Activites

• 1996/09/09 Final act published in Official Journal
• 1996/07/18 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T4-0408/1996 summary

    In adopting the report by Mr Gerardo FERNANDEZ-ALBOR (PPE, E) on progress in implementing the CFSP, the European Parliament, while taking the view that on the whole the CFSP record for 1995 had been a positive one as far as conventional external relations were concerned (particularly the agreement with MERCOSUR, the Barcelona Conference, reconstruction in the former Yugoslavia, the Transatlantic Alliance, the association agreements with the Mediterranean countries and with certain States of the former USSR), expressed its great disappointment at the overall implementation of the CFSP itself. It particularly regretted that the external activities of the Community had resulted in such a limited implementation of the instruments of the CFSP proper and in such a modest advance in the development of its capacity for conflict analysis and prevention. It therefore considered that the implementation of the CFSP had, paradoxically, declined in 1995, whereas the external activities of the Community had been particularly intensive. Believing that the perception of the CFSP could be improved by assigning power in this area to a single Commissioner, Parliament regretted that the Council did not make sufficient use of the instruments of the CFSP (with apparent confusion surrounding the use of common positions and joint actions). It particularly deplored the fact that the Commission had not submitted any joint-action proposals to the Council. Only 3 out of 10 of the joint actions and 5 out of 13 of the common positions could be considered as new initiatives (the remainder being no more than an extension of previous actions or UN resolutions). Parliament also regretted that the EU had not presented a common position on the former Yugoslavia or on Algeria. In addition, it expressed its disappointment about the weakness of the EU initiative against anti-personnel mines. Calling for the definition of a common security policy, Parliament declared that given the current state of affairs, it would be difficult to credit the EU with a real identity on the international scene. It particularly believed that a common security policy should be devoted to conflict prevention and that both civilian and military forces should be involved in peace keeping and humanitarian aid missions, with the aim being the creation of a European civilian peace corps. Parliament took the view that the external borders of Member States should be considered as the borders of the EU and that there should be solidarity in those cases where these borders were violated. At the same time, with regard to conventional EU relations, Parliament called on the Council to use every possible means to ensure a better application of the Transatlantic Alliance and the decisions of the Barcelona Conference, noting with concern the delay in adopting the MEDA programme which was due largely to the MEDA countries' refusal to accept the EP's proposals for the respect of human rights and for consultations with Parliament. It also found it difficult to understand why there had been no general common position on the former Yugoslavia or on Algeria. As far as common action on anti-personnel mines was concerned, progress here fell well below expectations. In this respect Parliament took the view that support for democracy and for the respect of human rights should guide the external activities of the EU and believed that the Council should come up with clearly-worded clauses and specific priorities in this area. Finally, though Parliament had been calling for it for some time, it was regrettable that the Council had still not set up an analysis centre capable of assessing the risks and threats from a European point of view. Parliament also regretted the fact that it had not been possible to reach an interinstitutional agreement on the application of Article J.7 of the Treaty on European Union. It therefore called on the Council to keep it informed of developments in the CFSP and to consult it beforehand on EU common positions and joint actions. �

• 1996/07/17 Debate in Parliament
• 1996/05/29 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0175/1996
• 1996/04/18 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading

Documents

• Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A4-0175/1996
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0408/1996

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)