Amidst significant geopolitical uncertainty and threats, MEPs are set to call for decisive action to strengthen and protect the international rules-based order. EP Plenary holds a joint debate on how to strengthen European security and defence with the Council and Commission.In the draft report on the implementation of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy for 2023, MEPs urge the EU to develop robust strategic alliances, to accelerate EU enlargement and reform decision-making processes in response to a new geopolitical context. Parliament also assesses the implementation of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy report in the context of a rapidly deteriorating global security environment. Both reports will be put to a vote on Wednesday.

statement

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

common security and defence policy (T)

WEBER, Manfred (EPP, DE)

Security and defence (T2)

REINTKE, Terry (Greens/EFA, DE)

McALLISTER, David (EPP, DE)

joint debate

GÁL, Kinga (NI, HU)

SCHIRDEWAN, Martin (The Left, DE)

MIKSER, Sven (S&D, EE)

HAYER, Valérie (Renew, FR)

GARRAUD, Jean-Paul (ID, FR)

MARQUES, Pedro (S&D, PT)

PROCACCINI, Nicola (ECR, IT)

foreign affairs and security policy (T)

Joint Debate - European Security and Defence: round of political group speakers and Rapporteurs

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/75049803/1709018994045_I253377Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (English), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), -

SOUNDBITE (English), Pedro MARQUES (S&amp;D, PT), '-

SOUNDBITE (German), Terry REINTKE (Greens, DE), '-

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Nicola PROCACCINI (ECR, IT), '-

'SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Paul GARRAUD (ID, FR), '-.

'SOUNDBITE (Hungarian), Kinga GÁL (HU, Non-attached), '-

SOUNDBITE (English), David MCALLISTER (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, Mr. President. Madam President, Minister, ladies and gentlemen. Since we adopted our previous report on the implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy on the 18th of January last year, the world has changed significantly. Mr. Putin is relentless in his war of aggression against Ukraine. The horror terrorist attacks launched by Hamas against Israel on the 7th of October have swept the Middle East on fire.

SOUNDBITE (English), David MCALLISTER (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, In our external action, we need to adapt to these new circumstances. For too long, the European Union has been too cautious. We have not proactively defined and defended our interests in the world. This needs to change. I would like to fully underline what our commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, has said this morning in this plenary. And it was actually our Commission president, Ursula von der, who recognised this already back in 2019 when she spoke of a geopolitical Commission and a European Union that needs to understand the language of power.

SOUNDBITE (English), David MCALLISTER (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, Listening Carefully to all the contributions this morning. One thing is obvious one logical conclusion can only be a strong defence portfolio. But what actually does that mean concretely? Yes, I would like to see a Commissioner for Security and Defence in the next European Commission. She or perhaps he should coordinate all EU and Member States defence initiatives and ensure that we are stronger by acting together.

SOUNDBITE (English), David MCALLISTER (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, Yes, I would want to see EU Member States to procure their defence products jointly to improve the interoperability of our armed forces and to reduce the costs for taxpayers. The EU Defence Industry Reinforcement Act was an important starting point, but it is far from enough. Yes, we must help the European defence industry to increase its production capacity to ensure that our armed forces are fully equipped. We must provide Ukraine with whatever it takes to win this war as long as it takes.

SOUNDBITE (English), David MCALLISTER (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, 'Also, in that regard, we made a first step with the act in support of ammunition production. But we urgently, colleagues need to go further with the future European Defence Investment Programme and by establishing a well-funded Ukraine assistance Fund under the European Peace Facility. Ultimately, it is about further establishing a single market for defence. The long term goal, Dear colleagues, is of course to develop a true European Defence Union, a fully fledged European Defence Union.

 All our activities need to be closely coordinated with NATO, with our transatlantic partners, the Americans, the Canadians, the British. Let us remain transatlantic and at the same time become more European. That is the way forward. I would once again like to address our Commission President because since 2019, Ursula von der Leyen you have taken the right approach. You are strengthening Europe's global footprint and supporting the principles that inspired our own creation, development and enlargement.

SOUNDBITE (English), David MCALLISTER (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, 'Since we have discussed my own report extensively, I will not refer to my own report. I would just like to thank all colleagues involved, especially the shadow rapporteurs, the involved staff members, and also the team of the High Representative Vice-President for the constructive and fruitful cooperation. Since this will be the final report on the implementation of our common foreign and security policy in this Legislature, hopefully the next Commission and the next High representative are invited to use this year's CFSP report as a guide for their priorities. Thank you very much.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sven MIKSER (S&D, EE), 'President of the Commission. Colleagues. Russia's aggression against Ukraine has made many of us reassess previously held convictions and beliefs about European security needs. What is more, it has exposed vulnerabilities caused by decades of under-investment in defence and security, both in individual member states as well as at the European Union level. And let me say that perhaps unlike in Finland or Estonia, the Conservatives in some larger countries were also complicit in this strategic naivety.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sven MIKSER (S&D, EE), Russia's brutal aggression against Ukraine must not succeed. It is our moral duty to support the fight for survival of a sovereign, democratic European nation. But we have to understand that Ukraine's defeat would also be devastating for EU security and present a mortal threat to the rules based international order as we know it. Since Putin escalated this war over two years ago, the EU has taken many unprecedented steps.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sven MIKSER (S&D, EE), The use of European Peace Facility to reimburse member states for equipment donated to Ukraine and the initiative to ramp up production of ammunition and missiles are steps in the right direction. But I am sure that the history books will not judge us based on what we did or spent or what we said in this noble chamber, but on whether we actually managed to help Ukraine win the war. So we need to do more and do it now. It's a matter of utmost urgency because while we are talking, Russia is making gains on ground that will be very difficult and costly to reverse later.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sven MIKSER (S&D, EE), We know that Putin's Russia presents not only a threat limited to the indirect implications of the Ukraine war. The result will be, for the foreseeable future, a direct military threat from Russia to EU member states, territories and people. In order to provide credible, credible deterrence against the threat or if necessary defend our continent we will need to spend more on defence. It's true that more Member States are spending 2% of the GDP on defence than did so ten years ago. But we know that several large member states still fall short of that important threshold.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sven MIKSER (S&D, EE), Also, while we have launched on the EU level important initiatives such as EDF and ASAP to boost joint research and innovation, promote joint procurement and address critical capability shortfalls, it is imperative that we also put additional money on the table. It is impossible to use the same money twice and cannibalising the budgets of existing programmes to finance new weapons is not going to be sustainable.

 On the defence industrial level. I think it's important that we understand that this new security reality will be with us for the foreseeable future. So while industries must have confidence that the orders from governments will not stop at the moment the arms fall silent in Ukraine. On Europe's strategic policy obviously it will not unlimited. It must always be our first choice to act together with our friends and allies. It would be a great mistake to pressure allies aside just for the sake of going along.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sven MIKSER (S&D, EE), Let me call the words of NATO's Secretary General Stoltenberg, who recently described the calls for creating a European nuclear deterrent without the US as unhelpful. But at the same time, we cannot fully ignore the uncomfortable truth that Donald Trump may return to the White House next year. Moreover, that is also far less of a consensus on Capitol Hill when it comes to America's global security responsibilities than just a few years ago. We cannot completely rule out America's turn towards greater isolationism, and this possibility underscores the need to build a militarily stronger and more capable Europe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sven MIKSER (S&D, EE), Finally, while we need to be ready to go alone if necessary and build alliances whenever possible, it is clear that beyond collaborating with our most immediate allies and fellow democracies, we are only going to prevail if we manage to form larger coalitions and convince the rest of the world that our cause is just. Immediately after the beginning of Putin's full scale war, we managed to pull together a coalition of more than 140 countries in the U.N. General Assembly.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sven MIKSER (S&D, EE), Today, after months of ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, recreating such a coalition would be very difficult. I am convinced that every one of us condemns the horrific terror attacks of Hamas and demands the immediate release of all the hostages. The vast majority of us are committed to a two state solution that provides security for Israel and delivers on the legitimate aspirations of Palestinian people.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sven MIKSER (S&D, EE), If it is so, we need to do more. We need to do something very tangible in order to end this unnecessary suffering of millions of displaced and starving people. Only by doing that, it's also a moral obligation, but only by doing that we can convince the rest of the world that we are really committed to maintaining and strengthening the rules based international order. Thank you.