Brussels, 23/01/2009 (Agence Europe) - Shortly after its vote on the report by Karl von Wogau (see EUROPE 9824) on European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee adopted by 37 votes in favour, 11 against and 17 abstentions, the report by Ari Vatanen of Finland, elected in France on an UMP list. The report, which deals with the role of NATO in the European Union's security architecture, has been considerably reworked since the vote on over 200 amendments. The initial text, which is very Atlanticist - with the rapporteur calling on all EU member states to be part of the Atlantic Alliance - has been reviewed in a way that brings out the specific features of the EU and the need for consistency regarding European defence strategy, in a far vaster context than that provided by the Atlantic Alliance.
As it stands today, the Vatanen report calls for a “strong and vibrant” Euro-Atlantic partnership instead of calling for “Euro-Atlantic integration”. It recognises the fundamental role that NATO has played in the past and that it plays today within Europe's security architecture, and notes that, for a large part of EU member states that also belong to NATO, the Alliance remains the foundation of their collective defence and that the security of Europe as a whole, independently of the individual positions adopted by the countries of which it is composed, continues to benefit from the Atlantic Alliance. The report therefore takes the view that the EU's future collective defence should be organised in cooperation with NATO as far as possible. The report considers that the United States and the EU must intensify their bilateral relationship, extending it to peace and security issues (the original text said that “the only meaningful way to organise the future collective defence of the EU is within the Alliance”.).
The report supports the establishment of a permanent EU Operational Headquarters (OHQ) under the authority of the vice-president of the Commission/High Representative, with a mandate for the planning and conduct of ESDP military operations (amendment by Portuguese Socialist Ana Gomes and German Christian Democrat Elmar Brok). It welcomes the fact that, at the NATO summit in Bucharest, the Allies recognised the contribution made by a stronger and more able Europe and that the Alliance remains open to further enlargements. It considers, however, that these must meet the criteria set and cannot be against the will of the populations concerned.
The foreign affairs committee is of the opinion that the EU must develop its own security and defence capabilities, which will allow the burden to be more equally spread out with its non-European allies, but also with a response that is adapted to the security challenges and threats of EU member states alone (amendment by Romanian Socialist Adrian Severin). The committee calls on the EU to develop its strategic security instruments, ranging from the diplomatic prevention of crises to economic and development aid and the strengthening of civilian capabilities for stabilisation and reconstruction, as well as military means. It also considers that strategic use should be made of “soft power” instruments in its neighbourhood relations (another Severin amendment). An amendment by Dutch Christian Democrat Maria Martens underlines the fact that the “EU is a crucial NATO partner as regards strategies enabling NATO to exit from complex conflict areas, on account of its specific combination of available instruments; civil operations, sanctions, humanitarian aid, development and trade policies, and political dialogue; and therefore calls on EU Member States which are also members of NATO to redouble their efforts towards the establishment of a framework for integrated cooperation between NATO and the EU, in anticipation of the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty”. The committee proposes that each EU member state which is also a member of NATO should set a limit in agreement with NATO for forces deployable only for EU operations in order to prevent such deployment being blocked by NATO members that are not members of the EU. The committee takes the view that it is appropriate to avoid duplication in the use of such forces (amendment by Czech EPP-ED representative Jana Hybaskova). (O.J./transl.jl)