EUU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 789: Erklæring fra interparlamentarisk konference om den fælles udenrigs- og sikkerhedspolitisk samt EU's sikkerheds- og forsvarspolitik (CFSP/CSDP) 9/9-21

Europaudvalget 2020-21
EUU Alm.del Bilag 789
Offentligt

Inter-Parliamentary Conference

for the Common Foreign and Security Policy

and the Common Security and Defence Policy (CFSP/CSDP)

9 September 2021

via video conference

Joint statement by the Co-Chairs

Preliminary remarks

The 19

Inter-parliamentary Conference (IPC) for the CFSP/CSDP was held in the

context of the parliamentary dimension of the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council

on 9 September 2021. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the event was held

for the third time via video conference. It was attended by parliamentarians from the

EU Member States and the European Parliament. Also taking part were

parliamentarians from EU candidate and potential candidate countries, and the

European member countries of NATO that are not EU members, namely Montenegro,

North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, and the United Kingdom.

We, the co-chairs of the 19

IPC:

1. Note that recent international developments and challenges, including the

COVID-19 pandemic, have thoroughly challenged the world we live in and are

affecting key aspects of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)

and Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). Stress that the EU needs

to act on the global stage with a common strategic culture to become an even

more important global player and to actively push for the strengthening of

multilateralism.

2. Consider the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic as an accelerator of

changes in the international environment and recall the opportunity for the EU

to redefine its international agenda in order to address the new geopolitical

challenges.

Stress the fundamental importance of the EU’s internal and

external resilience,

reinforcing cooperation with like-minded partners, developing new partnerships,

and strengthening the EU’s multilateral vision on a global scale. Underline the

EUU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 789: Erklæring fra interparlamentarisk konference om den fælles udenrigs- og sikkerhedspolitisk samt EU's sikkerheds- og forsvarspolitik (CFSP/CSDP) 9/9-21

importance of the EU’s

strategic sovereignty, built on openness, multilateralism,

and the rules-based global order.

4. Note that the COVID-19 crisis has shown the need to step up multilateral

cooperation, particularly in global health governance and economic recovery.

Call for further support of the partners worldwide in the fight against the COVID-

19 pandemic by addressing the immediate health emergencies and

humanitarian needs, strengthening health systems, and supporting the

economic recovery.

5. Welcome the continuous efforts of the Team Europe and Coronavirus Global

Response initiatives, such as COVAX Facility, which are helping partner

countries to tackle the impact of the pandemic. Call for further support of

COVAX, as the vehicle for delivering on international vaccine solidarity.

6. Acknowledge the seriousness of geopolitical and security implications of the

withdrawal of international forces from

Afghanistan

for the country, its

immediate surroundings, and the international community as a whole. Express

concern for the threats that may emerge in this unpredictable security

environment and thus call on all parties to respect the principles of international

law, international humanitarian law, and international human rights law. Stress

the need for those in positions of power and authority across Afghanistan to

hold responsibility and accountability for the protection of human life and

property and for the immediate restoration of security and civil order. Reiterate

that Afghan women and girls, as all Afghan people, deserve to live in safety,

security and dignity and welcome the broad international support for their the

rights and freedoms which are an integral part of the life of the lives of women

and girls in Afghanistan for the past twenty years. Call for greater engagement

of the international community to prevent and manage potential risks associated

with an unstable Afghanistan.

7. Reiterate the call for accelerating a credible EU

enlargement process

and

putting clear focus on strengthening democracy, the rule of law and human

rights as well as on fostering reconciliation in the Western Balkans. Encourage

all countries in the Western Balkan region to implement the reforms aimed to

improve the institutional and socio-economic situation. Welcome the active

participation in regional cooperation initiatives, including the commitment to a

common regional market as a step on the EU path. Call for increased efforts to

build stronger political will among the Member States regarding the enlargement

to the Western Balkans and to ensure that the citizens of the region are more

closely associated with the EU and simultaneously benefit from the accession

process. Call upon the EU to speed up the involvement of the countries in the

region into cohesion policies and foreign affairs issues. Are convinced that

modernised Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance

(IPA

III) must improve

visibility of the EU funding in the region and bring a tangible impact on the

ground through enhanced conditionality.

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8. Call on the High Representative, the Council, and the Member States to make

the

full integration of the Western Balkan countries in the EU’s foreign,

security and defence policy

a priority under the Strategic Compass. Stress

the urgency of holding the first intergovernmental conferences with North

Macedonia and Albania. Recall in that context that the EU should be the first

“partner of choice” in order to promote peace, security, and progress in the

region. Underline that the Western Balkan countries should benefit from EU-

level security and defence cooperation, such as the Permanent Structured

Cooperation and the European Defence Fund.

9. Underline that close cooperation with the Western Balkan region, including in

the CFSP/CSDP domain, is in the strategic interest of the EU. The enhancement

of regional partnerships with the countries of the Western Balkans through the

CSDP is an additional opportunity to reaffirm the importance of the European

perspective of the entire region and an investment in a safer and stronger

Europe. The strengthening of partnership and structured dialogue with Western

Balkan countries within the CSDP along with the involvement of the region in

the EU defence projects and initiatives will contribute to an enhanced defence

cooperation. In addition, it will increase the EU's capacity and capability as a

reliable international security actor. This joint cooperation will enable better

inclusion of the whole region by sharing common strategic culture and building

common security capacities of the Union and its neighbours. The intensified

cooperation will be an upgrade of the already established partnership within the

CSDP missions and operations with the Western Balkan countries, both in the

region and beyond.

10. Stress that the

Strategic Compass

has the ambition of developing a new

approach to security and defence partnerships with international organisations

and third countries. So far, dialogues under the Compass process have

reiterated the need to build a flexible and tailor-made partnership framework

that considers the specificities of each partner and the importance of its

contribution to EU actions. In this context, developing a tailor-made approach to

partnerships with the Western Balkans should be a priority. Indeed, the

integration of the Western Balkans in the EU remains a key strategic objective

and it is in the shared interest of the Union and the region to support its further

Euro-Atlantic integration. Building on the work of the 2018 Sofia Priority Agenda

and the 2021 European External Action Service’s non-paper

on the

EU’s

reinforced engagement with the Western Balkans on the CSDP and the CFSP,

the Strategic Compass provides an opportunity to achieve closer engagement

and deeper dialogue with the region and the EU candidate countries.

11. Stress that

cyber security,

with the acceleration of digitisation, automation,

robotics, and the introduction of artificial intelligence, has become one of the

most important components of global security. Highlight the need for resilience

of critical infrastructure and the economy, as well as security of users of digital

technologies. Call to enhance

the EU’s efforts and investments to detect,

contain, adapt to, manage, and prevent and appropriately tackle the ever more

frequent and sophisticated cyber threats and risks. Encourage the creation and

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implementation of international cyber security standards and norms to become

able to ensure a global, open, and secure cyberspace.

12. Highlight the importance of the full implementation of the

EU-UK

Withdrawal

Agreement as well as the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and of the Protocol

on Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is an agreement that protects the

integrity of the Internal Market and the indivisibility of the four freedoms and

limits the negative consequences of the UK’s withdrawal from

the EU by

providing legal certainty for citizens and businesses. Welcomes steps towards

the establishment of a Parliamentary Partnership Assembly for Members of the

European and UK Parliaments, as foreseen by the Agreement. Express hopes

that foreign policy cooperation will be further developed and strengthened in

areas of common concern.

13. Underline the need to strengthen the

EU-US transatlantic cooperation

on the

basis of equal partnership. Emphasise the need for global promotion of common

democratic values with a tendency to rebuild and reinvigorate the multilateral

rule-based international order, with the UN system at its centre and with respect

of international law, international humanitarian law, and international human

rights law. Fully support and commit to pursue synergies and shared foreign

and security objectives through further deepening of cooperation in the

framework of the EU-US transatlantic dialogue. In this regard, stress the value

of transatlantic cooperation for the security and stability

of the EU’s eastern and

southern neighbourhood, the Western Balkans, and the African continent, and

call for regular dialogue and consultations to this effect. Emphasise the

importance of common cyber resilience promotion, close cooperation on the use

of new technologies and artificial intelligence, and the need to deepen legislative

cooperation and establish stronger structures.

14. Closely monitor the political developments in

Russia,

which are directly

affecting the security of the EU and its immediate neighbourhood. Reiterate that

the main interest of the EU is to maintain freedom, stability, and peace on the

European continent and beyond. Underline that closer coordination,

cooperation, and unity among the EU Member States are necessary in order to

maintain a constructive dialogue with the Russian authorities based on the five

guiding principles. Note that besides the traditional selective strategic

engagement with the Russian authorities, a dialogue with the Russian civil

society should be promoted in order to foster a positive impact on the

development of democratic standards and practices.

15. Deplore that one year after the fraudulent presidential election in

Belarus,

the

Lukashenka regime continues its brutal crackdown against opposition figures,

independent media and civil society representatives. Condemn the

weaponization of illegal migration by the regime to carry out hybrid attacks on

Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, thereby violating the European Union's external

borders. Support the extensive restrictive measures introduced by the EU in

response to the serious human rights violations in Belarus. Reiterate our united

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and unwavering support to the democratic forces and the brave people of

Belarus in their quest for dignity and freedom.

16. Recommend to develop a more assertive, comprehensive, and consistent

EU-

China

strategy that unites all Member States and shapes relations with China

in the interest of the EU as a whole, with the defence of our values at its core

and promoting a rule-based multilateral order. Underline that the strategy needs

to take into account the multifaceted nature of the EU’s relations with China.

Highlight that China is a cooperation and a negotiating partner for the EU, but

also an economic competitor, and a systemic rival in an increasing number of

areas. Suggest that this strategy should be based on the following principles:

open dialogue and cooperation on global challenges; enhanced engagement

on universal values, international norms, and human rights; analysis and

identification of the risks, vulnerabilities and challenges; building partnerships

with like-minded partners especially in the Indo-Pacific region; fostering open

strategic autonomy, including in trade and investment relations as well as

defence and promotion of core European interests and values.

17. Reiterate that the EU's priority is to actively engage in a revival of the

Joint

Comprehensive Plan of Action

(JCPoA) as a matter of security for Europe

and the region. Underline that the JCPoA is our only way to stop Iran's worrying

nuclear activities. Urge the new Irani leadership to halt all activities in violation

of the JCPoA without delay and to return to the negotiations in Vienna as soon

as possible with a view to bringing them to a swift and successful conclusion.

18. Call to further step-up synergies and coherence between all the legal and

political frameworks on which the

EU-Africa

relations are based in order to be

more effective and sustainable, with a stronger long-term, multi-faceted and

multi-sectoral partnership. Stress the importance of addressing more effectively

the nexus between security, food and health security, climate change and

migration. Call for a swift ratification of the new Partnership Agreement between

the EU and the members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific

States (post-Cotonou-Agreement). Recall that Africa is an important partner in

multilateral fora in which we need to reform the multilateral decision-making

bodies to make them more just and representative, which is crucial to find

solutions to our common global challenges. Stress that the EU needs to develop

a strategic and long-term response to the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative,

which should be guided by our shared values and needs articulated by our

African neighbours.

19. Encourage solidarity and efforts of the EU Member States and institutions to

improve the

EU’s ability to respond to crises,

especially considering the

growing frequency and severity of natural and man-made disasters in recent

years, not least because of the negative consequences of climate change. In

light of recent disasters that include the COVID-19 pandemic, the wildfires in

Greece, Italy and Spain, and the deadly floods in Belgium, Germany,

Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, stress the importance of the Solidarity

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Clause which enables the EU and its Member States to act jointly in assisting

another Member State that is a victim of a natural or man-made disaster.

20.

Emphasise the need to upgrade the existing

crisis response mechanisms

and

urge the Member States to reconsider the existing restrictive approach to the

implementation of the Solidarity Clause. Consider that the respective Council

Decision on the implementation of the Solidarity Clause is inadequate and does

not provide a sufficient ground for the EU and the Member States to prepare

and act in a coordinated manner in cases of natural or man-made disasters.

Call on the relevant EU institutions to review the current set-up

of the EU’s

disaster crisis management and report on their findings. For this purpose and

based on the military dimension of the Solidarity Clause, call on the relevant EU

institutions to explore the manner in which Member States' military capabilities

are integrated with their civil crisis response capabilities and the manner in

which these could be utilised across the EU in the event that a Member State

invokes the Solidarity Clause

Monika Gregorčič

Chair of the Committee on Foreign Policy

National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia

Samo Bevk

Chair of the Committee on Defence

National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia

Bojan Kekec

Chair of the Commission for International Relations

and European Affairs

National Council of the Republic of Slovenia

David McAllister, MEP

Chair of the EP Committee on Foreign Affairs

Chair of the EP delegation

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