Konklusioner fra det interparlamentariske møde om CSDP/CFSP den 3.-4. september 2016 i Bratislava

INTERPARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE
FOR THE COMMON FOREIGN AND SECURITY POLICY
AND THE COMMON SECURITY AND DEFENCE POLICY
2 – 4 SEPTEMBER 2016, BRATISLAVA
FINAL CONCLUSIONS
The Interparliamentary Conference,
Having regard to the decision of the Conference of Speakers of European Union
Parliaments taken in April 2012 in Warsaw regarding the establishment and
mandate of this Conference;
Having regard to Title II of Protocol I (and Articles 9 and 10) of the Treaty of
Lisbon regarding the promotion of effective and regular interparliamentary
cooperation within the Union;
Cognisant of the new powers and instruments foreseen by the Treaty of Lisbon for
the European Union (EU) institutions in the area of foreign, security and defence
policy; being aware that the new instruments create better opportunities for the
Union to wield an international influence commensurate with its political and
economic weight;
Conscious of the multi-layered decision-making process in the areas of Common
Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and Common Security and Defence Policy
(CSDP); aware that effective implementation of these policies must involve
numerous policy actors at both the EU and national levels; conscious of the
responsibility to engage in parliamentary scrutiny at the respective levels and
advance interparliamentary cooperation in the areas of CFSP and CSDP;
Aware that the evolution of international affairs calls for further strengthening the
role of Parliaments as central actors of global decision making, with specific
reference to conflicts and crises;
The EU as a global player: Looking for an effective multilateral diplomacy
model
1. Notes with concern that the EU is faced with an unprecedented set of
challenges, both internally and externally; emphasises that the EU and its
Member States need to focus their efforts on restoring and maintaining
peace and stability in Europe and its neighbourhood; emphasising that EU
Member States are under strain by the refugee emergency and by the wars
and conflicts that are afflicting neighbouring countries, highlights that none
of these challenges can be dealt by one State alone and demands solidarity
Det Udenrigspolitiske Nævn, Udenrigsudvalget 2015-16
UPN Alm.del Bilag 287, URU Alm.del Bilag 336
Offentligt
2
from all Member States and a collective effort to develop a common agenda
to overcome them, in accordance with EU principles and decisions;
2. Points out that the EU has all the means to be an influential global player
if it acts together; stresses the need to enhance cooperation with other global
and regional powers on global threats and challenges emphasising the
importance of the transatlantic bond; underlines the important role of
regional organisations in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, crisis
management, peacekeeping and stabilisation; states that the EU and its
Member States should make further efforts to strengthen these organisations
and help them build capacities and trust necessary to rebuild the European
security architecture on the basis of OSCE rules and principles;
3. Welcomes the EU Global Strategy for foreign and security policy presented
by the Vice-President of the Commission and High Representative for
Foreign and Security Policy on 28 June 2016; underlines the importance of
promoting through this strategy the common interests of EU citizens as well
as the values and principles of the EU; stresses that an effective
implementation of this strategy requires strong commitment and support of
the Member States; highlights that the appropriate resources need to be
allocated to the implementation of this strategy; underlines the need to
follow-up on the Global Strategy and break down its objectives and
priorities into more concrete sectoral and regional sub-strategies, notably in
the area of security;
4. Believes that the EU must step up its efforts to strengthen global
governance; calls for a comprehensive reform of the UN system with a view
to strengthening its legitimacy, transparency, accountability and
effectiveness, including by revitalising its General Assembly; considers that
the UN Security Council needs to be reformed, particularly regarding its
composition and its voting procedures, so as to bring it in line with the
realities of the 21st century and to increase its capacity to act decisively in
tackling global security challenges, beyond the purely military, addressing
issues such as refugees, sustainable development and the fight against
pandemics; believes that the EU and its Member States should position
themselves to influence the debate and steer action in the global fora, such
as the UN, on the governance of those domains where EU strategic interests
and security unfold;
5. Calls for the ratification of Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty by all
member states emphasising its contribution to non-proliferation and
welcomes the EU's efforts in this context;
6. Notes that the distinction between internal and external security has become
less clear; emphasises the need for the EU to address threats emanating from
instability in the South and East through an integrated approach that
connects all security policies, interior and exterior, and correlative
instruments; recalls the need to accelerate the development and
consolidation of the structures and processes of European intelligence
coordination;
3
7. Believes that the EU should engage more with diplomacy that prevents
escalation of conflicts; encourages, in this context, coordination between
actors and institutions responsible for foreign and domestic policies within
the EU, increased cooperation between the EU, NATO, UN and other
international organisations and greater synergy between civil and military
entities;
The Western Balkans and the EU: Cooperation and Integration
8. Stresses that EU enlargement is a driving force for modernisation,
democratisation and stabilisation; considers it important that it should be
locally driven and the countries should take advantage of this process to
ensure that reforms are thoroughly implemented, and will not be reversed,
for which it is essential that countries aspiring to become EU partners
understand the absolute necessity to apply and adhere, without reserve, to
the European acquis;
9. Encourages further regional cooperation with practical implications for
improving the living standards of Western Balkan citizens; recalls that any
country wishing to accede to the EU must resolve its major disputes with
neighbours before it can join the Union and that these issues should be
addressed in a constructive and neighbourly spirit. An active commitment
to good neighbourly relations needs to be demonstrated at each stage of the
integration;
10. Considers it important to keep the Western Balkan countries focused on
accession preparations, even in the absence of negotiations, and to advance
the process in a number of key areas, such as the functioning of institutions
guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, as well as
economic governance and competitiveness; encourages all EU candidate
countries to progressively align with the EU Common Foreign and Security
Policy; welcomes the swift continuation of accession negotiations with
Montenegro and the opening of the first chapters in the negotiations with
Serbia; encourages Albania to intensify reform efforts in order to be able to
open EU accession negotiations; encourages Bosnia and Herzegovina to
make further progress; welcomes the political agreement reached in the
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on 20th July and calls on all
parties to implement it in good faith; recommends to start accession
negotiations with the country once the conditions have been met;
11. Invites the Commission and the EEAS to use all available instruments under
the Stabilisation and Association Process, including the budgetary ones
under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA), the CFSP and the
CSDP in a comprehensive, coherent and consistent manner for the benefit
of strengthening the EU accession process;
12. Calls for enhancing the EU's strategic communication towards the Western
Balkans, which would strengthen communication on EU policies and
4
objectives, foster the independence and sustainability of the media, as well
as increase public awareness of externally backed disinformation attempts;
The EU's Eastern neighbourhood and beyond: Priorities, Perspectives and
Challenges
13. Stresses the importance of further development of the EU's relations with
its Eastern neighbours, especially in the framework of the Eastern
Partnership; in particular highlights the need to support the Eastern
European countries by enhancing their resilience against internal and
external threats; considers the importance of enhancing the parliamentary
dimension of the Eastern Partnership;
14. Is deeply concerned about the breach of international law by the Russian
Federation, its occupation of Crimea, military engagement and escalation of
the conflict in Donbas; recalls that the full implementation of the Minsk
Agreements is fundamental for the reestablishment of cooperative relations
with the Russian Federation, including the suspension of sanctions;
reiterates that it will not accept the illegal annexation of Crimea; condemns
the use of disinformation campaigns, propaganda activities and other tactics
of hybrid warfare in the EU's neighbourhood and within the EU by the
Russian Federation;
15. Recognises the importance of selective engagement and, whenever the
situation allows, dialogue with Russia to ensure accountability and
maintain the option to cooperate on resolving global crises where there is a
clear European Union interest;
16. Supports the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine;
welcomes the efforts made by Ukraine in adopting reforms, and calls on the
authorities to continue on the reform path and to strengthen its fight against
corruption; is committed to the implementation of the Association
Agreement; stresses the importance of full implementation of the Minsk
Agreements; supports the efforts aimed at building Ukrainian resilience to
threats and challenges to its security and stability; welcomes the efforts by
the EU Advisory Mission to Ukraine in assisting the country towards a
sustainable reform of the civilian security sector;
17. Welcomes the proposal of the European Commission to lift the visa
requirement for citizens of Georgia and Ukraine and calls on the European
Parliament and the Council to give their green light when the suspension
clause legislation is completed in September;
18. Remains concerned about the human rights situation and political freedom,
as well as the free and fair organisation of the upcoming September 11
parliamentary elections in Belarus; emphasises that EU-Belarus relations
should be based on common European values; suggests to engage in a
dialogue for easing tensions and building deeper cooperation on the political
and economic level; stresses the need to closely monitor the human rights
situation and conduct of upcoming parliamentary elections in Belarus; calls
5
on Belarus to constructively cooperate with EU experts in order to ensure
nuclear safety beyond the borders of the EU and report on the results of the
accomplished missions and stress tests;
19. Calls for maintaining the differentiated and tailor-made approach to the
Eastern Partnership based on the fundamental principles of democracy,
human rights and rule of law with the aim to build strong and mutually
beneficial relations with all six partners, irrespective of their individual level
of ambition in their relations with the EU;
The EU’s Southern Neighbourhood Policy: threats and challenges
20. Expresses its concern over the instability of the south and eastern
Mediterranean regions, including the risk posed by failed states coming
under domination of terrorist groups; stresses the fact that the risks
emanating from this instability are not confined to the European coastal
countries, but are increasingly spreading throughout other European
countries, including in the form of terrorist attacks;
21. Emphasises that the solution of the Syrian and Iraqi conflicts must be one
of the top items on the European political agenda; calls on the EU to step
up the efforts to find a sustainable solution to the conflict, supporting UN
efforts, using all instruments and levers at its disposal and involving all
relevant regional and international actors;
22. Recognises Turkey’s role as an important partner in solving the Syrian
conflict and the fight against Da’esh; strongly condemns the attempted
military coup against the democratically elected government of Turkey;
shows its support for the constitutional and democratic legality of that
country and its solidarity with the Turkish constitutional authorities;
strongly encourages the Turkish government to protect the constitutional
order, while underlining the importance of respect for the rule of law and
independence of the judiciary in the aftermath of the coup, in cooperation
with the Council of Europe; asks the EU to keep a strong position in
defending their principles and values when it comes to negotiations with
Turkey, especially the respect for human rights, including the rejection of
the death penalty, freedom of the press, democracy and the rule of law;
stresses that all benchmarks have to be fulfilled for the EU to grant visa
liberalisation, as it is required for all countries wishing to benefit from visa-
free access to the Schengen area;
23. Welcomes the efforts to restore stability and to install a Government of
National Accord in Libya; reaffirms that the Government of National
Accord is the sole legitimate authority in the country and calls on all
institutions to move forward based on the provisions set out in the Libyan
Political Agreement; still notes with concern that irregular migration from
Libya towards Europe is not decreasing;
24. Stresses that the European Neighbourhood Policy in the South should be
refocused on priorities related to economic development, employment,
6
particularly of young people, fair sharing of value added, mobility and
migratory flows, security and sustainable management of energy resources,
person-to-person contacts, institutional coherence of institutions, as well as
the advancement of political and economic integration of the Mediterranean
area; calls for strengthening of the security dimension of the European
Neighbourhood Policy also in the South, ensuring the highest level dialogue
with partners from the South;
25. Reminds of the importance of an EU strategy for development, promotion
of the values of peace and democracy, stability and security of the Sahel
countries that are also essentials for the security of Europe and the control
of migratory flows;
Sustainable Development and Migration: Towards a Comprehensive
Approach
26. Acknowledges that irregular and forced migration is a complex, global fact
that requires global responsibility and an effective multi-dimensional and
long-term approach focused on eliminating the root causes, particularly
poverty, armed conflict and bad governance; emphasises the need for a
comprehensive EU approach in the spirit of fair burden sharing, including a
shared responsibility for financing, combining all policy instruments
available, including trade, development aid, diplomacy and crisis
management, as in the case of the European Commission “new Partnership
Framework with third countries under the European Agenda on Migration";
notes in particular the importance of development cooperation; is convinced
that the EU should focus its development policy on creating economic
opportunities, especially for the youth, promoting good governance,
preventing conflicts, and fostering peaceful, inclusive societies;
27. Underlines the need to develop a new approach towards Africa, comprising
a significant increase in the EU’s financial commitments to the region and
a thorough review of the existing trade, agricultural, fisheries and other
policies that directly affect African countries; believes that the EU must
above all aim to improve the living conditions in African countries, namely
by providing better opportunities for trade, investment and growth and by
supporting African countries in building democratic, transparent and
effective institutions;
28. Welcomes the EU's cooperation with countries of transit and origin of
migration flows, and stresses that this needs to place protection of the
human rights of asylum seekers and war refugees at its centre; also stresses
the need to work with countries of origin and transit on returns of persons
who are not in need of international protection; urges the EU and Member
States to step up support for all host countries and communities, so as to
reduce refugees' dependency on humanitarian aid, enable them to integrate
into the local labour market, and allow host countries to provide education
and other basic services; underlines the need to help countries of origin and
transit, including North African countries control their borders and fight
smugglers' networks in order to prevent people from undertaking the
7
hazardous journey across the Mediterranean; welcomes the EU's civilian
and military efforts in controlling migration flows which need to be more
coordinated and effective; welcomes the addition of two supporting tasks to
EUNAVFOR MED operation SOPHIA, in particular concerning capacity
building and training of the Libyan Coast Guard and Navy; looks forward
to the continued effective and sustainable implementation of the EU –
Turkey statement of 18 March;
29. Calls for effective and coordinated international action to address the root
causes of irregular and forced migration, including increased efforts at the
UN level; urges the international community to provide appropriate funding
for UNHCR, WFP and other UN bodies involved in providing basic
services for refugees inside and outside conflict areas;
30. Welcomes the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which represents
a renewed international commitment to eradicating poverty, fostering peace
and conserving the environment; emphasises that in the context of the
upcoming mid-term review of the multiannual financial framework the EU
must ensure that all Agenda 2030 commitments are reflected;
Toward a European Defence Union: A White Book as a first step
31. Calls for an appropriate investment in security and defence by Member
States and the EU; stresses that the European Union should foster more
systematic and efficient defence cooperation among its Member States and
with our closest allies; stresses that the use of Union means should be
coherent with Member States' efforts to deliver defence capabilities; is
convinced that using EU funds to that end is a clear expression of European
solidarity and cohesion in defence matters;
32. Recalls the need, in accordance with the EU Global Strategy for foreign and
security policy, for a security and defence White Book of the EU which
would build on the EU Global Strategy and would describe the ways and
means of its implementation in the area of the CSDP; considers that the
White Book should be binding the initiatives of the EU under each
multiannual political and financial framework; is convinced that the White
Book should be instrumental in building gradual convergence of Member
States' security and defence planning; considers that the White Book should
update both the Civilian and the Military Helsinki Headline Goals and focus
on methods for reforming CSDP capability development, stepping up peer
pressure, assessment and accountability; believes that a principal objective
should be for the EU to move towards voluntary joint defence forces and
the development of a common security and defence culture which will
ultimately lead to a common defence structure for the countries wishing to
participate therein, taking into account the fact that not all EU Member
States are NATO member states; sees further cooperation amongst the
medical services in the form of a medical command as a model for a deeper
military integration; calls for closer cooperation among the parliaments of
the Members States involved in the EU Battle Groups;
8
33. Stresses that the work on an initial White Book should be started now,
taking into account recent developments and their implications; considers
that initial measures should comprise an EU defence review, defence
research funding, initiating a common European capabilities and armaments
policy, complemented by a stakeholder engagement process, implementing
the European defence action plan, and support to NATO initiatives in EU
Member States following the Warsaw summit where this creates EU-NATO
synergies, notably in the area of hybrid threats; supports fully the deepened
cyber defence cooperation between NATO and the EU in order to better
respond and prevent cyber-attacks; calls on the EU Member States to put
into practice the instruments provided for under the Treaty on European
Union, such as Article 42.6 (Permanent Structured Cooperation) and Article
44 (on the implementation of a CSDP task by a group of Member States);
underlines the need to establish a permanent EU military operational
headquarter for participating countries, closely coordinated with the
existing civilian planning and conduct capability; takes the view that it could
be established as part of a civilian-military strategic headquarter,
responsible for the planning and conduct of both EU civilian missions and
military operations; recalls that the CSDP will continue to develop in full
complementarity with NATO and in full, reciprocal autonomy;
34. States that the CSDP should increasingly complement crisis management
operations with crisis prevention and crisis resolution; calls on the HR/VP
to preserve and strengthen the distinct character of civilian approaches to
conflict prevention and crisis management; stresses the need to also deliver
more civilian capabilities and therefore create a comprehensive EU-
structure that can recruit and administer qualified personnel, including
mandatory joint training programmes before CSDP missions;
35. Calls for a more active role of the EU in the field of disarmament and arms
control; calls in this respect on the HR/VP and the Member States to work
towards common guidelines for the use of armed drones and urges the EU
Member States to fully comply with the eight criteria of Common Position
on arms exports;
36. Underlines that the IPC will contribute to the work on the EU's White Book,
and will regularly review its implementation; encourages all participants to
promote the consideration of the White Book in the national security and
defence planning, with a view to being mutually consistent; considers that
this would constitute an important step towards a European Defence Union;
37. Calls on the Council of the European Union to evaluate the financial and
operational consequences on the CSDP of the United Kingdom’s
withdrawal from the European Union.