The Hindu : Opinion / News Analysis : Europe: deciding to look outwards

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Monday, May 09, 2005

Opinion

Opinion - News Analysis

Europe: deciding to look outwards

Benita Ferrero-Waldner

The EU firmly believes that preventing conflicts is not only a moral imperative, but also less costly in the long run.

EVERY MAY we commemorate the end of the last great European war, and out of that horrific experience the emergence of the European dream — a new form of European organisation which has given us an unprecedented period of peace. This year is particularly significant, since it is 60 years since the end of that war, the longest period of peace Western Europe has ever known. And May 9, or Europe Day, is the anniversary of the Schumann Declaration that paved the way to our current European Union and brought us that peace.

As we celebrate those with the vision and the commitment to bring about our unique community, we also reflect on the latest accomplishments of our Union, and our ambitions for the future. The European Union is constantly evolving, as it seeks to keep pace with the changing demands of its citizens, and the changing nature of the world.

EU expansion

The last year has seen the culmination of many years of hard work as 10 new members joined the EU. On May 1, 2004 the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia became the EU's latest members. Contrary to many predictions, the expansion of the EU from 10 to 25 members did not result in chaos or cause the EU to implode. In fact it has been an unprecedented success, and we are already reaping the rewards. We are now a Union of 450 million citizens, we have the world's greatest GDP, we are the largest trading bloc, and we are the largest donor of humanitarian and development assistance in the world.

We also adopted the EU's Constitutional Treaty, which must now be ratified by all the EU's member states. From my perspective this is a particularly exciting development. It will have a huge impact on our ability to speak with a coherent voice in international affairs. For a long time we have struggled to play a political role on the global stage which matches our economic clout. Now we will have the necessary tools to do so. Once the constitution is ratified, a new position of European Minister of Foreign Affairs will be created to coordinate all aspects of the EU's foreign policy.

We know that the challenges we face in today's globalised world can only be dealt with on an international level. And that if we want to project our influence effectively, pushing for multilateral responses and promoting our fundamental values, we have to bring our full political weight to bear on the international scene.

The priority issues the European Commission has adopted for this five-year term (2004-2009) are solidarity, security and prosperity. This applies both within the EU and in our external relations. We will continue to be the world's largest donor of development and humanitarian assistance; to develop our rapid response capabilities which enable us to mobilise emergency assistance (for example in the case of the tragic Indian Ocean tsunami); and to promote economic development and our core values of democracy, human rights, good governance and the rule of law.

In our foreign policy we will prioritise conflict prevention and crisis management; promoting human rights and human security; and strengthening effective multilateralism. The EU firmly believes that preventing conflicts is not only a moral imperative, but also considerably less costly in the long run. We must address the root causes of conflicts and deny support to terrorism. We will continue to champion human rights, and put particular emphasis on human security — combating hunger, deadly diseases, environmental degradation and physical insecurity. We will also continue to support the U.N. system as the guarantor of international law and the arbiter of international peace and security, and participate actively in the reform debate later this year.

2005 is also the year we start implementing our new European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). Having finally overcome 60 years of division in Europe, we are determined not to create a new set of dividing lines in Europe, and want to capitalise on our new members' relations with their neighbours to project the EU's stability, prosperity and security beyond our shores. So we have developed the ENP to build a special relationship with new neighbours, aimed at bringing them closer to our values and standards. In return for their taking meaningful steps to strengthen the rule of law, good governance, human rights, democracy, and economic reform, we offer new opportunities to share in the EU's Single Market, closer cooperation on energy and transport links.

The EU is becoming an increasingly strong player in the international arena, which gives us a firm platform from which to develop closer ties with partners across the world. We want to develop an outward-looking Europe — for our interests, but also for our partners. Through our network of delegations overseas, the European Commission is working to develop ever-deeper relationships with its partners. We need a worldwide network of friends to address the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

(The writer is European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy.)

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