Brussels, 12/07/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Friday, the European Convention ended its general policy debate on questions relating to EU external policy and defence, begun on Thursday in Brussels (see also EUROPE of 12 July, p.4). The debate highlighted real convergence among Members for strengthening external and defence policies by seeking the best possible combination of Community and intergovernmental instruments.
Commissioner Antonio Vitorino considers that the "labyrinth of pillars" is a "source of incoherence" at the present time. He believes that some aspects of ESDP could be brought within the Community system ("communitarised") such as arms and research policy, while other aspects such as military intervention would remain the responsibility of Member States. The Commissioner also calls for strengthened legitimacy of ESDP which, he says, must be controlled by the European Parliament and national parliaments. Echoing the Commissioner, German deputy Jürgen Meyer considers the increased participation of the European Parliament and of national parliaments is "indispensable" and that cooperation in the armaments field would allow "large scale savings". Furthermore, he proposes financing research in the field of armaments by the Community budget and strengthening the civilian component of crisis management. Gisela Stuart (British government) hopes to increase financial resources and give the EU a single external representative so that it has greater credibility. Also, one must prevent the decision-making process from "blocking necessary action", and therefore envisage institutional reform to allow a group of States to act. This opinion is largely shared by Spanish representative Diego Lopez Garrido who believes "the pillars and the rule of unanimity must be done away with". Jacques Santer, representing the Luxembourg government, considers that the strengthening of the external security and defence policy is achieved through the development of a "global strategic concept" in which the Commission and Parliament would take part, and the "possibility of adjusting the Community method to ESDP while taking into account the specific national features and allowing positive abstention". A majority of the representatives of the countries applying for accession follow this idea of strengthening the Union's foreign security and defence policy. Jan Kohout, Czech representative, hopes to "strengthen the High Representative's power of initiative" and "apply the single market" to the European arms industry. He is backed in this by Mr Edvins Inkens, member of the Latvian government, and by Danuta Hübner, of the Polish government, who also want the Commission to use its right of own initiative more and for the vote by qualified majority to be extended. Michaël Frendo, Maltese deputy, adds his voice to those who want the roles of the High Representative and of the Foreign Affairs Commissioner to be merged.
Some Convention Members, however, are somewhat reticent about bringing ESDP within Community competence. Esko Olavi Seppänen (GUE/NGL, Finland) believes that the "Community method does not suit CFSP or ESDP". Kimmo Kiljunen, Finnish MP, said he was very hesitant about the idea of making the Union a military alliance. Kenneth Kvist, Swedish deputy, "agrees with those who say that CFSP comes under national sovereignty" and insists for account to be taken of national differences before defining common objectives. On the French side, William Abitbol (EDD) concluded after a very colourful speech, that "our Convention should recognise the primacy of States, and intergovernmental monopoly as a condition for the existence of CFSP".
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing concluded the session by announcing the creation of four work groups, two of which are on the EU's external relations and defence and security policy. To this announcement, Proinsias De Rossa (Irish MP) and Kimmo Kiljunen (Finnish MP) said they did not agree with the idea of creating two different working groups for questions as interdependent as external relations and defence and security policy.