David McAllister – Plenary speech on CFSP report 2021
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David McAllister – Plenary speech on CFSP report 2021

Recent international developments and challenges, such as

  • the Russian military threat against Ukraine,
  • the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan or
  • the geopolitical consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic

have once again reminded us that the European security environment is today more volatile and more complex than ever since the end of the Cold War. At the same time, not a single EU Member State can respond effectively to today’s global challenges on its own.

Therefore, as European Union we need to achieve the strategic goal of developing our global leadership role. This report proposes five concrete actions

1, The EU needs to take the lead in promoting global partnerships and a stronger multilateral system.

We should promote alliances of democracies worldwide, and pool our resources to counter malign interferences by authoritarian states. We need to develop our partnerships in the areas of conflict prevention and conflict resolution and should build alliances based on our Green Deal.

2, We need to improve the way the EU takes decisions in the field of the Common Foreign and Security Policy.

Unanimity hampers the EU’s ability to act. I really encourage EU Member States to switch to qualified majority at least in some areas of the CFSP. It is also necessary to strengthen the existing EU toolbox, for example by better combining all assets we have as EU on the international scene

3, We need to ensure our strategic sovereignty in fundamental areas, including by reducing our dependencies in key technological areas, critical infrastructures and supply chains. It is also about establishing a European Defence Union. The new Strategic Compass should guide the way forward

4. We need to develop coherent regional EU strategies for our relations with different parts of the world.

In this respect, I welcome the HR/VP’s endeavours to propose clear frameworks with well-defined ambitions and objectives for our relations with different partners in the world such as the new Indo-Pacific strategy and the announced joint communication on a Partnership with the Gulf

5. Democracy is at the heart of our foreign and security policy. Therefore we need to strengthen democratic oversight, scrutiny and accountability as well as the parliamentary dimension of the Common Foreign and Security Policy.

To conclude, let me thank the shadow rapporteurs and also the team of the High Representative for the really good, constructive and fruitful cooperation during the last weeks.