| The European Commission should take a
lead in formulating European foreign policy
The functions of the High Representative
on Foreign Policy should be taken over by a Vice-President of the
European Commission
Member states should be allowed the right
of "constructive abstention" from European foreign and
defence policies
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Introduction
1. The European Union is a unique and pioneering international
system. It has a mixture of intergovernmental and supranational features,
set up after the second world war to establish a shared democracy amongst
the countries of Europe. This was to replace the secret diplomacy that
had failed so dramatically in the recent past.
2. As time has passed since then, the EU has acquired
new powers and attracted new member states, and the diplomatic methods
of decision-making (secrecy, unanimity) have slowly been replaced by democratic
ones (openness, majority voting). It now needs to go further towards becoming
a parliamentary democracy with a legitimate and effective means of taking
and implementing decisions.
3. This paper outlines how to give Europe a consistent
and effective voice in the world.
4. Federal Union, on whose behalf this paper has been
prepared, was founded in 1938 and campaigns for federalism for the UK,
Europe and the world. It believes that democracy and the rule of law should
apply to states as well as within them.
Europe needs a voice in the world
5. The chaos of the European response to the crisis
in Iraq has helped nobody except Saddam Hussein. Some countries have prioritised
the elimination of weapons of mass destruction, others have emphasised
the centrality of global decision-making processes. The result has been
to move towards neither of these objectives. The countries of Europe have
been unable to make any meaningful contribution to the military pressure
intended to induce Iraq to disarm. And the United Nations has found itself
marginalised in the response to the crisis.
6. Whatever criticisms one might make of United States
policy, the failure of Europe to bring any influence to bear must not
be ignored. The European interest in this issue has not been expressed.
7. Perhaps worse, each European country has reacted
to proposals from the United States not on a consideration of the implications
of those proposals for Iraq but on the consequences of any decision for
its future relations with the United States. This is a bad way of making
policy; it is not even a good way of gathering support for the Americans.
8. The argument for a European foreign policy therefore
does not depend on any particular view of the proposals the Americans
have made. However, if one also concludes that the American approach to
this crisis does not necessarily represent the best interests of Europe,
the argument for a common foreign policy becomes stronger still.
The European Commission should lead European foreign
policy
9. When the European Coal and Steel Community was first
established, it was based around a High Authority, an independent executive
charged with allegiance to the common European interest rather than individual
national interests. This is a model that has worked well: the most successful
policies of the European Union have been those which have been led by
the European Commission.
10. The European Commission should therefore take over
a lead role in formulating foreign policy. It is already responsible for
trade policy and development policy, for example, and its capacity should
be built up so that other aspects of foreign policy can be sensibly integrated
into this framework.
11. The creation of the post of High Representative
for Foreign Policy was an important step in the development of a European
foreign policy. However, the functions of that post can now be transferred
to a Vice-President of the European Commission. There is no high representative
for fisheries policy or trade policy, for example, because these are core
functions of the European Commission. The same should become true of foreign
policy.
The role of member states will not disappear
12. The foregoing does not imply that the role of member
states in making foreign policy will disappear. Far from it.
13. First, the appointment of Vice-President of the
Commission responsible for foreign affairs will still depend on the approval
of the member states. The difference from the present position is that
the European Parliament will also have a say in a way it does not have
at present.
14. Secondly, policy positions adopted by the European
Union will require the approval of the Foreign Affairs Council representing
the national governments. The opinions of the foreign ministers of the
member states will still be pivotal. Voting in the Foreign Affairs Council
should be by double majority (a majority of member states representing
a majority of the population).
15. Thirdly, we need to recognise that the European
Union's member states are independent countries with proud individual
histories of their own. This means that they will continue to maintain
their own relations with countries around the world, influencing and supporting
the positions of the European Union as they do so.
16. Finally, it is not reasonable or realistic to suppose
that every policy will be supported by every member state. However, Europe
needs to speak with a single voice in the world rather than with conflicting
voices. We need a mechanism to accommodate this.
17. The principle of "constructive abstention"
means that member states that disagreed with a policy would not be obliged
to follow it, where this would not undermine its effectiveness, although
they would not be allowed to oppose it. For example, this might apply
to expressions of opinion on foreign policy issues or - more importantly
- to participation in military action. The principle followed by some
European countries of neutrality is therefore protected: neutrality means
having no opinion on an issue, not having a contrary opinion.
Conclusion
18. Europe needs a united voice in the world, both to
articulate and protect the distinctive European interest and to enable
individual European countries to express their own views on foreign policy
issues.
19. The European Commission is the institution that
should lead the development of this foreign policy. However, the role
of the individual member states in the foreign policy arena will not disappear.
March 2003
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