Strasbourg, 12/02/2003 (Agence Europe) - Launching the debate on the Iraq crisis at the European Parliament on Wednesday, the deputy Greek foreign minister, Tassos Giannitsis, explained the various approaches taken by the Greek Presidency, reaffirming that war was not inevitable and that if the message were clear, it could be envisaged that Baghdad will fully comply with Resolution 1441. Highlighting the importance of the report Blix and El Barradei will be making on 14 February, he stressed the importance of using all options to reach a peaceful settlement. He said Europe had to preserve its unity and protect its role on the international stage, hoping the special summit on 17 February would make it possible to "define a more coordinated common approach". He said he expected it to make a reasonable, well thought out assessment", a strengthening of the role of the United Nations and a common perception of the CFSP and the CFDP, adding that diplomacy and politics must not give up in the face of this international crisis. It would be for the EU to show that it can define its own approach and convince its partners from the other side of the Atlantic. Giannitsis said it was the EU, its role and its future that was at stake, needing unity and solidarity and that solidarity should not only be expressed through the Structural Funds.
Commissioner Poul Nielson said that war should remain the last resort and the primacy of international law had to remain their credo. Recognising that Member States have very diverging and firmly held opinions, that the EU seems more divided than ever and it will be very difficult to reach a common position, Nielson hailed the Greek Presidency's initiative and hoped it would enable the EU to tune its violins. The Commissioner said the internal crisis showed the need for a structural amendment necessary involving qualified majority voting.
While recognising the need to define a genuine common foreign and security policy, the German President of the EPP-ED group, Hans-Gert Pöttering, concentrated on expressing his support for the policy of the Americans, again accusing Chancellor Schröder of isolating Germany and behaving in an anti-European manner. He gave his group's support to the declaration by the eight heads of state who have sent a sign of friendship to the United States, and called for the establishing of a genuine partnership between the EU and the US. Mentioning the common positions that have arisen between Paris, Berlin and Moscow on the one side, and London, Madrid, Rome and Washington, on the other, he said it would be dangerous for Europe to create new axes like in the past. The Spanish President of the Socialist group, Enrique Baron, called for differences to be risen above by demonstrating solidarity and giving peace a chance by supporting the inspectors' work. He hoped the EU would reach a common position in the spirit of the resolution adopted by the EP in its most recent session, an that the candidate countries would associate themselves with it. Responding to Pöttering's criticisms, he said: "Before the Schröder government, there was passivity!" and Germany was now in good company.
The British President of the ELDR group, Graham Watson, hoped the EU leaders would be attending the summit meeting on Monday "prepared to listen and seek common ground, not simply repeat their well-known positions". Watson said the United Nations had to remain at the centre of the process and it would not be bad for the United States to be patient (he pointed out that a third of the US population favours a new Security Council Resolution and that 25% oppose the use of US forces). The EU are facing a great test of truth - between the pressure of the Bush administration to rally to its war and the demands of European public opinion which massively opposes war, there cannot be a middle way. A chose has to be made, said the French President of the GUE/NGL group, Francis Wurtz. He added that they said they were allied but not aligned after the 11 September attacks, and the tiny posse of leaders from the 15 EU leaders which was prepared to divide Europe when the White House whistled, had to be reminded of this principle. For the Greens/EFA group, Belgian MEP Pierre Jonckheer also highlighted European public opinion's opposition to the logic of war and called for the inspections and disarming of Iraq to continue (in line with the EP Resolution) and for the embargo to be lifted since, he said, it aided the dictator and kept the population in a state of dependency. For the UEN, group, Irish MEP Gerard Collins focussed on the need to act collectively within the framework of the United Nations and seek a peaceful solution. He expressed hope that the EU would reach a common position.