26 Amendments of Geoffrey VAN ORDEN related to 2018/2099(INI)
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 a (new)
Citation 21 a (new)
- having regard to the UK House of Commons Defence Committee’s Report of 8th June 2018 “The Government’s proposals for a future security partnership with the EU” and the 22nd September 2018 Government Response,
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that the rules-based world order is being increasingly challenged both at the political-military level and, more recently, at the commercial-economic one; notes that these systemic challenges are being accompanied by the continuous deterioration of the international environment confronted with interstate and intrastate conflicts, natural disasters, terrorism, state failure and hybrid attacks on the foundational pillars of our societies;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that these challenges are too vast to be successfully met by any single country; emphasises that it is vital for the EU and other international organisations such as NATO, to respond to these challenges, consistently, effectively and with one voice; notes that the CSDP is a useful tool for addressing many of these challenges;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recognises that the complex nature of these challenges, with different threats affecting different Member States to varying degrees, provides room for agreement on how to deal with the challenges collectively, in a spirit of solidarity;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Emphasises, however, that to this date cooperation is still in a developing stage and much more needs to be done to ensure that the EU and Member States reap the rewards of deep, sustained, long-term cooperation on defence, both through EU mechanisms and through NATO, acknowledging that close cooperation should also take place with neighbouring third countries;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Underlines the importance of the transatlantic bond for the security and defence of the Western democracies; expresses, however, concern about the current state of this relationship and calls on all responsible political and societal forces, on both sides of the Atlantic, to further strengthen rather than to undermine this crucial relationship; stresses the need to avoid spill overs from recent difficulties in the trade relationship to the transatlantic security bond;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Welcomes the continued and enhanced US military presence in Europe and welcomes the $1.75 billion increase in the US budget for its European Deterrence Initiative, rising to $6.531 billion for 2019;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers that appropriateincreased investment in security and defence is a matter of urgency for the Member States and the EU and that defence cooperation should become the norm, as outlined in the EU Global Strategy (EUGS); welcomes the progress achieved so far in the implementation of the security and defence provisions of the EU Global Strategy; believes that these achievements open the perspective for important structural changes in the future;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Welcomes the creation of a dedicated title for defence in the Commission’s MFF proposal, and in particular the establishment of a budget line from which the European Defence Fund and Military Mobility projects will be funded; is of the opinion that these decisions will, most probably, call for a centralized management on defence at Commission level; underlines that funding from that budget line should be exclusively spent for defence purposes without politicization asnd with the option for third party contribution and participation; recognises that security is indivisible and should be coherent with the capability and infrastructure needs of Member States and in line with the EU’s aspirations for strategic autonomycommitments to NATO’s defence planning process;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes the increasing prominence of military mobility on the European defence agenda; underlines that military mobility is a central strategic tool in the current threat environment, vital for both the CSDP and Member States other multilateral obligations, including NATO; welcomes therefore its inclusion not only in the proposal for the new Connecting Europe Facility but also its in PESCO and its prominent role in EU-NATO cooperation; emphasises that these different projects need to be properly coordinated, including with allies, to ensure that they yield the desired results; welcomes the Commission proposal to allocate 6.5 billion Euro to military mobility projects through the Connecting Europe Facility in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2021- 2027);
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Also welcomes the proposal by the HR/VP, with the support of the Commission, for a European Peace Facility, which will finance the parts of the costs of EU defence activities that are excluded from budgetary funding by article 41(2) TEU; notes in particular the ambitious inclusion, and expansion, of the Athena mechanism for the financing of CSDP missions, which has been a long- standing demand of the Parliament; notes however, that the European Court of Auditors has in the past criticised CSDP missions and as such, calls for improved financial control of all future missions and for timely impact evaluations;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Emphasises that the United Kingdom, one of Europe’s most capable military powers, is leaving the EU on 29 March 2019; therefore urges the EU to ensure that the closest possible security partnership is maintained with the UK in the future, including the possibility of participation in the planning and execution of CSDP missions on a case-by- case basis, and an ambitious relationship with the EDA beyond that of other third countries;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Reaffirms the importance of developing the necessary military capabilities to deal with the comprehensive security challenges in and around Europe outlined by the EU Global Strategy; recalls that European Union´s Global Strategy encourages the realization of deep defence cooperationEurope and its periphery;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Considers that EU Member States jointly mustmust endeavour to improve military capabilities to cover the full-spectrum of land, air, space, maritime and cyber capabilities, including strategic enablers, to defend themselves and contribute tocontribute more effectively to NATO and to the EU´s Common Security and Defence Policy;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Considers that the capabilities for the Union`s security and defence could be improved by making better use of the existing frameworks of defence and military cooperation such as the European multinational high readiness corps HQs and the EU battlegroups, reinforcing and not duplicating similar initiatives within NATO; believes that this will contribute to the continuous transformation of national armed forces, towards the goal of being more interoperable, more sustainable, more flexible and more deployable; invites the Council to investigate, for example, the feasibility of potentially setting-up a permanent Spearhead Europe Force, which could be drawing on the European multinational high readiness corps HQ in Strasbourg, Szczecin and Münster; considers that the EU battle groups should grow into full-scale brigades and should be assigned to the corps HQ on a permanent basis;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Believes that EDIDP will help to foster the competitiveness, efficiency and innovation capacity of the EU'suropean defence industryies, by eligible actions involving inter alia designing, prototyping, testing, qualification and certification of defence products as well as the development of technologies within a consortium including SMEs and middle capitalisation companies (mid-caps), research centres and universities, and collaboration between Member States, which contributes to the EU´s strategic autonomy;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses that EU´s strategic security and defence objectives can only be achieved through the closest coordination of the needs and long-term capability building requirements of both the armed forces and defence industries of the Member States; notes that both the Capability Development Plan (CDP) and the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD) can make important contributions to the achievement of this goal, particularly if coordinated with the pre-existing NATO defence planning process;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Calls for appropriate opportunities for third country involvement with PESCO, acknowledging that such countries’ defence industries have expertise and capabilities that EU Members' industries could benefit from; notes that a number of PESCO signatory countries have already expressed support for such a strategy;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Notes, with concern, however, the results of the recent report by the European Court of Auditors on EUCAP Sahel Niger and Mali, Mali, and reports covering numerous other CSDP missions, which flagged up substantial problems with staff training, vacancies, sustainability and performance indicators, problems that are likely to also affect other civilians missions; urges the EEAS and Member States to address the issues raised as fast as possible to ensure the effectiveness of the civilian CSDP; welcomes the European Court of Auditors involvement in auditing CSDP missions and operations and encourages the production of further special reports on other missions and operations;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29 a. Calls for the European Court of Auditors to conduct a review of all ongoing CSDP missions to ensure the most efficient use is being made of resources;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. UBearing in mind that 22 out of 28 EU Member States are also NATO members, underlines that EU-NATO cooperation should be complementary and respectful of each other’s specificities and roles; is convinced that a stronger EU and NATO reinforce each other, creating more synergies and effectiveness for the security and defence of all partners; stresses that the EU-NATO strategic partnership is equally fundamental for the EU’s evolving CSDP and for the future of the Alliance, as well as for EU-UK relations after Brexit;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33 a. Acknowledges the small scale of CSDP activities and recognises that the EU cannot replicate or replace the command and defence planning structures of NATO and its role as the cornerstone of European defence;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Stresses that partnerships and cooperation with countries and organisations that share the EU’s values contribute to a more effective CSDP; welcomes the contributions made by CSDP partners to ongoing EU missions and operations that contribute to enhancing regional security and stability and calls for all EU defence initiatives to enable third country participation in order to maintain effectiveness;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Notes, while welcoming the overall progress made in CSDP since the presentation of the Global Strategy, that the parliamentary structures at EU level which have been established at a time when the EU’s level of ambition and level of activity regarding security and defence matters was rather limited, are no longer adequate to provide the necessary parliamentary oversight of a rapidly evolving policy area; therefore, reiterates its previous call to upgrade the Subcommittee of Security and Defence to a full-fledged committee and to provide it with the competences necessary in order to contribute to a comprehensive parliamentary oversight of CSDP; the upgrade from subcommittee to committee should be the consequence of replacing the ad-hoc management of defence and security at Council and Commission level with a more specialized model taking into account the increasing complexity of the effort to be managed;