Activities of Maria Eleni KOPPA related to 2011/2177(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Common security and defence policy (Article 36 TEU) - Impact of the financial crisis on the defence sector (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the impact of the financial crisis on the defence sector in the EU Member States PDF (242 KB) DOC (149 KB)
Amendments (24)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1
Citation 1
– having regard to Title V of the Treaty on European Union, and in particular to Articles 21, 42, 45 and 46, as well as to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and to the Protocol No 10s thereto, in particular No 10 and 11,
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
- having regard to the European Security Strategy (ESS) entitled "A secure Europe in a better world", adopted by the European Council on 12 December 2003, as well as to the report on its implementation entitled "Providing security in a changing world", drafted under the responsibilities of the EU High Representative and endorsed by the European Council on 11-12 December 2008,
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
Citation 2 a (new)
- having regard to its resolutions of 11 May 2011 on the development of the common security and defence policy following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty and of 10 March 2010 on the implementation of the European Security Strategy and the Common Security and Defence Policy, as well as to the previous resolutions on the same subject,
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
- having regard to the HR/VP Report on CSDP, presented during the Foreign Affairs Council of 18 July 2011,
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes with grave concern the unprecedented cuts in the defence budgets of the majority of EU Member States in the wake of the financial, economic and debt crisis and the potential negative impact of these measures on their military capabilities; underlines and, therefore, on the ability of the EU to effectively take over its responsibilities in peace-keeping, conflict prevention and the strengthening of international security, in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter; underlines, in this regard, that defence constitutes a public good that affects the security of all European citizens and that all Member States need to contribute in a spirit of burden-sharing;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. WarnsExpresses its concern that uncoordinated budget cuts threaten to result in the completecould result in significant loss of certain military capabilities in Europe, at a time when the intervention in Libya clearly demonstrated that European countries are already lacking a number of capabilities vital to mounting an operation of that kind ; welcomes and supports, therefore, the Council's encouragement to the Member States to exchange information, as appropriate, and enhance transparency on current and forthcoming defence budget cuts, and calls for an impact assessment of these budget cuts for the development of capabilities in support of CSDP; reminds that the intervention in Libya clearly demonstrated that even a coalition of Europeand could hardly do sontries are unable to carry out an operation of that kind without US support;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Urges all EU Member States to assumeIn an increasingly complex and unpredictable security environment, urges all EU Member States to cooperate more closely and coordinate actions against the common threats identified in the European Security Strategy (ESS), assuming fully their part of the responsibility for peace and security in Europe, its neighbourhood and the wider world; reminds them of their repeated commitments, includingin this context, while reminding that not all threats are of military nature and that the EU has a variety of instruments at its disposal for crisis prevention and management, calls on the Council and the Member States to implement fully the provisions in the EU Treaty and European Council conclusies concerning the development of CSDP and to improve common defence capabilities; in particular, calls for conditions, to improve their military capabilitiesbe decided for the application of the solidarity (art. 222 TFEU) and mutual assistance clauses (art. 42.7 TEU), as well as to activate the important Permanent Structured Cooperation mechanism (art. 42.6 and 46 TEU);
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Reiterates its view that a reinforced European defence will enhance the strategic autonomy of the EU and provide an important contribution to collective security in the context of NATO and other partnerships;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. PWithout disregarding different level of ambition, points out that the Member States collectively spend about EUR 200 billion a year on defence, which is only about a third of the US defence budget alonebut still a considerable amount demonstrating the costs of non-Europe in the defence area;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. DeploresNotes with concern the way in which most of these funds are spent, based on uncoordinated national defence planning decisions taken in almost total isolation, resulting not only in persistent capability gaps, but alsoresulting, often in wasteful overcapacities and duplications, as well as fragmented industry and markets;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Reiterates its strong belief that the EU and its Member States should devote more resources to non-proliferation and disarmament actions, as well as increase efforts for confidence-building and peaceful settlement of disputes in the neighbourhood and worldwide; takes the view that such a policy will alleviate the need for additional defence and avoid costly and dangerous arms races;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Member States to accept that increased cooperation is the only way forward and that, in particular through (A) better coordination of defence planning, which includes harmonisation of military requirements and measures to increase interoperability, (B) pooling and sharing of certain functions and assets, (C) enhanced cooperation in research and technological development, (D) facilitating industrial collaboration and consolidation, and (E) optimisation of procurement and removing market barriers, the Member States can develop capabilities in a more cost- efficient way, and this without adverse effects for their sovereignty;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls again for an EU White Paper on security and defence tohat develops and implements the ESS, better defineing the EU's security and defence objectives, interests and needs more clearly in relation to the means and resources available; emphasises that it should be drafted and regularly updated on the basis of the national reviews, while at the same time providing a reference for them, linking national defence planning with a common security outlook and threat assessment;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Suggests thatRecalls that the Lisbon Treaty has reinforced the role of the European Defence Agency (EDA) in supporting the Member States askin the European Defencir efforts to improve the military capabilities for the Common Security and Defence Policy; suggests, therefore, that the Member States ask the Agency (EDA) to examine how to improve coordination of defence planning in Europe; recallsminds, furthermore, that the Treaty tasks the AgencyEDA to evaluate the observance of capability commitments and to promote the harmonisation of operational needs, and calls for better implementation of these tasks; recommends that, as a first step in the exercise, the Member States could submit their draft national security and defence reviews to the EDA for advice, to assess them in particular in the light of the capability priorities set by the EDA steering board in the Capability Development Plan, as well as of the plans of the other Member States and of relevant NATO initiatives; believes that, in the very short term, the EDA could also play an important role in defining capability priorities and identifying redundancies in Member States' capabilitiesa European capabilities and armaments policy;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses that, in particular in areas such as strategic transportation, logistical support, maintenance, space capabilities, medical support, education and training, as well as certain niche capabilities, Member States can greatly profit from pooling or sharing of some functions and assets without creating significant dependencies that would limit their sovereign decision- making; strongly encourages initiatives addressing capability gaps in areas such as air-to-air refuelling, maritime surveillance, UAVs, CBRN protection, countering IEDs, satellite communication, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) sensors and platforms, and combat and information systems, including alternative to satellites systems, such as High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAVs and the necessary green technologies required to achieve high operational autonomy and cost effectiveness;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. InvitesReminds that a common foreign and security policy would ensure theat Member States towould make creative use of the different pooling and sharing models that can be identified, such as (1) pooling through joint ownership, (2) pooling of nationally owned assets, (3) pooling of procurement, or (4) role- and task-sharing, and of combinations thereof as appropriate, and calls for quick progress especially in the areas mentioned above;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Recognises bilateral and regional initiatives such as the 2010 UK-French defence agreements and the Nordic Defence Cooperation as important effortsteps to rationalise the use of resources and fill short-term capability gaps; encourages furnotes ther progress in promisingposals for similar cooperation projects in other regions, such as among the Visegrád Group countries; takes the view, however, that significant structural gaps remain which need to be addressed in a coordinated fashion at EU level, and that the EDA should be given a role in ensuring overall coherence; encourages further refleccalls for broader synergies among Member States and commitment to future European multilateral pooling and sharing arrangements; in this context, believes that the EDA should be given a role in ensuring overall coherence of efforts in the framework of CSDP and strongly encourages the implementation on howf the Treaty provisions on the Permanent Structured Cooperation that could be used to providealso as an overall coordination framework, building also on the ‘European semester’ exercise as proposed under (A);
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Regrets the fact that the potential of economies of scale from collaborative projects remains largely unused, with about 85 % of R&T expenditure still spent nationally and the large majority of the rest is spent at bilateral and not multinational level, having as consequence the fragmentation among Member States; highlights the fundamental role of the EDA in coordinating and planning joint defence research activities; stresses the benefits of research cooperation in terms of improved interoperability, and eventually greater homogeneity among the equipment and capabilities of the national armed forces, since research is the first phase of any equipment programme and a solid basis for the European competitiveness;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34a. Suggests the creation of a European research institute, possibly within the EDA, which will focus on doctrines, methodologies and perceptions of military action, compatible to the European Security Strategy and in line with the European values and the international law;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. RWhile it recognises that one of the likely consequence of restructuring will be the abandonment of some non-viable national industrial capacities, which may lead to employment concernsstresses that any medium and long term plans for such restructuring should be aimed at having the least impact on employment; recommends, therefore, greater synergies, based on more specialisation, interoperability and complementarity; calls for a better use of EU funding, such as the European Social Fund and European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, to support anticipation and adaptation to change;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54 a (new)
Paragraph 54 a (new)
54a. Stresses that the above mentioned standardisation and consolidation should be part of an EU- and not an industry- driven process to the benefit of the European interests and the real needs of the society, and that participation in common EU programmes and synergies should be - in principle - open to all Member States;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57
Paragraph 57
57. Takes the view that EU funds should be used to foster cooperation in education and training, encouraging the creation of networks between the defence industry, research institutes and academia; calls for the necessary arrangements to be made to allow the payment of stipends to cadets participating in the ‘military Erasmus’ programme from the EU budget, in order to give them equal treatment with students at civilian higher education institutions;