Promoting a coherent European strategy in the World
The development of a coherent European foreign policy is essential if the Union is to play a role in the world. The Union must focus on its traditional strengths and put a very strong and special emphasis on human rights and democracy promotion. Foreign policy must always promote and defend European values and in a way that reflects the uniqueness of the European Union.
The development of the External Action Service will be a key element in providing the Union with the tools for greater coherence and efficiency. The Union must develop its foreign policy potential enabling it to act in a way commensurate with its weight in financing development and peace building policies.
The Union must also have a clear agenda of human rights and bring its experience in conflict resolution and crisis management to bear. The Union must also be involved in humanitarian relief missions where either human conflict or nature have caused devastation.
Finally, the Union must develop its defence procurement thereby enabling the emergence of a truly common defence market, strengthening European defence and its technological and industrial base through the exploitation of economies of scale and ensuring European forces benefit from the best equipment when sent on ESDP missions.
EU action plan urgently needed to ease catastrophic Syrian refugee crisis
For the last two years, the international community has stood by as Syrians are increasingly being crushed between the brutal actions of the Assad regime and extremist groups. There are now seven million Syrians that rely on...
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ALDE continue to strongly support EU membership for Iceland
Reacting to statements made by a spokesperson for the new coalition government in Iceland announcing that no further negotiation will be held with the European Union and Iceland on future EU membership without a prior referendum,...
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Mali: International donor support only effective if elections deliver stable government
Leading ALDE MEP Louis Michel (MR, Belgium), who has been recently nominated as Head of the EU's observer mission for the presidential elections in Mali says that the forthcoming elections are a vital opportunity to start...
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