Speech by President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen at the European Parliament on 5 September 2006

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I would like to express my warm thanks for your invitation to me to address the European Parliament. Representatives elected by direct popular vote are an important part of democracy, both in the European Union and in its Member States. You exert a wide influence: you are in a position to promote all of the objectives of the Union efficiently in your everyday work. Finland is seeking close cooperation with the Parliament during our Presidency. Even this week, several of our Government ministers are here and ready to speak with you.

The importance of European cooperation and integration to the promotion of peace, stability and wellbeing on our continent is obvious, and the results are impressive. Our actions are based on a shared value base: freedom, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law. Every Member State has the responsibility to uphold these values, but often we can achieve better results by cooperation. A unanimous EU is also a much stronger international actor than any of its Member States alone.

The European Union has attained a significantly greater international role in recent years. The EU is a visible and important player in a number of areas, from development issues to crisis management. The international security threats we are facing are increasingly non-military. Climate change, pollution, natural disasters, contagious diseases and economic insecurity are threats against which it is impossible to use military action. For this reason, we aim to promote multilateral solutions and international treaties to combat such common threats and risks. International crime is a concern for all of us. Close cooperation between Member States as well as effective cooperation with third countries are essential in combating terrorism.

Comprehensive security and its global strengthening is based on the link between human rights, development and security. The European security strategy is built on this principle, which has been approved in the United Nations. Through our own actions, we can help achieve a fairer world and attain the UN Millennium Development Goals. The strength of the Union is in the wide range of means available, from humanitarian aid to agricultural policy, trade policy, development policy and environmental policy.

EU development policy can also be seen as part of EU security policy. The EU is the largest development cooperation and trade partner of developing countries, and also the world’s biggest donor of development aid. I hope, and I believe, that the EU institutions can agree on development financing in good cooperation to secure continuous EU funding and a wide range of EU actions also from the beginning of 2007.

There is a link between development and trade. It is not always automatically a positive one, and in order to reinforce the positive link we need political will and skill. But this means that trade can have a significant impact on economic growth, the reduction of poverty and social development in developing countries. The developing countries themselves must be willing to undertake national reforms, to promote good governance and to eliminate corruption. Access to the markets is not enough to ensure a fairer globalisation; the poorest countries also need special measures to reinforce their capacity. In October, a joint session of Development and Trade Ministers will be held with the aim of agreeing on a strong EU commitment to the Aid for Trade recommendations of the World Trade Organization and their rapid implementation.

The new United Nations Human Rights Council, which met for the first time in June, is a more permanent body than its predecessor, and its purpose is to enhance the actions of the United Nations in human rights issues. It is often difficult to safeguard human rights in conflict situations. We should stress that international law, and international humanitarian law too, must be respected under all circumstances. The efforts to combat international terrorism have highlighted the sometimes strained relationship between human rights and security. We must insist that combating terrorism respects human rights and the rule of law. I know that this is also very important for the European Parliament. Cross-border movement of people would similarly require broad discussion at different fora.

Human rights issues are a sensitive topic: even though we have accepted that they are legally and ethically binding, it is a great challenge to translate them into political realities. However, the EU must pursue a consistent human rights policy in all parts of the world. We are fortunate to have important partners in this, above all the United Nations. Within Europe, the Council of Europe is an important partner for the European Union in human rights matters, and we should make better use of the Council’s expertise. Accession of the EU to the European Convention on Human Rights remains an important objective. The report by Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, contains excellent proposals for intensifying cooperation between the two organizations.

Both conflict prevention and crisis management have become ever more important for the EU. When I myself as Minister for Foreign Affairs and my Swedish colleague Lena Hjelm-Wallén submitted an initiative on developing the crisis management of the EU, we did not dare to expect quick progress. But contrary to our expectations, our proposal led to a provision entered in the Treaty of Amsterdam. Today, the rapidly developing crisis management policy of the EU rests on the combination and efficient co-ordination of military and civilian action. Sustainable solutions for conflicts call for influencing the situation by a wide range of means.

For example, the sending of an EU crisis management force to help the United Nations in the Democratic Republic of Congo proved its usefulness when violent conflicts erupted after the first round of the elections. We hope that the situation will remain stable for the campaign and the second round to go ahead peacefully and respecting democracy. After the elections, the country must move quickly to the reconstruction and development phase. The EU is already assisting in the reform of the security sector of the country. The European Union is also active in alleviating the difficult situation in Darfur. The EU is the biggest supporter of the AMIS peacekeeping operation of the African Union. Decisions on strengthening this operation and on transferring it to the United Nations must be implemented urgently. We must not allow human suffering in the region to go on any longer.

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There are growing expectations towards the EU and its international action. A coherent EU is a strong actor, as the Lebanon situation has shown. The EU contributed in a major way to achieving a political solution, first in the passing of Resolution 1701 at the United Nations Security Council and now in its implementation. However, it is necessary for all parties to be committed to the implementation of the Resolution. The determined action of the EU has increased confidence in the EU as a peace broker in the region. The EU cannot manage this alone, but it can play an influential role.

The European Union is taking on a significant responsibility in the expanded UNIFIL operation, which is being put into place to safeguard the fragile ceasefire and to help efforts towards achieving a permanent peace in the region. The decision taken by the Member States to assume this responsibility, at the extraordinary meeting of the General Affairs and External Relations Council on the 25th of August, was a turning point regarding the strengthening of UNIFIL. The EU Member States showed that they are able to take decisions that are also very demanding at a national level, committing about 7,000 peacekeepers to the UNIFIL operation. The overall UN operation is led by Europeans, first by the French and then by the Italians. It is important for a broad range of countries — beyond the EU Member States — to commit troops to the operation. This will help gain the confidence of the parties in the success of the operation.

The situation in Lebanon is complex and involves more than just security policy. It is also a political, economic and social problem. We must support the strengthening of the Lebanese government, the extending of its authority to cover the entire country, and the leading role of Lebanon itself in the reconstruction process. The European Commission and the Member States have already donated and pledged over 300 million euros to help ease the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon. The conference addressing the humanitarian situation in Lebanon and in Palestinian territories, held in Stockholm late last week, was a major success. The amount of the aid and new pledges is remarkable. In addition to providing direct humanitarian aid, the European Union will play a major part in reconstruction and in repairing damage to the environment.

A sustainable peace in the Middle East requires a resolution of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The EU played a major part in achieving the Road Map, and now the EU must again take the initiative in promoting efforts towards a comprehensive peace plan. All parties concerned must commit themselves to a model involving two secure and viable states. Confidence building must also take place at the grass-roots level, not just between governments. I believe that if women are actively involved in the peace process, there is a better chance for a sustainable solution. I have already worked together with the UN organization for women, UNIFEM, which has taken an active interest in promoting dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian women. We will promote this issue during the coming UN General Assembly week.

Tomorrow, in your plenary session, you will be dealing with the Middle East issue from a broad perspective. The European Union must continue to make determined efforts to achieve stability and security in the Middle East. The region is our neighbourhood, after all.

Representatives of the EU have been active in negotiations about the nuclear programme of Iran. Iran must comply with the Security Council Resolution and engage herself to a true dialogue. In the future weeks and months, the EU must continue to pursue active and broad-based diplomatic efforts in the region. The USA is an important partner for the EU in these efforts, along with the other permanent members of the Security Council.

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The fate of Russia and that of the rest of Europe have been linked for centuries. Today, Russia is a strategic partner of the EU. The Russian leadership has repeatedly declared that Russia is irreversibly linked with Europe. Broad-based cooperation from trade to human rights benefits both parties and also supports the democratic process and stability in Russia.

There has been a lot of discussion recently on energy issues in particular. It is good that the EU is aiming to establish a common view on energy issues, even if the selection of energy sources is a matter at the national level. However, many of the issues are such that cooperation is vital. Energy policy and the external action of the EU must be more closely linked so that the EU external relations will help support our energy security. I feel that this, in particular, is an area where the interdependence of the EU and Russia could become the most apparent in a positive manner. The energy dialogue between the EU and Russia must be based on trust and focus on issues where our interests coincide.

We must all also make an effort to combat climate change by reducing emissions, conserving energy, developing cleaner technologies and promoting the use of renewable energy sources. Our present energy sources are not limitless. More generally, the EU should aim at broad ranging co-operation with Russia on environmental issues.

There is a comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Russia, with additionally defined road maps in four Common Spaces: Economy; Freedom, Security and Justice; External Security; and Research, Education and Culture. Although research, education and culture are the last on the list, they are by no means the least. For example, student exchange and cultural awareness are practical ways of getting to know one another better.

The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Russia expires at the end of next year. Our aim is to agree with Russia at the EU-Russia summit in November about the commencement of negotiations to revise the Agreement. I also believe that once the Northern Dimension is reformed into a policy shared by the EU, Russia, Norway and Iceland, it will intensify further our relations with these partner countries. The Northern Dimension focuses particularly on environmental cooperation and on issues of social welfare and health.

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Enlargement has improved stability and security in Europe, and it has benefited all Member States economically, both the old and the new. Successful enlargement also strengthens the international role of the EU. I believe that the EU should remain open to all European countries that fulfil the criteria of membership. Developments in the countries of central Europe, in Turkey, in Croatia and in the Western Balkans demonstrate that EU membership perspective is a powerful incentive for implementing reforms, although the ultimate reason for any changes must be the will to improve the everyday lives and security of one’s own citizens. After all, our citizens value EU membership according to their everyday experiences.

A general debate on enlargement will be conducted at the European Council in December. We will then be discussing how to take the enlargement process forward. The June European Council discussed the absorption capacity of the EU. The conclusion was that no new membership criteria should be set for applicant countries, but we should insist that they meet the existing criteria. It is in the interests of both the EU and of the applicant countries that they do not join the Union until they are fully capable of assuming the responsibilities of membership and fulfilling the requirements for membership. For our part, we must respect the promises we have given to the applicant countries and ensure that the Union has the capacity to receive new Member States.

We must also remember what the criteria do not include. We share the common values, but we are not seeking to create a uniform culture; on the contrary, the plurality of cultures is Europe’s richness and strength. The plurality of political views is also a very natural feature of Europe. You and your political groups form a unique example of political cooperation that transcends national boundaries. A pluralistic Union needs to have a multidimensional parliamentarism.

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The ASEM Summit of EU Member States and Asian countries will be held in Finland this week. The ASEM has become established as a vehicle for cooperation between two regional groups, and interaction with the EU has encouraged Asian countries to engage in closer coordination in the preparation of matters.

There are two good reasons for my making this trip to Strasbourg: I am visiting both the European Parliament and the Council of Europe today. I hope in this way to contribute to broad-based European cooperation.

I would like to finish by thanking you for this opportunity to address you and by wishing you all a very good start to the autumn session.