La Présidente. – L’ordre du jour appelle la brève présentation de trois rapports, le premier étant celui de Tunne Kelam sur la mobilité militaire, au nom de la commission des affaires étrangères, sur la mobilité militaire (2018/2156(INI)) (A8-0372/2018).

  Tunne Kelam, Rapporteur. – Madam President, in March 2018, the Commission and the High Representative came forward with the Action Plan on Military Mobility, which included a timetable for implementation. The report presented to you today is Parliament’s contribution to this crucial security dimension. I would like to thank the shadow rapporteurs for their excellent cooperation and openness to achieve a positive result.

Military mobility is about the EU’s credibility to deliver collective security in real terms and time, to defend EU citizens and territory everywhere. According to the old saying, ‘the devil is in the detail’. This applies perfectly to military mobility.

NATO and the EU have committed themselves to defence and solidarity clauses. Now, to make these commitments credible we need a very down-to-earth, practical, well-coordinated and joint effort. This means harmonising all European networks of roads, bridges, tunnels, railways and ports, which will enable the efficient and quick transportation of troops, military equipment and necessary goods across Europe.

The present situation is problematic, to put it mildly. In fact it is unsatisfactory; there are an impressive number of obstacles, bottlenecks – physical, legal and regulatory – that can prevent vital assistance reaching its destination in time. Delays, even for a few days, can change the whole strategic situation. Last summer for example, a military vehicle starting from Germany needed several days and five specific permits to reach its destination – Tallinn, Estonia. This is an example of legal and documentary problems while crossing the borders of several Member States, and it was just one vehicle in question.

We also point to the declining quantity and quality of our rolling stock suitable and available for moving heavy military equipment in conditions of urgency.

At the same time, military mobility and its requirements can be seen as a significant civil benefit as it will enable the upgrading of civilian transport corridors, making these more resilient and able to carry heavier loads. The good message is that it is going to be a win-win situation for all sides. The key words in this report are ‘dual-use’.

To conclude, efficient and credible military mobility can be achieved only through the total commitment of all Member States, in close cooperation with NATO. It is absolutely paramount for all partners to understand the following: the EU can coordinate and supplement, but not substitute, concrete efforts by the Member States. What is absolutely important is to retain the funding of EUR 6.5 billion promised for the specific objective of military mobility from the Connecting Europe Facility.

We call on the Commission and the Member States to adhere strictly to the proposed time limit, which is set out in the Action Plan. The Commission needs to adopt delegated acts by the end of the next year to further specify military requirements and to list priority dual-use infrastructure projects. We call on Member States to prepare and adopt by the end of next year their national plans on military mobility with a high priority level.

Interventions à la demande

  Νότης Μαριάς (ECR). – Κυρία Πρόεδρε, ο εισηγητής αναφέρθηκε στην περίφημη ρήτρα αμυντικής αλληλεγγύης που υπάρχει και στο ΝΑΤΟ και στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση. Βεβαίως στην περίπτωση της Ελλάδος βλέπουμε ότι το ΝΑΤΟ νίπτει τας χείρας του όταν υπάρχουν οι απειλές της Τουρκίας, όταν η Τουρκία αμφισβητεί τα κυριαρχικά δικαιώματα της πατρίδας μας και εμφανίζεται σαν να μην ξέρει τίποτε. Αυτό ένα σοβαρό θέμα, κύριε εισηγητά, όπως επίσης το γεγονός ότι η Τουρκία έχει καταλάβει το 37% του εδάφους της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας και δεν βλέπουμε να κάνει τίποτε το ΝΑΤΟ. Σε επίπεδο Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης, ισχύει το ίδιο. Δεν είδαμε να υπάρχει αποφασιστική στάση του Ευρωπαϊκού Συμβουλίου απέναντι στον Ερντογάν, στις απειλές του, σε αυτά τα οποία κάνει, που παραβιάζει την κυπριακή ΑΟΖ, που αμφισβητεί τα δικαιώματα της Κύπρου, που αμφισβητεί τα δικαιώματα της Ελλάδος, που λέει ότι, αν η Ελλάδα επεκτείνει στα δώδεκα μίλια τα χωρικά της ύδατα, αυτό σημαίνει πόλεμο. Πρέπει λοιπόν να υπάρξει αποφασιστική πολιτική στάση καταδίκης της Τουρκίας και βεβαίως έμπρακτη στάση αλληλεγγύης απέναντι στην Ελλάδα και στην Κύπρο, για να πούμε ότι μπορούν να λειτουργήσουν τα όσα λέτε, κύριε εισηγητά, στην έκθεση σας.

  Kateřina Konečná (GUE/NGL). – Paní předsedající, věřím, že bychom si v politice měli říkat pravdu a mluvit otevřeně. Projednávaný bod totiž znamená, že Evropská komise vyčlení z Nástroje pro propojení Evropy na oblast vojenské mobility nejméně 6,5 miliardy EUR.

Nástroj pro propojení Evropy přitom Evropská komise prezentovala s velkou pompou před sedmi lety. Předseda tehdejší Evropské komise Barroso tehdy uvedl: „Nástroj pro propojení Evropy a iniciativa projektových dluhopisů dokonale prokazují, jakou přidanou hodnotu může Evropa vytvářet. Tyto návrhy podpoří budování silnic, železnic, energetických sítí, ropovodů a plynovodů a širokopásmých sítí, jenž jsou pro naše občany a podniky tak důležité.“ Ani slovo o vojenské mobilitě. Ani slovo o omezení finančních prostředků na vysoce potřebné projekty civilní infrastruktury, neboť bude upřednostněna přidaná hodnota pro vojenské nasazení.

Evropská unie se mění a obávám se, že k lepšímu to není. Financujme projekty, které lidem pomůžou, a ne ty, které pomůžou vojenské mobilitě. Nedělejme Evropu pro válku, dělejme ji pro mír!

  Jonathan Arnott (EFDD). – Madam President, provided it is done with the knowledge and democratic consent of its citizens, how the European Union goes about building a European defence union is the EU 27’s business and not mine. So things like interoperability in this report make sense to those who are building towards an eventual EU army.

But in the UK, the remain campaign lied to the people. They promised that the things that we’re discussing here today were just yet another Euromyth and, after the referendum, I was tempted to say, ‘Well, let’s let bygones be bygones; those things didn’t work and they didn’t fool the British people’. But we should be aware in the UK that UK participation in the EU Common Security and Defence Policy missions and the possibility of Britons being under EU operational command is in Articles 102 and 103 of the Political Declaration on Brexit. Brexiteers must not simply sleepwalk into assuming that Theresa May’s deal will keep the UK completely isolated from this, because it won’t.

  Γεώργιος Επιτήδειος (NI). – Κυρία Πρόεδρε, στρατιωτική κινητικότητα είναι η δυνατότητα ταχείας κινήσεως στρατιωτικών δυνάμεων, υλικών και μέσων προκειμένου να επιτευχθεί κάποιος αντικειμενικός σκοπός. Για να υλοποιηθεί αυτός ο στόχος στην ξηρά, απαιτείται να χρησιμοποιηθεί ένα υψηλών προδιαγραφών οδικό δίκτυο στο οποίο σημαίνουσα θέση έχουν οι γέφυρες. Ο κ. Junker οραματίζεται μέχρι το 2025 να έχει δημιουργήσει την αμυντική ένωση, οπότε γεννάται το εξής ερώτημα: Ποιος ο λόγος να έχει τη δυνατότητα μία στρατιωτική δύναμη της Ευρωπαϊκής Ενώσεως να κινηθεί εντός και κυρίως εκτός των ορίων της Ευρωπαϊκής Ενώσεως; Μήπως πρόκειται να επιτεθεί σε κάποια γειτονική χώρα; την Ουκρανία, τη Λευκορωσία, τη Μολδαβία ή οποιαδήποτε άλλη; Εάν όχι, γιατί πρέπει να έχει αυτή τη δυνατότητα; Εάν ναι, για ποιο λόγο να ονομάζεται αυτή η ένωση αμυντική; Έχουν ρωτήσει τους στρατιωτικούς; Έχουν πάρει προτάσεις για το εάν και κατά πόσον υπάρχει δυνατότητα δυνάμεις της Ευρωπαϊκής Ενώσεως που δεν διατίθενται στο ΝΑΤΟ και διατίθενται για ειρηνευτικές αποστολές να διεξαγάγουν και επιθετικές επιχειρήσεις;

(Fin des interventions à la demande)

  Marianne Thyssen, Member of the Commission. – Madam President, military mobility is a key issue within the security and defence agenda that the European Union is pursuing in the wake of the global strategy. It will enable Europe to respond faster to crises and increase its resilience to external threats. Military mobility is a topic where the Union fosters civilian-military cooperation and creates dual-use opportunities. It is supported through other defence initiatives, notably the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), and it contributes to enhanced cooperation with NATO. As the resolution also highlights, improving military mobility will also contribute to strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy.

This European Parliament resolution on military mobility rightly addresses the topic in a comprehensive manner, providing advice on all relevant areas of work in this context. Improving military mobility is an important priority for which the Union can help provide solutions, taking into account the needs expressed by the Member States and in full respect of their sovereignty. This was at the core of the EU Action Plan submitted by the High Representative and the Commission in March this year.

Together with our Member States, work is advancing at different levels in a coordinated way. The Council conclusions of 19 November on security and defence in the context of the European Union’s global strategy made a substantive advancement in implementation of the Action Plan, with the approval of the finalised military requirements for military mobility within and beyond the European Union.

The EU Action Plan sets out the actions by all relevant EU players involved in the following key areas: transport infrastructure, regulatory and procedural issues related to customs, cross-border procedures, diplomatic clearance and others, and cross-cutting issues like countering hybrid threats. Furthermore, the Commission has proposed a budget of EUR 6.5 billion under the next multiannual financial framework to support dual-use infrastructural projects using the Connecting Europe Facility.

As set out in the resolution, the aim of this initiative is to improve the mobility of military forces within and beyond the EU, hence enabling the EU and its Member States to act faster, in line with their defence needs and responsibilities, both in the context of common security and defence policy missions and operations, as well as national and multinational activities, in particular in the framework of NATO. Building on civilian-military synergies, this initiative will bring better infrastructure, more efficient procedures, and safer transport across the Union. It will thus help overcome existing difficulties and limitations on the mobility of our forces, removing delays and disruptions, lowering costs and eliminating vulnerabilities across our Union.

The European Parliament resolution rightly acknowledges the principles that inform these actions: respecting the sovereignty of Member States, calling for a whole-of-government approach, coordinating at the European level and with Member States, including in the context of the Permanent Structured Cooperation, and seeking further cooperation with NATO on military mobility, to be pursued in the framework of the joint declarations.

I warmly welcome the support of Parliament, in particular as regards the establishment of the mechanism for co-funding of dual-use infrastructure projects within the new Connecting Europe Facility Regulation. This will call for close work between the EU and Member States in order to help respond to military needs by supporting civilian users.

The European Union and its Member States are making real progress in the area of military mobility, a good example of fruitful interaction between national actions and commitments, and EU level action and support. Keeping the momentum and delivering results will be key for the coming months and even years. Thank you for all this work, and thanks for your attention.

  La Présidente. – Ce point de l’ordre du jour est clos.

Le vote aura lieu mardi, le 11 décembre 2018.