Debate: Implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy - annual report  - Implementation of the Common Security and Defence Policy - annual report  - Human Rights and Democracy in the World and the EU policy on the matter - annual report
Date: TUESDAY, 19 JANUARY 2021
Speaker: David McAllister
Country: Netherlands
Language: EN

The last year has reminded us that the European security environment is today more volatile, more unpredictable, more complex and more ambiguous than at any time since the end of the Cold War. Potential threats have become reality, and in the wake of a global pandemic, democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms are deteriorating in many parts of the world. Disinformation campaigns and cyber-attacks have increased, isolationist trends and competition between major international actors are on the rise. Let me underline three main findings of my annual Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) report. Firstly, the European Union should position itself as a partner of choice in a changing geopolitical order. We are living in a weakened global system where multilateralism is being heavily attacked. It is essential to quickly adopt and adjust our European response to this new geopolitical reality. The European Union is a partner of choice for third parties guided by the promotion of democracy and the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. We are a reliable actor and mediator in conflict resolution, but also a leader in promoting multilateral frameworks. However, too often, the European Union was and is divided, lacking the necessary weight and credibility to have a decisive impact on the geopolitical developments. A second point: a new level of ambition is required to shape the CFSP. What the European Union needs, first and foremost, is a genuine political will from all Member States to jointly push our common foreign policy goals and counter third countries’ attempts to divide us.  There is still a large untapped potential in combining and integrating all strands of the European Union’s external actions, hard power and soft power to achieve our common goals. And thirdly, concrete steps are necessary to strengthen the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and thereby our global influence. We need to consolidate our strategic alliances with like-minded partners across the world, and also diversify our cooperation on an ad hoc basis. We need to reinforce our strategic sovereignty and need a common understanding of what this actually means. We need a quicker and more effective decision-making process.  This means, for example, as often discussed in this plenary, to move from a unanimity to qualified—majority voting at least in selected areas of CFSP or to consider additional formats to improve our external actions such as a European Security Council. On our common security and defence policy, we need to strengthen the capacity at EU and also at Member State level to establish a fully-fledged defence union.  Finally, the Common Foreign and Security Policy and our external actions as a whole require appropriate financial resources. In this regard, I welcome the breakthrough in the trilogue concerning the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument to name just one. All financial instruments including the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) III and others need to be finalised and become operative soon. Dear colleagues, to conclude, no single EU Member State can respond effectively to today’s global challenges on its own. We must continue to strengthen our Common Foreign and Security Policy, we must continue to reinforce our global influence and we must continue to enhance our capacity to act. I would like to thank the shadow rapporteurs for the good, constructive and fruitful cooperation on finalising this document and, dear High Representative Vice-President, let me also thank you personally and your team for the helpful support in writing down all these parts of this report.