Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-06-14-Speech-3-087"
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"en.20000614.4.3-087"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, a year has gone by since the war in Kosovo, and intensive reconstruction work has begun. An enormous amount of valuable property has been destroyed. To avoid similar disasters in the future, we are now taking new steps to establish a common European defence and security policy. We are doing this in order to join together in creating tools to safeguard the lynchpin of security, namely freedom and peace in Europe.
I am extremely pleased that this process is going on. Within the framework of the EU’s mandate, this joint commitment is now being carried out and intensified. I think it is important that the EU should concentrate on what it is good at, namely engaging in trade, developing contacts and taking measures to prevent conflicts. It is also important, however, to create credibility through ‘more muscle’ and increased ability to intervene in time.
If (as it wishes, and is endeavouring, to be) the EU is to be taken seriously in the world, it must also demonstrably be able to take more responsibility in its own area. It is therefore important that we should create structures which cooperate with NATO, for it is there that the competence, capacity, leadership ability and credibility are to be found. The EU has a complementary role, and that is why Mrs Lalumière’s report is so commendable.
This concept is based upon individual Member States’ fulfilling the commitments they have made. Our main role in the European Parliament is therefore to exercise supervision. I have previously discussed the shrinking defence budgets of the Member States. These defence budgets are shrinking at the same time as we require investment in restructuring and new hardware.
Since we last discussed this subject, Germany’s supreme commander has resigned in protest, which is as good a sign as any. If our heads of State and government are to have any credibility in the year 2003, they should not only talk in Feira, but must also then return home and review the responsibilities of each country and the commitments they have undertaken to fulfil."@en1
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