Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-04-09-Speech-3-260"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2003-04-09"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Security and defence – priorities and deficiencies2
dcterms:Language	"en"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20030409.5.3-260"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2003-04-09-Speech-3-2612
lpv:speaker	lp:Geoffrey Van Orden2
lpv:spoken text	"Madam President, I can report that, at this moment, joyful Baghdad citizens are toppling a massive statue of Saddam Hussein in the centre of Baghdad, along with unarmed American troops. British Conservatives have consistently regarded the pursuit of an autonomous European security and defence policy as one of the most ill-advised policy ambitions of the European Union. Others have been confused into imagining that ESDP is primarily about encouraging European countries to make a greater contribution to defence. If this were the case, it might be a worthy ambition. In fact, it complicates the Transatlantic Alliance, produces no additional troops and has no real purpose, except to shift defence and security decision-making responsibilities away from NATO headquarters – where European countries sit around the same table as our American allies – to the European Union, from which Americans are specifically excluded. As the presidency has again confirmed this afternoon, ESDP is all about European integration. The splits that occurred in NATO and elsewhere in the lead-up to the Iraq war were a deliberate consequence of this policy. ESDP is not only a threat to NATO – which is a supremely intergovernmental organisation. The report of my gallant friend, General Morillon, exposes very clearly the ambition to communitarise defence within the European Union. I note Commissioner Patten's reservations about this aspect. British Conservatives oppose this report, which is a recipe for an EU army and a massive extension of Community power into the defence and security arena. It proposes that the European Commission should have widespread responsibilities for military operations, including the right of initiative in crisis-management matters; that the Community budget should cover the common costs of military operations; that there should be a common procurement and production policy, which would be based on 'the military needs of the European Union as such'; the establishment of an EU joint military college; a collective defence clause, as a protocol to the EU Treaty; a common EU police force and coastguard corps, along with a permanent EU seat in the UN Security Council. With the experience of the Iraq crisis behind him, I sincerely hope that the British Prime Minister will realise the folly and indeed mischief of creating defence institutions which will merely exacerbate divisions between European countries and the United States. I hope also, in spite of the great Anglo-American solidarity over Iraq, that the United States will no longer merely take on trust Mr Blair's promotion of ESDP. Both should now know better and work to consolidate a new Atlantic alliance. The European Union is putting its political pretensions before the real security interests of the citizens of its Member States."@en1
lpv:spokenAs	substitute; Delegation to the EU-Hungary Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002-03-13--2004-04-30)3 member; EPP-ED (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 vice-chair; Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy (2002-01-22--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 unknown; Conservative and Unionist Party (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"Van Orden (PPE-DE )."1

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