Committee on Foreign Affairs Ordinary meeting
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AFET European Parliament
Follow its sittingsHana Jalloul Muro
Thank you very much. Now from Patriots, Ms. Andreasen, floor is yours. Thank you.
Mieke Andriese
Thank you, chair. I will continue in Dutch. Dank aan de rapporteur voor het opstellen van dit ontwerpadvies. We hebben echter fundamentele bezwaren tegen de richting die in het advies wordt gekozen. Allereerst kunnen we ons niet vinden in de oproep om de Europese begroting uit te breiden.
Terwijl de onderhandelingen over het nieuw MFK nog bezig zijn, kiest dit advies al nadrukkelijk voor hogere uitgaven. Voor ons is dat onaanvaardbaar. Nederland behoort al tot de grootste nettobetalers van de Europese Unie en de rekening mag niet opnieuw bij onze belastingbetaler worden neergelegd. Daarnaast bevat het advies verschillende voorstellen om extra middelen vrij te maken voor het externe optreden van de Unie, waaronder voor Gaza, de Westelijke Jordaanoever en UNRWA. Ook op dit punt zullen wij amendementen indienen.
Europese middelen moeten aantoonbaar het Europees belang dienen en mogen nooit terechtkomen bij organisaties of structuren waar ernstige zorgen bestaan over terrorisme, corruptie of gebrekkig toezicht. Tot slot kunnen wij geen steun leveren aan passages die vooruitlopen op verdere uitbreiding van de Europese Unie of die daarvoor extra financiële ruimte creëren. Wij zijn principieel tegen verdere uitbreiding van de Europese Unie. Onze inzet tijdens de onderhandelingen is daarom het volgende: een kleinere Europese begroting, duidelijke prioriteiten, minder uitgaven voor extern beleid en geen financiële voorbereidingen voor verdere uitbreiding van de Europese Unie. Dank u wel.
Thank you very much. Now from ECR, is there anyone who would like to take the floor? Or Renew?
No. Very easy Nemec for you today. From ECN is there anybody? So then if there any other colleagues want to do any catch the eye, I think I'll give the floor to our rapporteur Matjaž Nemec for final remarks.
Matjaž Nemec
I would like just to thank you to all of you and yeah, let's bring this ship into the port. Thank you so much.
Hana Jalloul Muro
Thank you for your work indeed. And then be informed that we have two deadlines for amendments. The deadline for budgetary amendments is set for tomorrow 15th of July at 12:00. The deadline for amendments to the draft opinion is the day after tomorrow 16th of July as well as 12:00 again. Please note that coordinators agreed on a procedure in English only given the limited time available and the introduction of a new IT tool for the tabling of budgetary amendments.
Please also note that we experienced a slight delay with the deployment of the new IT application to table budgetary amendments called IBIS, I-B-I-S. It will allow you to easily table budgetary amendments just as you use AT4AM for normal reports. Thank you. IBIS is now available since yesterday evening and you are kindly invited to use this new system. Members who have already submitted their amendments via the Word form do not need to reintroduce their amendments in IBIS.
For everybody else, please do use the new system. To vote in AFET on the budgetary amendments will take place immediately after the summer recess on 1st of September and the vote on the opinion on the 10th of September. As usual the vote in plenary is scheduled for the October second part session. And this concludes our agenda item. Thank you to all colleagues for their engagement.
Have a nice day. Thanks. Now next item on our agenda is strategic political relations with Australia, potential for deeper ties in the face of a volatile international order. This, the draft report on the strategic political relations with Australia is going to be presented by our rapporteur Ms. Žovko. The EU and Australia, I'm going to give a little bit introduction, share a robust partnership built on common values, principles and mutual interest.
In today's complex geopolitical landscape it is in our shared interest to strengthen cooperation, fostering security and prosperity in our interconnected world. This is evident through the recent signing of the EU-Australia security and defense partnership, the conclusions of negotiations of the free trade agreement and Australia's associations to the Horizon Europe program. Let us now hear from our rapporteur Ms. Žovko on how they assess the potential for further deepening ties with Australia. So the floor is yours for five minutes. Thank you very much.
Željana Zovko
All right, thank you Madam President, dear Chair, dear colleagues. Over the past decades relations between European Union and Australia have evolved well beyond the traditional focus on trade and political dialogue. Today they have become an increasingly strategic partnership reflecting the growing interdependence between European and Indo-Pacific security.
The report is built around the key areas where closer cooperation can deliver concrete results. On our strategic partnership, the report recognizes Australia as one of the EU's key partners in the Indo-Pacific and underlines the region's importance for global trade, freedom of navigation, and international security. It supports closer cooperation to strengthen resilience, diversify supply chains, reduce excessive strategic dependence, and advance our shared de-risking objectives. On foreign and security policy, the report highlights our cooperation in multilateral organizations including the United Nations, the G20, the WTO, and the OECD, and welcomes Australia's contribution to upholding the rules-based international order. It also commends Australia's continued support for Ukraine through military assistance, humanitarian aid, sanctions against Russia, and efforts to ensure accountability.
The report addresses the changing strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific, including China's growing military assertiveness and economic coercion, and calls for closer coordination with Australian and other like-minded partners including the United States. On security and defense, the report welcomes the EU-Australia security and defense partnership and calls for deeper cooperation on maritime security, cybersecurity, hybrid threats, counter-terrorism, defense innovation, and emerging technologies. It also recognizes the contribution of regional security frameworks such as the Quad, AUKUS, and Five Eyes to regional stability. Regarding the Pacific, the report underlines the strategic importance of the Pacific Island countries and encourages closer cooperation with Australia on connectivity, diplomatic capacity building, sustainable development, and regional security. On economic security, the report welcomes the conclusion of negotiations EU-Australia Free Trade Agreement which will strengthen investment, diversify trade, improve supply chain resilience, and reinforce cooperation on critical raw materials.
It also welcomes the declaration of intent between the European Investment Bank and Australian Strategic Investments. On digital and green transition, the report supports closer cooperation on digital governance, emerging technologies, and online safety, while welcoming continued cooperation on climate and environmental issues. On research, innovation, and people-to-people ties, the report welcomes Australia's association to Horizon Europe and the new opportunities it creates in artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, clean energy, maritime research, space, and other strategic sectors. It also supports greater mobility for students, researchers, and young professionals. Finally, on the governance of our partnership, the report calls for elevating EU-Australia relations to a strategic partnership through regular leader summits and more structured parliamentary dialogue between our two parliaments.
Dear colleagues, at a time when geopolitical tension continues to rise, strengthening relations with like-minded partners is no longer simply desirable, it is strategically necessary. The EU and Australia are entering a new strategic phase of their partnership and my report sets out concrete priorities to build on the strong foundation already in place. I look forward to working with colleagues from all political groups and welcome your comments and amendments. The deadline for amendments, and I believe you will also say that, is 9th of September. Thank you.
Hana Jalloul Muro
Thank you very much, Mr. Zovko, very interesting indeed and thank you for your work. Now I'll give the shadow rapporteurs the word for two minutes, first one is S&D, Mr. Kremer, thank you.
Tobias Cremer
Thank you, Chair, and I want to begin by extending my thanks to the rapporteur for an excellent first draft which I'm sure will serve as a very strong basis for our work and I look forward to that cooperation.
This own-initiative report on the relations between the EU and Australia really comes at an absolutely critical moment, at a moment where we see geopolitical conflict on our own continent, in the Middle East, but also in the Indo-Pacific with the assertiveness of some, some powers who are not following the rules anymore, but where we're also at a moment of a huge transition when it comes to technology, AI, when it comes to the freedom of seas, when it comes to economic coercion, and also when it comes to supply chains, when it comes to critical raw materials. In all of these issues, Australia is indeed an absolutely essential partner and a strategic partner for Europe and has to become so much more in the future. We already see the positive signs with the security and defense agreement. We see the positive signs with the free trade agreement between the EU and Australia. But I think what this initiative report can do and should do, and it is the first of its kind, which also makes it historical in that respect, is to bring these steps into a coherent and strategic framework.
So not thinking in silos, but really bringing a strategic idea into this. And this is I think what we will try to also push for together with the rapporteur and the other shadows of really saying what, what is the added benefit here that the European Parliament can be in putting meat on the bones of the agreements that we already have, but also really providing a coherent and comprehensive framework of saying where do we want this relationship to go in the future and what can we concretely do to elevate it on this new strategic level. In some ways, the EU and Australia may never have needed each other as much as they do now, and it is in the mutual interest of our, our European peoples, but also of Australia, that we really work really closely together to address the global challenges of the world and in the future have a much stronger cooperation. Thank you.
Hana Jalloul Muro
Thank you very much, Mr. Grimmer, and now from Patriots, Ms. Andriese.
Mieke Andriese
Thank you, chair. I will continue in Dutch again. Dank aan de rapporteur voor het opstellen van dit ontwerprapport. Wij verwelkomen de realistische benadering in het rapport van een diversificatie van aanvoerketens, de samenwerking op het gebied van kritieke grondstoffen en de expliciete erkenning van de Verenigde Staten als strategische bondgenoot. Ook de positieve verwijzingen naar AUKUS, de Quad en Five Eyes kunnen op onze steun rekenen.
Tegelijkertijd hebben wij bezwaren tegen de manier waarop deze samenwerking wordt vormgegeven. Een gezonde samenwerking met Australië wordt in dit rapport aangegrepen om opnieuw meer Brusselse structuren en bevoegdheden uit te breiden. Daarmee dreigt een goede bilaterale relatie te worden gebruikt voor verdere centralisering van het Europees buitenlands beleid. Daarnaast kunnen we ons niet vinden in de koppeling van de samenwerking met Australië aan klimaatneutraliteit in 2050 en de bredere Brusselse klimaatagenda. Tenslotte kijken wij kritisch naar bepalingen die de rol en bevoegdheden van Europese instellingen verder uitbreiden ten aanzien van een bevriende en soevereine partner.
Wij steunen nauwe samenwerking met Australië, maar daarvoor zijn geen nieuwe Brusselse structuren, geen verdere centralisatie en geen extra bevoegdheden voor de Europese Unie nodig. Ik dank u.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann
Thank you very much. Now, Ms. Zimmermann from Renew. Thank you.
Ja, herzlichen Dank. Ich spreche Deutsch. Entgegen meiner Vorrednerin begrüßen wir ausdrücklich diesen Bericht. Aus außenpolitisch-Sicherheitsgründen ist die Zusammenarbeit mit Australien ganz wesentlich. Wir sehen, dass das, was wir in Europa erleben, Krieg in Europa, hybride Angriffe, Cyberangriffe, auf der anderen Seite der Welt genauso stattfindet.
China ist übrigens der große Beobachter dessen, was hier stattfindet, und ist auch eine große Bedrohung im Indopazifik. Und die Zusammenarbeit mit Australien und darüber hinaus mit Neuseeland und anderen Staaten ist elementar wichtig. Und es ist keine weitere Befugnis in Brüssel, sondern ist das Pragmatische, dass die Zusammenarbeit der Länder in der freien Welt eng sein muss, auch wenn wir weit auseinanderliegen. Und ich begrüße das ausdrücklich, dass wir unseren Blick weiten, denn die Probleme gehen einmal rund um den Globus, die sind eben nicht nur hier in Europa, sondern auch dort. Und insofern vielen Dank für den Vorbericht.
Thank you very much. From Greens, nobody. Left, anybody wants to take the floor? ECR, Stancanelli? No.
Then if there nobody would like to take the catch the eye, thank you all colleagues for your observations. Let us now hear from the EEAS. I give the floor to Ms. Ana Isabel Sánchez Ruiz for two minutes. Thank you very much.
Ana Isabel Sánchez Ruiz
Thank you, Chair. The EEAS welcomes the Parliament's interest and support to the EU's cooperation with Australia. The draft report presented today and your discussion contribute greatly to identifying and seizing opportunities for strategic cooperation. Australia is an important partner for the EU. As highlighted today, the interconnection between security in Europe and the Indo-Pacific is clear.
Partnerships with like-minded countries, including Australia, support our security, including economic security and our resilience. The EU and Australia are aligned in their commitment to multilateralism and the rules-based international order. The EU values Australia's consistent support to Ukraine. As the EU increases its engagement in the Indo-Pacific, working with Australia supports our objectives in the region. The conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement, if approved by the Council and the Parliament, will send a strong signal of our commitment to rules-based international trade and will open enormous commercial opportunities for the EU.
Exchanges under the Security and Defense Partnership are well underway. The partnership offers a framework to build cooperation on security challenges that transcend geographical distance and where we have much to gain from working together. Equally, the conclusion of negotiations for Australia to associate with Horizon Europe presents the opportunity to boost our already thriving scientific partnership. Exchanges through our partnership on critical minerals will strengthen supply chains and resilience. Lastly, political dialogue at all levels is regular, frequent, and constructive, from leaders' meetings and meetings of the High Representative with her counterpart down to joint committee meetings.
These and other areas of cooperation recognize the value of a strong Australia-European Union partnership in addressing shared global challenges and supporting prosperity and security. The engagement of the Parliament in promoting this agenda is critical, and once again, allow me to express our gratitude for your engagement and leadership in building this relationship. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Now I will give the floor back to our rapporteur for last remarks, Ms. Žovko, thank you.
Željana Zovko
Right, thank you, thank you colleagues for a very constructive exchange. I think that today's debate has shown that a broad consensus that Australia is one of the European's closest and most reliable strategic partners and that our cooperation has become much broader than trade alone. Many of your intervention reinforce the importance of working together on security, economic resilience, innovation, and the rules-based international order. I will consider all the all the remarks and also those who think that they can do alone. I don't think that in this geopolitical volatile world, the opportunity that has brought us in the position that this trade agreement and the whole agreement that we are doing with Australia, strategic agreement, is is just a momentum in which we have to catch the opportunity to also show our strength and as some of Australians' partners are saying, to show that this common West sticks together in the most volatile geopolitical circumstances and that we have to continue and show that rules-based order, also strategic partnership, and everything that we are doing is for the benefit of our citizens.
And that we have to continue and show that rules-based order, also strategic partnership, and everything that we have built here in Europe and together what was built in Australia and in the democracy can go hand in hand and that the distance does not matter if we are on the same wavelength. Thank you so much.
Hana Jalloul Muro
Thank you, I trust our rapporteur will take into account today's contribution. Please be informed that the deadline for amendments is set on 9th September at 5:00. The vote in AFET will take place in 10th November and the vote in plenary is scheduled for December. This concludes this agenda item. Thank you to all colleagues for their engagement.
And I must say that for the next point of the agenda that will begin at 11:00, exchange of views with Andreas von Bekekerath, we are going to take a recession or a break of like 20 minutes because Ambassador has not arrived yet and the next person who is Mr. Gahler that will chair the next point of the agenda. So we have 20 minutes to have a coffee. Thank you every one of you for attending this morning session and thank you Ms. Sofko for your work. Thank you again. And of course the Secretariat.