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Udenrigsudvalget 2014-15 (1. samling), Forsvarsudvalget 2014-15 (1. samling)
URU Alm.del Bilag 38, FOU Alm.del Bilag 24
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INTER-PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE FOR THE COMMON FOREIGN AND

SECURITY POLICY AND THE COMMON SECURITY AND DEFENCE POLICY

CONCLUSIONS

6-7 November 2014, Rome

The Inter-Parliamentary Conference,

Having regard to the decision of the Conference of Speakers of European Union Parliaments

taken in April 2012 in Warsaw regarding the establishment and mandate of this Conference;

Having regard to Title II of Protocol I (and articles 9 and 10) of the Treaty of Lisbon

regarding the promotion of effective and regular interparliamentary cooperation within the

Union;

Cognisant of the new powers and instruments foreseen by the Treaty of Lisbon for the

European Union (EU) institutions in the area of foreign, security and defence policy; being

aware that the new instruments create better opportunities for the Union to wield an

international influence commensurate with its political and economic weight;

Conscious of the multi-layered decision-making process in the areas of Common Foreign and

Security Policy (CFSP) and Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP); aware that

effective implementation of these policies must involve numerous policy actors at both the

EU and national levels; conscious of the responsibility to engage in parliamentary scrutiny at

the respective levels and advance interparliamentary cooperation in the areas of CFSP and

CSDP;

Aware that the evolution of the international scenario has strengthened the role of

Parliaments as central actors of global decision making, with specific reference to conflicts

and crises;

The Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy

1. Congratulates the HRVP, Federica Mogherini, upon her appointment and expresses its

full support to the HRVP in fulfilling her mandate; underlines the need of strengthening

the co-ordination role of the HRVP on the whole of the external action of the EU.

According to this vision, the challenge of the HRVP and of the EEAS is to ensure a

comprehensive and global approach to the EU external dimension, by creating a credible

political profile of the EU on the international scene, based on the strong and united voice

of the EU materialized through tangible actions, notably the representation of the EU in

the international arena;

2. Underlines that, also in view of the new and dramatic developments in international

politics since the last conference, the HRVP should lead a thorough reflection on the

future of CFSP and CSDP as a matter of urgency; expresses its utmost concern for the

changed security landscape from Ukraine to the Middle East and Africa; calls on the

HRVP to carry out as a matter of priority an assessment of the new security environment

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in accordance with the mandate by the European Council in December 2013, and in close

consultation with Member States and parliaments of the European Union;

3. Calls for the long due review of the 2003 European Security Strategy, to be conducted by

the HRVP in full discussion with national Parliaments and the European Parliament;

underlines that EU external and internal security are deeply intertwined and calls for this

aspect to be duly taken into account in a new, comprehensive security strategy; remains

convinced that the IPC for CFSP-CSDP should contribute to this important strategic

reflection and will follow this matter closely, starting from the next Conference;

4. Stresses that for the new security strategy to be fully effective it should be underpinned

by a credible Common Security and Defence Policy which requires the timely, effective,

and full implementation of the conclusions of the European Council on Defence in

December 2013 and, therefore, urges the new HRVP, also in her capacity as Head of the

European Defence Agency, to make this a key priority during her mandate; recalls its

determination to follow closely progress in this area and calls for tangible results ahead of

the next European Council dedicated to this topic in June 2015; reiterates that an annual

meeting of the European Council to discuss this topic as well as regular meetings of a

Council on Defence could further support progress in this area;

Global challenges and regional crises at the borders of the European Union

Mediterranean and the Middle East

Recalling paragraph 24 of the European Council's conclusions of 24 October 2014,

expresses "serious concern about the renewed tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean",

urges Turkey "to respect Cyprus' sovereignty over its territorial sea and Cyprus' sovereign

rights in its exclusive economic zone". Under these circumstances, deems it important to

ensure that a positive climate be restored, so that negotiations for a comprehensive

Cyprus' settlement can resume;

6. Confirms that the Mediterranean and the Middle East are areas of strategic relevance for

the EU and all its Member States; underlines that the transition processes in North Africa

require a steady and continuous commitment and support, and that the EU's presence and

visibility must be further increased through credible offers of assistance for our Partners

in the region, in the framework of the Neighborhood Policy, especially aimed at

supporting internal reforms, strengthening democratic institutions, promoting sustainable

and inclusive growth, fostering the role of civil society, consistently with the principle of

co-ownership and combating the trafficking of human beings and illegal immigration in

the Mediterranean region. To this aim expresses the need for a strong support to the new

European Initiative “Operation Triton” building upon the recently successfully concluded

experience “Mare Nostrum”deployed by the Italian government;

7. Urges both parts involved in the Middle East conflict to fully respect the cease-fire

agreement and to continue negotiations leading to a fundamental improvement of the

living conditions for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip through the lifting of the

Gaza closure regime, and to ending the threat to Israel posed by militant groups in Gaza;

invites EU Institutions and Member States to actively contribute to a comprehensive and

sustainable solution enhancing the security, welfare and prosperity of Palestinians and

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Israelis; encourages both parties to re-engage in negotiations for a final agreement based

on the two-State solution, the only way for peace, stability and reconciliation;

8. Expresses concern for the risks of further destabilization in Libya and stresses the need to

preserve its territorial integrity and national unity; reiterates that there is no military

solution to the Libyan crisis; calls upon all parties to engage constructively in an inclusive

political dialogue; underlines that all efforts and resources should be concentrated to

supporting the search for a political solution, by fully backing current United Nations’

mediation efforts;

Reiterates its strongest concern for the emerging security threat posed by the self-

declared Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL); condemns in the strongest terms the

unprecedented level of violence, brutality and human rights violations committed by ISIL

and calls for the perpetrators to be brought also to international justice; underlines its

concern for the threat posed by ISIL to stability and security in Syria, Iraq and to the

broader region; expresses its deepest regret for the victims of gruesome assassinations and

for the thousands of people discriminated and persecuted on religious, political or ethnic

grounds; underlines that women bear the physical and psychological brunt of the conflict

and condemns the horrendous practices of forced impregnation, human trafficking, public

executions and sexual slavery in areas under ISIL control; calls for the protection of all

religious and ethnic groups and for the enhancement of the EU humanitarian assistance to

affected people in the region; welcomes the initiative of some States, particularly those in

the region, to enhance efforts in order to counter the threat posed by ISIL and other

terrorist organisations in Syria and Iraq; recalling the decisions adopted by the Council

on15 August 2014 welcomes the significant contributions made by several EU Member

States to effectively tackle the military challenge posed by ISIL, through airstrikes,

delivery of security equipment and training of Iraqi forces, including Kurdish

peshmergas; expresses strong support to Kurdish regional authorities; invites all relevant

national authorities and European bodies to cooperate closely in order to tackle the issue

of foreign fighters and other extremists; calls for the full implementation by the EU

Member States of UNSCRs 2170 and 2178;

10. Calls for an integrated political concept and coherent implementation of a network

approach at EU level, respecting the competencies of the Member States for national

home affairs policy, aimed at a campaign against ISIL involving fighting ISIL on

ideological grounds by encouraging Muslim authorities to distance themselves; education

and de-radicalisation programmes in the EU countries in order to raise awareness among

the public and prevent potential ISIL recruits from making plans to leave the country at

an early stage; combating ISIL with the rule of law, as well as cutting off its financing;

11. Underlines that instability in Syria, caused by the Assad regime's brutal war against its

own people, has allowed ISIL to flourish; calls on all sides to the conflict in Syria to

respect the mandate of the UN Disengagement Observer Force and ensure the safety and

freedom of movement of UN troops, including those from EU Member States; asks for all

sides involved to resume negotiations for a political solution to the crisis and to the

growing humanitarian emergency; calls for the EU institutions and Member States to

tackle the problem of refugees and of extraordinary migration flows in a spirit of

efficiency and solidarity, helping neighbouring countries, from Lebanon to Jordan and

Turkey, to deal with the increasing numbers of refugees and to preserve or consolidate

internal stability;

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12. Urges Iran as a crucial regional actor to cooperate with the international community with

a view to reaching an agreement with the E3/EU+3 by 24 November 2014, clearly

limiting the use of nuclear energy to civilian purposes;

13. Welcomes the peaceful, inclusive and well-prepared parliamentary elections held in

Tunisia on 26 October 2014, which mark the end of a transition process that included the

consensual adoption of a democratic constitution; reiterates the continued support of the

EU and its Member States with regard to Tunisia's further political, economic and social

stabilisation and its enhanced cooperation with the EU;

Eastern Partnership: Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia

14. Calls for stronger engagement in the Eastern Partnership countries and raises concern

over worsening geopolitical situation in the Eastern European region; requires

consolidated acts to stand for those fighting for European democratic values of their

countries, this being the only strategic solution to guarantee security of all Europe;

15. Regards the outcome and holding of democratic and peaceful parliamentary elections in

Ukraine as a clear demonstration that the majority of Ukrainians ask for stability and

peace throughout, and support European perspective for, their country; calls for the

democratic will of the majority to be respected and for an immediate and full

implementation of the Minsk Protocol; calls on those that did not participate to recognise

the democratic will of the majority of the people of Ukraine and to join the efforts for a

comprehensive and sustainable solution to the conflict; calls on the international

community to strengthen and unify their efforts to support Ukraine and its people on their

European path;

16. Condemns Russia’s military intervention in, and illegal annexation of, Crimea, that

violates international law and is contrary to Russia's existing commitments and

obligations including the UN Charter, the OSCE Helsinki Final Act and the Budapest

Memorandum; states that "humanitarian convoys" organized by the Russian Federation to

the territory of Ukraine violate the rules of humanitarian aid and reject cooperation with

ICRC; reiterates its support for the sanctions adopted by the Union on those directly

involved, both in Ukraine and in Russia; calls on Russia to immediately de-escalate the

crisis, to withdraw its troops from Ukrainian territory and respect the full territorial

integrity of Ukraine; encourages Ukraine to proceed along the path of inclusive reforms

and to revamp national dialogue with a view to normalization and stability; agrees with

the HRVP's Declaration of 5 November 2014 on the so-called elections in Eastern

Ukraine, which states them to be "illegitimate and illegal", as well as "in breach of the

letter and the spirit of the Minsk Protocol"; calls for Russia to resume its role as EU's

strategic partner, in an appeased regional environment;

17. Welcomes the full and binding ratification of the Association Agreement with Ukraine as

well as the historic sign of solidarity given on 16 September 2014 with the simultaneous

ratification by the European Parliament and Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada; welcomes the

ratification of the Association Agreement in some national parliaments of the EU and

calls for the swift continuing of this process in EU Member States with the goal to

complete the ratification until the Eastern Partnership summit in Riga; welcomes the

establishment by the European Commission of a Support Group for Ukraine to provide

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long-term assistance for political and economic reforms as well as the launch of an EU

Advisory Mission for reform in the civilian security sector alongside complementary

work of the OSCE Monitoring Mission; takes note of the decision to postpone the full

application of DCFTA until 31 December 2015, thus providing an opportunity for further

talks between Ukraine, the EU and Russia on the implementation of trade issues;

18. Welcomes the signature by the Council of the Association Agreements, establishing a

Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, with Georgia and the Republic of Moldova on

27 June 2014 and the swift ratification of their respective agreements by both countries;

invites national Parliaments who have not yet done so to insert the ratification process

into their agendas; takes note of the ratification process by consent started in the

European Parliament with the aim of ratifying the Agreement with Moldova on 13

November and with Georgia in December;

19. Invites for close cooperation with the Eastern European partner countries to ensure a

comprehensive list of deliverables in the period from Vilnius to Riga Eastern Partnership

Summits, including completed ratification procedures of the Association

Agreements/DCFTAs with Ukraine, Republic of Moldova and Georgia in the EU

Member States; calls for consolidated support for the three countries in terms of

implementation of the Agreements; suggests engaging models of cooperation for

Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus in the areas of mutual interest as facilitated trade,

energy and transport interconnections, and mobility, in terms of the visa free regime

perspectives and in terms of youth and academic exchanges;

EU-Afghanistan Relations

20. Welcomes the conclusion of Afghanistan’s presidential elections, marking the first

democratic transition of power in the country’s history; welcomes also the agreement

reached to establish a Government of National Unity; emphasizes the importance of all

parties in Afghanistan working together in order to achieve a unified, peaceful,

democratic and prosperous future for all the people of Afghanistan; encourages the

implementation of the Strategy on EU-Afghanistan relations and urges for the finalization

of EU-Afghan Cooperation Agreement for Partnership and Development; supports the

European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan (EUPOL) and asks for a full commitment

to monitor the implementation of the Tokyo Mutual Accountability Framework and foster

regional co-operation within the framework of the Istanbul Process;

Strengthening CSDP

21. Recalls, after the European Council of December 2013, that the EU through CSDP and

other instruments has a strong role to play through its unique comprehensive approach to

preventing and managing conflicts and their causes; stresses the importance of enabling

the EU to assume increased responsibilities as a security provider, at the international

level and in particular in its neighbourhood, thereby also enhancing its own security and

its role as a strategic global actor; emphasizes the importance of cooperation between the

EU and its partners, in particular the UN, NATO, OSCE and African Union, as well as

strategic partners and partner countries in its neighbourhood, with due respect to the

institutional framework and decision-making autonomy of the Union; supports the strong

statement at the 2014 NATO Summit in Wales that confirmed that NATO and the EU can

and should play complementary and mutually reinforcing roles in supporting international

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peace and security while sharing common values and strategic interests; underlines the

constant importance of NATO as the cornerstone of transatlantic security and calls for the

strengthening of the strategic partnership between the EU and NATO; calls for stronger

cooperation between the EU and NATO structures through a complementary approach

and closer coordination in order to avoid duplications and challenge the new security

threats with the maximum of efficiency; recognises that stronger European defence and

crisis management can help enhance the security of all Allies; is convinced that

strengthening CSDP indeed reinforces collective security and transatlantic links; recalls,

after the European Council of December 2013, that CSDP will continue to develop in full

complementarity with NATO in the framework of the strategic partnership between both

organisations and in full, reciprocal autonomy, taking into account the fact that not all EU

Member States are NATO Member States and that they participate under the conditions

set out in their respective national constitutions;

Human Rights

22. Supports EU efforts towards a new resolution for a moratorium on executions, thus

further strengthening the international trend for the abolition of the death penalty; states

that the promotion of women rights and the fight against gender-based violence must

remain an important priority, and fosters the EU initiatives on freedom of religion or

belief and the protection of religious minorities; stresses the need for an enhanced effort

aimed at the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1325/2000 and of related

resolutions on women, peace and security, as well as the Council of Europe Istanbul

Convention on women;

23. Calls for a coherent and strict implementation of the EU Common Position on arms

exports especially with regard to non-democratic countries;

Development and Humanitarian Aid

24. Welcomes the recent intergovernmental process aimed at adopting the new framework for

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in

view of a global agreement on a single, integrated, overarching and universally applicable

framework in the field of development; states that more awareness on food security and

related issues should be raised and therefore greater visibility should be granted to the

European Commission’s work on food security, in order to highlight it as a priority within

the framework of the definition of the Post-2015 Agenda; underlines that positive

synergies with EXPO Milan 2015, whose central theme is “Feeding the Planet, Energy

for Life”, and with the Second International Conference on Nutrition to be held at the

FAO’s Headquarters in November 2014 could be created in this field;

Break-out sessions:



Regional Stability and enlargement to the Western Balkans

25. Emphasises that EU integration and membership provides peace, prosperity, democratic

development, stability and security in a swiftly changing international environment; takes

the view that enlargement remains a priority of the EU and its foreign policy and is in the

long-term strategic interest of the EU and the Western Balkan countries; stresses the need

to stick to the 2003 Thessaloniki commitment; points out, however, that the enlargement

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policy needs to take into account the EU’s own integration capacity and the genuine

commitment of the Western Balkan countries to take up their responsibilities and address

outstanding concerns, including good neighbourly relations; in line with Article 49 of the

Lisbon Treaty which states that any European State which respects the values the Union

is based on and is committed to promoting them may apply to become a member of the

Union, invites EU institutions to maintain enlargement at the heart of the EU agenda and

to allow all aspirant countries to advance along their EU path; welcomes the important

results achieved along 2013 and 2014 by Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania, and

encourages all countries of the region to pursue the path of reforms in an unabated way;



The future of the EU Battlegroups

26. Takes note of the work that has begun on improving the Union's rapid response

mechanisms including the EU Battlegroups, of the discussions at ministerial level under

the Greek and Italian Presidencies, and of the debate held in Athens, in the framework of

the IPC, based on a proposal by the Duch delegation; recognizes that the EU Battlegroups

are currently the best developed mechanism for regular and intense defence cooperation

at the EU level; underlines that EU Member States could consider the use of expanding

the range of operations of the Battlegroups for training and mentoring tasks as well as

assessing the practical implications of the civilian-military dimension of crisis

management by using Battlegroups as a test bed for a comprehensive rapid reaction

capability; also calls for reflection on possible revisited common funding of Battlegroups

with the objective of making Battlegroups a real deployable capability in times of need

and a starting point and laboratory for specific forms of pooling and sharing (such as

EATC, European Air Transport Command); recalls that even if good progress should be

achieved in these areas, the usability and success of the Battlegroups relies to a great

extent on the political will of Member States; looks forward to an ambitious “Policy

Framework for Systematic and Long Term Defence Cooperation”, which should pave the

way for more coordination in Defence policies and budgets; thinks that Article 44 TEU,

that states that the Council "may entrust the implementation of a task to a group of

Member States which are willing and have the necessary capability for such a task", is a

very useful tool for the EU to intervene in crisis scenarios with more speed and flexibility

and encourages its use; underlines the need of changing the naming of the Battlegroups

by including a clear reference to the CSDP priorities (first of all, creating a European

capability which can operate as a force for rapid interventions and stabilization operations

in the crisis areas); calls upon the High Representative, in drafting the new European

Security Strategy, to include a strategy on the deployment of EU Battlegroups; deems that

discussions on a different modularity, on a reform of the Athena mechanism aiming at

widening the catalogue of shared costs for rapid reaction operations and on best practices

in Member States’ decision making processes should be further developed in the

forthcoming Conference, in the framework of the European Security Strategy review;

emphasises, in addition to the necessity to further develop the Battlegroups, the

fundamental need to reinforce the EU's civilian crisis management structures (in

particular the CPCC), bearing in mind the fact that the majority of CSDP missions are

civilian ones, yet this is in no way reflected by the personnel and structural bedrock at the

EEAS; decides to deal in a break-out session on Battlegroups at the IPC's next meeting in

Riga in order to discuss 1) on how to deploy EU Battlegroups within the mandate of

article 44 TEU, 2) on how the Athena Mechanism may be modified to address funding

concerns expressed by some member states, 3) on how the authorization process for

deployment in member states’ parliaments may be brought into sync more and 4) on

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possible ways to put Battlegroups within the framework foreseen by Permanent

Structured Cooperation under the Lisbon Treaty.



EU-Africa

27. Welcomes the outcome of the Fourth EU-Africa Summit in 2014, that underlined the

importance of deepening the political partnership between the EU and Africa particularly

in the areas of peace and security (in the framework of the African Peace and Security

Architecture and African Union peace support operations), of improving socioeconomic

development, of combating corruption and illicit financial flows; underlines the

opportunities for strengthening trade and investment relations in the context of Africa's

current phase of sustained economic growth; praises the cooperation between EU and AU

missions in theatres of operation, notably in Somalia and until recently in CAR and Mali;

calls on the High Representative, the Council and the Commission to step up work on

possibilities to supply equipment to African partners as a much needed complement to

CSDP missions in the areas of advice, mentoring and training; underlines the importance

of the EU strategies for the Horn of Africa and the Sahel region as a key means of

addressing the complexity of the security, governance and development challenges

affecting these regions, which span the breadth of Africa; welcomes the progress made in

Somalia in the framework of the New Deal Compact adopted in Brussels in September

2013 and encourages Somali Authorities to further their efforts to meet the political goals

of drafting a new Constitution by the end of 2015 and holding general elections by 2016;

stresses that security in Somalia is an essential prerequisite to consolidate recent political

achievements and, in this regard, welcomes the valuable endeavors of the EU Training

Mission in Somalia (EUTM Somalia) in providing support to the Somali national army;

underlines that the crisis and the instability in Somalia and in the whole Horn of Africa

have a direct impact on transnational threats such as terrorism, drugs, weapons and

human beings’ trafficking, which endanger the interests and security of European

citizens; Observes that the Battlegroups could be usefully employed under a European

flag in conflicts such as that in the Central African Republic, in order to support the

extension of the CSDP Mission EUFOR RCA pending the full implementation of the UN

mission MINUSCA;

Ebola crisis

28. Underlines the serious impact of the crisis provoked by the diffusion of the Ebola virus;

complains the delay of international and regional responses; notes that, in some cases, the

closing of borders has limited international access to affected areas and made an already

difficult situation dramatically worse with negative impact on medical support and food

security; praises the countries that, with focused and timely actions, managed to block the

contagion's diffusion; calls for enhanced cooperation at international and EU level to

provide timely and effective response to this health crisis and to prevent further spreading

of the virus to neighbouring countries, also through strengthened control procedures on

flights; invites competent authorities to favour a pragmatic approach to the crisis and a

correct information to citizens about the Ebola virus' characteristics and ways of

transmission, in order to avoid any scaremongering and discrimination;

On the two Italian marines/India

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29. Reiterates its deepest concern for the two Italian marines and EU citizens detained in

India since February 2012, also in view of the recent health issues affecting one of the

marines; stresses that the case should be resolved in full compliance with international

law, including the UN Convention on the International Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

Final remarks

30. Underlines the HRVP's commitment to work closely with the European Parliament and

national parliaments to ensure that EU Foreign Policy is focussed on delivering security,

democracy, human rights, stability and the hope of a prosperous future for the citizens of

Europe; welcomes the opportunity to work with the HRVP on further strengthening

dialogue and cooperation between Parliamentarians and the HRVP on the important

matters discussed at this Conference; expresses its wish to assess progress on these

matters together with the HRVP at the next IPC.

31. Thanks the ad hoc Working Group on the Rules of Procedure for concluding its work and

states that the Best Practices represent a further elaboration of the Rules of Procedure for

the future proceedings of the Conference.