RESOLUTION A3-0040/93

Resolution on the European Council report on progress towards European Union

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the report on progress towards European Union in 1991 -activities within the framework of external relations and political cooperation - which the European Council forwarded to Parliament (C3-0256/92 - SN 1928/1/92),

-having regard to the conclusions of the Edinburgh European Council of 11/12 December 1992,

-having regard to its resolution of 18 December 1992 on the establishment of the European Community's common foreign policy,

-having regard to the Treaty on European Union,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Security (A3-0040/93),

A.whereas in 1991 Community action in the field of external policy mainly consisted of a series of responses to events occurring on the international scene, rather than an organized approach designed to achieve common objectives,

B.deploring the inefficiency of Community action with reference to crises in particular geographical areas, especially in former Yugoslavia,

C.convinced that strengthening of the Community presence in some parts of the world would make an important contribution to international peace and security,

D.whereas there is a need to make full use of the instruments contained in the Treaty on Union without waiting for it to be ratified,

E.whereas the objectives of the common foreign and security policy set out in the Maastricht Treaty may form the basis of a policy in line with the interests of the citizens of the Union, if implemented democratically and fully integrated into the Community system,

1.Considers that the actions taken in the sphere of external relations and political cooperation in 1991 were not sufficiently effective to contribute to the protection of the Community's interests;

2.Notes the progress achieved through the signing of the Treaty on European Union and hopes that the effectiveness of Community foreign policy will be strengthened thereby,

3.Confirms the advisability of including foreign and security policy in the Community's terms of reference, making it subject to fully democratic and controllable decision-making procedures;

4.Approves the foreign policy declarations adopted at the Edinburgh European Council and hopes that the Community will confirm its solidarity and play a more important part in international relations, especilly in the prevention of conflicts;

5.Deplores, however, the decisions adopted at Edinburgh in so far as they allow one of the Member States to refrain from participating in actions in the field of security, thus undermining the consistency and cohesion needed in the design and implementation of the common foreign policy;

6.Welcomes the reorganization of the Commission to address common foreign and security policy issues and decisions in greater depth;

7.Believes that the provisions concerning a common foreign and security policy should under no circumstances call into question the existing mechanisms for dealing with the external aspects of Community policies, which must be implemented normally and in compliance with the prerogatives of the European Parliament;

8.Reaffirms that the Community's foreign policy must be designed to promote security and disarmament and to uphold human and minority rights as well as international law and UN resolutions;

9.Reaffirms that the common foreign and security policy must be implemented in strict compliance and close coordination with the existing mechanisms for dealing with the external aspects of Community competences (environment policy, ACP/EEC Joint Assembly, agricultural policy, scientific and technological research, economic and social cohesion, etc.);

10.Considers that the Member States should encourage the process of reform of the United Nations and its bodies, particularly the Security Council, in order to strengthen the Community's ability to influence the work of the UN;

11.Considers that the current international situation demands united participation by the Member States in the CSCE and the UN, and that, where necessary and possible, measures to formulate and implement strategies and action to maintain international peace and security must be taken by the European Community jointly with these organizations;

12.Believes that the Community and its Member States should play a more active and constructive role at international level and that political action should be aimed primarily at the prevention of conflict;

13.Considers it essential to promote the development of less advanced countries in order to eliminate sources of tension which could jeopardize international peace and security;

14.Calls on the Commission and Council to proceed without delay with the initiatives to implement the European Economic Area, which represents one of the pillars of the new European structure and a factor in the prosperity of the peoples of the states concerned;

15.Reaffirms that any form of association, partnership or cooperation with third countries must be based on full compliance by the latter with the principles of the CSCE;

16.Considers that the time has come to take decisive and vigorous action to put a definitive end to the current conflict in the former Yugoslavia; to this end the embargo must be strengthened by adopting sanctions against countries which do not respect it;

17.Asks the Council and Commission to prepare the legal and political framework for relations with the Czech and Slovak Republics as soon as possible, on the understanding that these two new states must be considered on an equal footing as regards the conclusion of association agreements with the Community;

18.Is of the opinion that the phase of emergency aid to Russia must now be replaced by structural measures to put an end to the emergency and create the conditions for transition to a market economy, without jeopardizing the democratic change that is under way;

19.Is convinced that greater involvement by the Community in the Middle East peace process could favour the interests of all the parties in question and promote European interests throughout the Mediterranean region; in this respect recalls its previous resolutions on the creation of a Conference on Security and Cooperation in the Mediterranean (CSCM);

20.Considers it necessary to create the conditions for genuine dialogue with the United States on the basis of equality; is of the opinion that the principal decisions on maintaining international peace and security and on intervention for humanitarian ends must be taken jointly with the United States and in full agreement with the United Nations;

21.Calls on the Council and Commission to strengthen the Community presence in the Far East in the light of the strategic and economic importance of the region; considers it advisable to hold talks with the Chinese Government and to bring strong pressure to bear to ensure that the fundamental rights of all Chinese citizens are finally guaranteed; with regard to Tibetan citizens in particular, calls for an end to all forms of repression, the resumption of talks with the Dalai Lama and consideration of some form of self-determination;

22.Repeats that the protection of human and minority rights must be an essential condition for any form of cooperation between the Community and non-member countries;

23.Supports the initiatives to create a right of humanitarian intervention and considers that the Community must assume a pioneering role in this area;

24.Takes the view that the Council's annual report was inadequately planned and drafted in relation to Parliament's expectations and the spirit of the Solemn Declaration of Stuttgart, in so far as it merely repeats the content of the declarations adopted by EPC without providing a general picture of Community activity and does not in any way respond to the positions adopted by Parliament; is convinced, moreover, that the report would be of greater interest if such aspects as geographic and chronological accuracy had been respected;

25.Calls on the Council to include the annual report as part of the application of Article J7 of the Treaty on European Union in future; points out that the annual report is the main instrument for providing Parliament with information on foreign policy, to enable the debate specified in the same article to take place;

26.Asks to be consulted by the Council with regard to the report on Joint Action and the Development of the Common Foreign and Security Policy in the Field of Security, adopted by the Council on 7 December 1992;

27.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, European Political Cooperation and the governments of the Member States.