The State of the
European Union
Speech by Wim Geerts, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Royal Netherlands Embassy, on
The State of the European Union
The European Union Studies Center, City University of New York, February 23 2005
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon.
First of all, I would like to thank the City University of New York for the invitation to speak to you today.
And Professor Kaufmann, thank you for your kind words of introduction.
It’s a great pleasure for me to be here among so many friends and students of the European Union. This is America’s leading urban public university and, with graduates like former Secretary of State Colin Powell, a good friend of Europe, you have quite a reputation to keep up.
I’d like to discuss with you the state of the European Union, including the state of our transatlantic relations.
Yesterday in Brussels, President Bush met with the Heads of State and Government of NATO and EU member states. Today, the President is in Germany.
Tomorrow he’ll be in Slovakia, where he will have a meeting with Russian President Putin.
The European Union and the United States are both keen on strengthening our transatlantic cooperation.
The EU is working on the necessary steps to build its foundation and assume its role on the world stage.
At the same time, we must continuously refine and improve our relationships with our friends.
The friendship between the United States and Europe is an old and very solid one, despite the occasional differences.
In essence, we have many common objectives, based on our similar analysis of the challenges that we face.
Our methods, our instruments differ from time to time.
So, there's unity of purpose, but not always unity of policy.
Last week, I accompanied my Foreign Minister, Bernard Bot, during the meetings he had in Washington with Secretary Rice, National Security Advisor Steve Hadley, Deputy Secretary of Defense Wolfowitz and others.
They all agreed that, acting together, Americans and Europeans can be a formidable force for good in the world.
In her speech in Paris earlier this month, Secretary Rice’s message was that Washington views Europe as a partner with a common global agenda.
She stated, “America has everything to gain from having a stronger Europe as a partner in building a safer and better world. Let each of us bring to the table ideas, experience and resources, and let us discuss and decide together how to best employ them for democratic change.”
The day before yesterday, President Bush held a speech in Brussels in which he called the alliance of Europe and North America “the main pillar of our security. Our robust trade is one of the engines of the world’s economy. Our example of economic and political freedom gives hope to millions who are weary of poverty and oppression. In all these ways, our strong friendship is essential to peace and prosperity across the globe – and no temporary debate, no passing disagreement of governments, no power on earth will ever divide us.”
So, here we are: old friends, the US and Europe, with shared ideas and values, doing what we can to address common challenges effectively.
Let me take you back to our Presidency in the second half of 2004 to show you how the EU is laying the solid foundation necessary for the tasks ahead.
The Netherlands Presidency of the EU
Ours was the first full term Presidency of an expanded EU of 25 Member States representing 450 million citizens.
The accession of new Member States has enlarged the area of Europe that stands for freedom, democracy and stability. In describing the Netherlands Presidency of the EU, Prime Minister Balkenende stated, “The watchword of our Presidency was renewal- a new constitutional treaty, new Member States, a new European Parliament and a new Commission.”
Enlargement/Turkey
The Netherlands sought to make a success out of the EU’s enlargement and we did.
The decision to start accession negotiations with Turkey in October 2005 was the crowning achievement of our Presidency.
This decision will reach beyond the borders of Turkey because it sends a message that in this world, there is no breach or unbridgeable chasm between people who have their roots in the Christian tradition and those who see the world through the eyes of Islam.
So, we opened the door to Turkey.
We completed the negotiations with Romania and Bulgaria.
In April of this year, those two countries can sign accession treaties and become members in 2007.
We expect to open accession negotiations with Croatia in March.
European Integration/Constitution
The European Constitution is a crucial element for integration and once in place will be a major advancement. The Constitution was signed in Rome during the Netherlands Presidency.
It formally establishes the European Union as a single legal entity and provides for a clearer and more powerful external voice.
It adapts EU institutions to the enlarged Union and simplifies EU law.
It clarifies the jurisdiction of the Union and national policy.
It strengthens the democratic base by extending powers to the European Parliament.
The challenge now is ratification.
Last Sunday, our Spanish friends went to the polls, more than 75% of them in support of the constitution.
Freedom/Security/Justice
In addition to enlargement and integration, we gave priority to the fight against terrorism and made significant headway in this area.
For example, the development of the so-called Hague Program lays the foundation for a strategy to make the EU more secure over the next five years.
It will bring measurable results in the areas of freedom, security and justice.
With this program we will continue to fight terrorism and also make advances in information exchange and closer cooperation in the fields of justice and civil law.
The Hague Program also contains a strategy to develop a common asylum system.
Illegal immigration is an issue many member states must come to terms with.
It will be pursued strongly and a European agency will be set up to increase security of the EU’s external borders.
European Economy
Strengthening the EU’s economy was also a major focus.
Four years ago in Lisbon, the EU set the goal to become the most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs, greater social cohesion and respect for the environment.
There have been and remain stumbling blocks on the way to realizing these ambitious goals but they are attainable.
An important step has been taken with the completion of a report produced by a task force of European officials led by former Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok.
The report will help guide the negotiations between Member States when the Lisbon Strategy is evaluated by the European Council next month.
The report makes specific recommendations for the EU in the areas of the knowledge society, the internal market, the business climate, the labor market and environmental sustainability.
Each pillar of the EU has a major role to play.
The European Council should lead the implementation of the strategy.
Member States should prepare national programs to commit themselves to delivering on the goals.
The European Commission should review reports and facilitate progress of the Lisbon Strategy by supporting its policies and actions.
The European Parliament must be proactive and monitor the performance of all.
Military Capacity/NATO
The EU is working on improving its military capacity with NATO and by pushing for the effective implementation of the European Security and Defense Policy.
The world we live in today places vastly different demands on our armed forces.
We face three tasks:
First, today’s armed forces must be capable of conducting operations quickly, over great distances, under varying conditions, all with the least number of casualties of civilians and military personnel;
Second, we must fulfil the EU’s ambition to be a global player, contributing effectively to global security with our allies;
Third, we must implement NATO’s goals of bring stability beyond the Euro-Atlantic area.
In this arena NATO is essential.
NATO combines a political treaty with an integrated military structure and a common practice of military co-operation.
It has unmatched practical experience and an organisational structure that has stood the test of time.
External Relations
In external relations, we developed a tailored approach to the wider Middle East and Mediterranean by looking at countries on an individual basis.
As part of the EU’s neighborhood policy, we developed action plans for several Mediterranean countries.
We played an integral role in Sudan.
The EU is providing active support for the African Union mission in Sudan and we support the Abuja peace process between the rebels and the government of Sudan financially, logistically, and politically.
Some fundamentals were made stronger during our Presidency but that alone is not enough.
Europe must stay alert to the world around it, play an honest game from a position of economic strength, political consensus and military credibility.
It is our goal to export stability, and spread economic growth and prosperity as widely as possible.
In this effort, Europe must be careful in how it deals with its friends.
It cannot afford to take a preconceived attitude to anyone in the world.
And we cannot afford to rest on our laurels.
We believe in our ability to breathe new life into enterprise and the innovative talents of our societies.
Only a high-tech, industrious Europe will be able to enjoy the fruits of globalisation and only a like-minded Europe will be able to translate its economic strength into political influence.
Within a reasonable timeframe the Union will have more than 30 Member States and a population of more than 500 million and will be the cultural crossroad of civilisation, and the major economic power in the world.
To make that happen the EU has to complete its internal market, reform its agricultural policies, manage its ageing population, and create a more flexible labor market and intelligent immigration policy.
EU/US Relations
What does all this mean for transatlantic relations?
The US and the EU are friends.
We need each other.
European and American leaders understand the strategic and moral value of the transatlantic relationship.
Europe and America agree about many political issues.
Our political co-operation is always colored by pragmatism and a search for common principles rather than narrow-minded insistence on our own individual views.
American and European positions on Turkey's accession to the EU and the popular call for democracy in Ukraine are very similar.
Last year, the EU became more conscious of its role in the world.
The European Security Strategy we developed gives us a sharper picture of how Europe will respond to events outside its borders.
The United States has also made it clear that it will support a more dynamic political role for the EU.
Many commentators in Europe and the US say the transatlantic relationship is under pressure.
Ladies and gentlemen, the media is wrong.
The EU and the U.S. have their share of differences.
In fact, every decade has witnessed one.
From the Suez Canal, to Vietnam, to the deployment of cruise missiles, to Bosnia, disagreements are neither a new phenomenon nor an insurmountable barrier.
The trick is to know how to respect one another's individuality without letting differences get in the way of co-operation.
The truth is every time Europe and the United States work together, solutions are found.
Europe and the U.S. are natural partners.
Classifying the U.S. as a hard power and Europe as a soft power is a caricature.
Europe is working to change its military capacity within the EU and NATO.
The U.S. does not solely rely on military power.
Hard power and soft power don’t exclude each other.
On the contrary, they are complementary and make transatlantic relations more effective.
People who believe that Europe can now do without the US have a poor sense of history and strategy.
This also holds true for those Americans who take the stereotyped reporting by such channels as Fox News as the gospel.
So with the fundamentals in place, I am optimistic about the future of the European Union.
Around the world like-minded countries are organizing themselves thereby taking the Union as an inspiring model.
I am not afraid that a self-satisfied and carefree Europe will primarily reap the disadvantages of a globalizing world and gradually degenerate into little more than a theme park. Instead, I believe that a highly developed, industrious Europe will be able to enjoy the advantages of a world without borders and share them with others.
I believe that Europe and the United States will stay natural allies and work jointly in shaping the future by exporting stability and economic growth.
The way the EU and the US discussed the successful coordination on the Ukraine can be a good example for future EU-US efforts.
Yesterday in Brussels, our leaders confirmed their commitment to the same ideals.
Sometimes our methods may differ but as allies we will always be able to find common ground.
As you can see, the Netherlands held the Presidency during a time of renewal.
Our goals, grounded in realism, were achieved.
We set the stage for successful continuity for the Luxembourg Presidency.
The European Union is increasingly assuming its role on the world stage as a strong and reliable partner.
We are a presence in many regions of the world, from the Balkans to Africa, and the Middle East.
We are 450 million strong and growing economically.
To sum up, the state of the European Union is very good!
Thank you.