chechnya;
Takes the view, despite the continuing US sanctions against Iran on account of that country's armaments policy, that the EU should support the reforming forces in Iranian society through a policy of gradual rapprochement; expects at all events from Iran a clear renunciation of support in any form for international terrorism in order to open the way for concluding a trade and cooperation agreement with Iran;
Believes that the political dialogue with Indonesia should be continued and calls for Community aid programmes to be coordinated more effectively with those of the Member States;
Considers it vital to develop relations with ASEAN and to step up the ASEM process in order to prevent conflicts (China/Taiwan and Korea), promote political stability, uphold human rights, and foster economic and cultural cooperation; welcomes, consequently, the strategic framework adopted by the EU Commission on 4 September 2001 for relations between the EU and Asia for the coming decade; calls for a joint parliamentary conference to be held within the next year before the ASEM IV meeting, without, at all events, participation by representatives from Burma;
Believes strongly that the ASEM process should no longer ignore the full democracy that exists in Taiwan and therefore calls on the Council, the Commission and the ASEM member states to invite the Republic of China to the next ASEM IV meeting which will be held in Copenhagen in 2002;
Believes, in this respect, that relations should be strengthened, in particular with all the democratic countries in the continent whose role is a key factor for the development of human rights and fundamental rights all over Asia;
Renews its call for a peaceful negotiated solution to the Kashmir question, appeals to the Council to use its influence on the parties to the conflict, India and Pakistan, to help bring this about and and asks the EU to take the initiative by offering its services as an honest broker to both India and Pakistan, with a view to facilitating the process and demonstrating the European Union's wish to see a resolution of the dispute, and to assist in the fight against terrorism;
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the parliaments of the Member States.