A majority in the foreign affairs committee of the European Union voted for substantial militarization
Press release 2006/49 – Tobias Pflüger (MEP) – Strasbourg, 5th October 2006
Regarding today’s vote in the foreign affairs committee of the European Union on the report "on the implementation of the European Security Strategy in the context of the ESDP" (2006/2033(INI)) by Karl von Wogau (EPP-ED, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence) the member of parliament Tobias Pflüger from the Left Group (GUE/NGL) member of the foreign affairs committee and coordinator for the Left Group in the subcommittee on Security and Defence declares:
“The “von Wogau Report” adopted with 30 pro against 9 dissenting votes is a central document for progressing militarization in the European Union. This can be seen for example in the demand for considerably larger funds for military spending and research.”
The “von Wogau Report” even demands a second “virtual” budget for the military expenditure of the member states, parallel to the regular EU budget. In this way the hitherto existing financing tricks (ATHENA-Mechanism, Ad Hoc budgets) are perpetuated openly.
The report describes fatal and close connection between EU and NATO. The Berlin Plus Agreement which had regulated the EU’s access to NATO capacities is explicitly welcomed by “von Wogau”. The report demands an even closer cooperation in the field of aerial surveillance.
The responsibility for military policies is attributed to the EU and the member states. Regarding military structures this results in an additional layer in the EU.
In the draft of the report there had been a passage: "Considers, on the other hand, that the European Security Strategy, while assuming that the first line of defence may lie outside the Union, suggests that preventive military action is admissible only in the event of an immediate and clearly identifiable threat; emphasises that, in taking such action, the EU should as a matter of principle seek a mandate from the United Nations." This could have been read as open support for the concept of pre-emptive war. As a consequence of my harsh criticisms to this demand the rapporteur finally dropped this formulation.
The only part of the report Tobias Pflüger on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group could support was the demand for an effectual parliamentary control of EU military politics. Pflüger: “The fact that the EU-Parliament still hasn’t any authoritative possibility to demand reports from the responsible EU agencies for example on military missions, details on their performance or the respective budget, is a scandal.” The EU’s 'Political and Security Committee', in which the EU ambassadors of the member states or their deputies responsible for military politics converge, is the instance of authority which makes the relevant preliminary decisions.
In the name of the GUE/NGL group Tobias Pflüger put forth a minority opinion on the “von Wogau Report”. In this minority opinion the GUE/NGL criticised also the continued militarization of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, the deliberate mix-up of civilian and military missions, the creation of EU Battle Groups, Gendarmerie Force, and Rapid Reaction Forces as well as autonomous EU Command Structures modelled on NATO structures. GUE/NGL also opposed the militarization of the EU borders and the attempts to attend to the “problems” with migrants with military means.
The minority opinion was backed by all the members of the GUE/NGL present. Tobias Pflüger (Germany, AFET + coordinator GUE/NGL in SEDE), Athanasios Pafilis (Greece, SEDE + AFET), Willy Meyer-Pleite (Spain, AFET + substitute SEDE), Erik Meijer (Netherlands, substitute AFET), Jaromir Kohlicek (Czech Republik, substitute AFET).
The complete minority opinion you will find here:
http://tobiaspflueger.twoday.net/stories/2763863/
Here you also find the link to the draft report:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2004_2009/documents/pr/614/614115/614115en.pdf
The decision of the committee will be published after the accepted modifications are made. After this the Report will be provided for the next plenary session of the European Parliament, there a discussion and the final vote will take place.
Regarding today’s vote in the foreign affairs committee of the European Union on the report "on the implementation of the European Security Strategy in the context of the ESDP" (2006/2033(INI)) by Karl von Wogau (EPP-ED, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence) the member of parliament Tobias Pflüger from the Left Group (GUE/NGL) member of the foreign affairs committee and coordinator for the Left Group in the subcommittee on Security and Defence declares:
“The “von Wogau Report” adopted with 30 pro against 9 dissenting votes is a central document for progressing militarization in the European Union. This can be seen for example in the demand for considerably larger funds for military spending and research.”
The “von Wogau Report” even demands a second “virtual” budget for the military expenditure of the member states, parallel to the regular EU budget. In this way the hitherto existing financing tricks (ATHENA-Mechanism, Ad Hoc budgets) are perpetuated openly.
The report describes fatal and close connection between EU and NATO. The Berlin Plus Agreement which had regulated the EU’s access to NATO capacities is explicitly welcomed by “von Wogau”. The report demands an even closer cooperation in the field of aerial surveillance.
The responsibility for military policies is attributed to the EU and the member states. Regarding military structures this results in an additional layer in the EU.
In the draft of the report there had been a passage: "Considers, on the other hand, that the European Security Strategy, while assuming that the first line of defence may lie outside the Union, suggests that preventive military action is admissible only in the event of an immediate and clearly identifiable threat; emphasises that, in taking such action, the EU should as a matter of principle seek a mandate from the United Nations." This could have been read as open support for the concept of pre-emptive war. As a consequence of my harsh criticisms to this demand the rapporteur finally dropped this formulation.
The only part of the report Tobias Pflüger on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group could support was the demand for an effectual parliamentary control of EU military politics. Pflüger: “The fact that the EU-Parliament still hasn’t any authoritative possibility to demand reports from the responsible EU agencies for example on military missions, details on their performance or the respective budget, is a scandal.” The EU’s 'Political and Security Committee', in which the EU ambassadors of the member states or their deputies responsible for military politics converge, is the instance of authority which makes the relevant preliminary decisions.
In the name of the GUE/NGL group Tobias Pflüger put forth a minority opinion on the “von Wogau Report”. In this minority opinion the GUE/NGL criticised also the continued militarization of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, the deliberate mix-up of civilian and military missions, the creation of EU Battle Groups, Gendarmerie Force, and Rapid Reaction Forces as well as autonomous EU Command Structures modelled on NATO structures. GUE/NGL also opposed the militarization of the EU borders and the attempts to attend to the “problems” with migrants with military means.
The minority opinion was backed by all the members of the GUE/NGL present. Tobias Pflüger (Germany, AFET + coordinator GUE/NGL in SEDE), Athanasios Pafilis (Greece, SEDE + AFET), Willy Meyer-Pleite (Spain, AFET + substitute SEDE), Erik Meijer (Netherlands, substitute AFET), Jaromir Kohlicek (Czech Republik, substitute AFET).
The complete minority opinion you will find here:
http://tobiaspflueger.twoday.net/stories/2763863/
Here you also find the link to the draft report:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2004_2009/documents/pr/614/614115/614115en.pdf
The decision of the committee will be published after the accepted modifications are made. After this the Report will be provided for the next plenary session of the European Parliament, there a discussion and the final vote will take place.
Tobias Pflüger - 2006/10/05 16:31
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