Paris, 02/12/2003 (Agence Europe) - On Monday in Paris at the oppugn of the autumn session, Marcel Glesener, President of the Western European Union - The Interparliamentary European Security and Defence Assembly, vigorously appealed for a suitable role of parliaments in the ESDP, the European Security and Defence Policy (the President of the Belgian Senate Armand de Dekker, who is already the Vice President of the WEU Assembly will succeed Mr Glesener, EUROPE 28 November p 5). Mr Glesener deplored the fact that the draft constitutional treaty presented by the European Convention did not include a formal role for the WEU Assembly in the ESDP. He also referred to the proposals in the report of Giussepe Gaburro, who requested that the EU Council was made responsible for informing and consulting an interparliamentary forum composed of representatives from the national parliaments (EUROPE 25 October p 6). Mr Glesener insisted that, "Intergovernmental cooperation within the EU in the field of security must go hand in hand with interparliamentary cooperation at European level. This principle has proved its worth within WEU, NATO and the OSC". He also added that, "But let us not have any illusions: the conclusions of the Naples conclave do not leave much hope that the final text of the Constitutional treaty will strengthen the collective role of the national parliaments
in areas subject to intergovernmental cooperation - for the moment their role is virtually inexistent since there is no mention of it in the body of the draft treaty itself but only in the protocol appended to it, and the scope of that role is clearly adequate".
On the subject of "structured cooperation" in defence and the possible inclusion of a mutual defence clause in the future treaty, Mr Glesener warned, "it remains to be seen whether the compromise wording produced in Naples…will secure the unanimous agreement of the 25 EU Member States". According to Mr Gelsener, several important questions remain unanswered for the moment, "How will a European mutual defence clause differ from Article V of the modified Brussels treaty? What criteria must be met to sign up to such a commitment? Who will provide the military guarantee of such a commitment for those countries which are not members of the Atlantic Alliance? How can non-EU European allied countries be involved in cooperation of this sort?". Mr Glesener indicated that "We support any solution which would not fall short of the present obligations and provisions subscribed to by the ten signatories to the modified Brussels Treaty and which allow all new members of the EU and NATO to join or be involved under conditions agreed between them and the signatory states". He also stated that, "Instead of partially reinventing something that exists already, there are many ways of establishing political and legal links between the Constitutional Treaty and the modified Brussels Treaty. The "double-hatting" system mentioned by Mr Solana on 25 November 2003 in Luxembourg, if clearly defined and properly applied, could be used for our Assembly. This would also help to preserve and strengthen the links with NATO, which remains the sole guarantor of our common security".
On the subject of the concept of European defence strategy, elaborated by Javier Solana (who is both EU Secretary General, EU High Representative for CFSP and Secretary General for WEU), Mr Glesener pointed out that the WEU Assembly had demanded such a strategy from the EU since June 2001, therefor before the attacks on 11 September. Noting the report of Renzo Gubert Mr Glesener regretted that, "Unfortunately we will not be able to delve into this crucial issue with Mr Solana, because for the fourth time running our Secretary General has announced that the will be unable to attend our session. We fully understand the difficulties resulting from the Secretary General's very busy schedule, but we would firmly request that he inform us as soon as possible when and where it would be convenient for him to receive our parliamentarians so ht they can resume the dialogue with him".
"Emancipation is not divorce", says Jean Claude Juncker on EU/US relations on defence
The Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, in his speech to the Assembly (on which we will return) asserted on Tuesday on the Trans-Atlantic debate on European defence that "emancipation is not divorce" between the Europeans and the Americans. "The EU needs a mutual defence clause", he said, exclaiming, "mutual assistance is already being considered, why not include it in the constitution".
Gubert report proposes "European Security Council" made up of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence
The WEU Assembly, by adopting the report of Renzo Gubert, on the concept of the "European Strategic Concept" came out in favour of a progressive concept that sets out the main guidelines for a certain period and which ensures the autonomy of decision making and action of European in political and military crisis management. The Assembly also recommended setting up a "European Security council" made up of Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministers, which would be supported by a "Defence Intelligence Agency", as well as a, "European Agency in charge of harmonisation of operational needs, programme development, and the coordination of research and defence technology". The reporter admitted that it was not easy to develop a European strategy in which the EU, WEU and NATO would be involved. Such a strategy, he explained, would depend on the "Trans-Atlantic framework" as there could be no European Strategic Concept without a certain contribution from the USA because of the alliances and existing bilateral and multilateral agreements. However, Mr Gubert insisted that at the same time, "political developments in Europe, especially the reaction of European public opinion in the second Gulf War is going to illustrate the need for autonomous decision making and action".