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Verbatim report of proceedings
Wednesday, 18 June 2003 - Brussels OJ edition

Security strategy for the European Union, including implementation of the United Nations programme to combat the illegal trade in light weapons
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  Andreasen (ELDR).(DA) Mr President, as the High Representative said, a European Union of 25 countries, 450 million people and a quarter of the world’s total national product must assume greater responsibility for its own security and defence; and, I would add, be less dependent upon our friends in the United States. That is in the interests of both the EU and the United States. That is something we owe to ourselves, as well as to the Americans who, for many years, have been the guarantors of peace in Western Europe. We therefore need closer institutional ties between NATO and the EU so that we might react more consistently to the new global challenges in terms of combating international terrorism, organised crime and the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

The objective is therefore the continued development of the EU’s defence dimension – which is also supported by the United States – as the European pillar within NATO. The EU must increasingly work in partnership with the Americans, and not in opposition to them. The transatlantic alliance can only be maintained in the long term if a proper European defence identity is introduced. The news we received from the foreign ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg concerning a stronger and more pro-active foreign and defence policy was therefore encouraging, and it is with great excitement that we now await the High Representative’s proposal for the first common European security strategy.

We can be happy about the fact that the Council generally wishes to strengthen European defence and cooperation around research and development in this area, but the proposal should also fully support the re-establishment of the transatlantic partnership. In this connection, it has been gratifying to read what has been termed the Allbright declaration on this partnership. The declaration also states that the partnership is the supporting pillar of NATO cooperation.

 
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