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 moves to ban phosphorus in household detergents
The European Parliament Environment Committee today held its first exchange of views on the possibility of setting a limit on the permitted content of phosphorus in household detergents.
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Europe´s health shows inequalities
The European Parliament adopted today a report proposing the outline of a strategy to reduce health inequalities in the European Union. ALDE underlines the importance of fundamental social objectives through equal opportunities,...
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H1N1: better risk management needed
The European Parliament adopted today a report which calls for a new initiative of the management of the H1N1 flu crisis. The main conclusions are a lack of independent evaluation by national and European health authorities, a...
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