Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-11-14-Speech-3-181"
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"en.20011114.8.3-181"2
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"Madam President, Mrs Durant, ladies and gentlemen, as you know the situation in Afghanistan is changing very quickly. Every hour brings its fresh share of dramatic news. The military strategy against the Taliban has proved successful. Yet it is important to emphasise that despite the encouraging developments of recent days, the task is far from completed. The military campaign has not yet achieved all its objectives and we have always made it clear that we regard humanitarian and diplomatic issues as vitally important.
In the light of what has happened, we will have to redouble our efforts in this regard. Moreover, even greater efforts will have to be made to establish a broad-based government for the Afghan people. As Mrs Durant emphasised, we strongly support the process conducted by the United Nations, under the aegis of Ambassador Brahimi. Furthermore, we must exploit the new military situation and intensify our humanitarian efforts. The Commission is playing an active role on both these fronts. Last week, Commissioner Patten met Mr Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank, and this week he has held talks with Ambassador Brahimi in New York.
The Commission will cooperate closely with the World Bank and the other parties involved with a view to evaluating the needs and contributing to the reconstruction work in Afghanistan. The Commission does not propose to speculate at this moment on the exact amounts of money involved. First of all the international community will have to assess urgent needs and, in consultation with the Afghan people, define exactly what is needed. Meanwhile, we are trying to ensure that the EUR 52 million in aid allocated under the ECHO programme for 2001 and the EUR 22.5 million earmarked in 2001 for displaced persons will indeed reach those who need it. In addition, thanks to the World Food Programme, we are now providing EUR 23.5 million in food aid, that is, about 36 300 tonnes, and we are granting the NGOs EUR 4.5 million for supplying the population with food, seeds and tools, that is, a total of EUR 100 million in aid this year. Furthermore, we have already decided, at the very least, to maintain these levels in 2002.
As you know, the Commission has spared no effort since the events of 11 September. As you also know, in the space of a few days we presented new measures to combat terrorism in Europe and, in particular, proposed a common definition of acts of terrorism, a European arrest warrant to replace the cumbersome extradition system now in force between the Member States, more stringent rules on money laundering and, lastly, legislative provisions to ensure that the assets of an individual or an organisation can be quickly frozen throughout Europe as soon as they are identified as a potential source of finance for terrorism. Moreover, the Commission hastened to take measures to improve aviation security, ranging from access to the cockpit to luggage checks. At the same time, the European ministers jointly decided that the Member States should try to protect the airlines from the worst consequences of 11 September, for instance, by giving them insurance cover against acts of terrorism, something the commercial insurance companies were no longer offering, while avoiding a war of subsidies, which would distort competition.
The European Union is also distributing massive humanitarian aid both within and outside Afghanistan. The Union and its Member States have already mobilised EUR 310 million to alleviate the sufferings of the Afghan people. This effort, which only the United States has surpassed, has largely gone unheeded, but it has already saved lives. Furthermore, the ECHO humanitarian aid office has been remarkably diligent in acting on its undertakings.
Under the aegis of President Romano Prodi, the Commission is also involved in crucial diplomatic efforts; Mrs Durant has already described Mr Prodi's itinerary over the coming days and weeks. This clearly shows that Europeans want to take a balanced, international diplomatic approach. As you know, in the days immediately after the attacks, Mr Chris Patten, accompanied by Mr Louis Michel, the Belgian Foreign Minister representing the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council, and Mr Solana, travelled to Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Syria. Wherever they went, the message they heard was the same: mankind as a whole must unite in the fight against terrorism. They discussed the need for closer cooperation within the region. The Union has already taken an important trade decision by improving the access of Pakistani exports to Europe and we hope we will soon be able to conclude a free-trade agreement with the six Gulf Cooperation Council states. Furthermore, we will be putting forward proposals on the conclusion of a trade and cooperation agreement with Iran. We will also play our full part in the efforts to relaunch the peace process in the Middle East, not only by giving financial support to the Palestinian Authority, which is beset by enormous difficulties, but also by trying to ensure the implementation of the Mitchell report that the European Union co-signed. As Mrs Durant pointed out, this week Mr Peres and Mr Arafat both attended the Euro-Mediterranean Conference held in Brussels.
As you can see, the European Union is pursuing a common foreign policy, but this is not a single policy. Each country, each institution, draws on its own assets and pools its own resources for the sake of the common cause. The action the individual Member States decide to take underpins the common effort, and vice versa. The fact that the Member States take independent measures, especially in times of crisis, is not a sign of failure on the part of the Union. It illustrates the very nature of the Union.
In conclusion, let me tell you, on behalf of the Commission, that we are all aware that the events of 11 September have changed the parameters and we have recognised that the attacks on New York and Washington were attacks not only on the United States but also on every free and open society. The threat is a common threat, which is why it needs a concerted response. The European Union, and the European Commission in particular, are making their full contribution to this common objective and we intend to continue along these lines.
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