Europe as a global actor: Views from the Spanish Presidency

Date: 20 January 2010

Speaker: Miguel Ángel Moratinos Cuyabé, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Spain
Chair: H. Onno Ruding, Chairman of the CEPS Board of Directors

Minister Moratinos started off by summarising the four main priorities of the Spanish Rotating Presidency:

• the coordination of economic policies in order to promote recovery and sustainable growth in Europe (launching of Europe 2020);
• fostering a Europe of rights and freedoms at the service of citizens; 
•  strengthening the EU’s foreign policy aiming to turn the Union into a global player; and
• implementing the Lisbon Treaty.

After briefly touching upon the need for economic recovery, sustainable growth and advocating citizens’ rights and freedoms throughout the Union, the Minister shifted the focus of his discourse to the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty and more specifically the development of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP).

Minister Moratinos placed the development of the CFSP in a wider context of EU integration. The EU starting as a project of economic cooperation under the wing of the transatlantic alliance did not call for political action in developing an EU common foreign policy. However, the economic, political and social context of the EU has changed. Outside of Europe, different actors look to the Union for answers on trade, climate, energy, migration and other security issues. In order to respond effectively to the cross-border challenges, the Union needs to acknowledge that a common foreign policy is necessary and not especially for reasons of ‘prestige’, but more for ‘survival’.

Moratinos continued by outlining the steps that need to be taken by the EU Member States in order to comply with the need for a CFSP. First, he stressed the need for the EU to identify its interests. Despite all the Member States having their respective national interest,s we need to understand that these are complementary to the interests at European level. This was clear even before the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty and now afterwards, the process of implementation is our responsibility. We have developed new institutions, new personalities and mechanisms (i.e. the European External Action Service) in order to deal with the upcoming challenges facing the Union. However, the question can be raised whether there is actually a common foreign policy. What will be the answer of High Representative Lady Catherine Ashton and President Herman van Rompuy? The main challenge will be to construct a single foreign policy for all EU Member States, which will be priority for the Spanish Presidency.

In practice, Spain will actively promote EU enlargement and active neighbourhood policy to the east and south. With regards to transatlantic relations, Spain will drive the EU to come up with ‘deliverables’. The Middle-East peace process is moving towards a mutual understanding on the part of the parties to return to the negotiating table, which needs to be reinforced by a participative EU. Russia and China, as well as partners in Latin-America, deserve a clear European strategy. Africa has, unfortunately, been absent from the EU’s strategic agenda for years and needs to be reengaged. Spain will facilitate, during its Presidency and beyond, a healthy international environment by re-engaging strategic partners in EU relations. The Union can be a global actor considering we possess the objectives, principles and instruments. Unfortunately the political will is often lacking and the question is whether the EU Member States will take action to change this.

After the Minister’s speech, the audience was given the opportunity to ask questions. According to a Turkish journalist, there is ambiguity regarding Zapatero’s position on his country’s candidacy for EU membership. The Minister was reassuring that Spain fully and passionately defends the accession of Turkey to the European Union. He stressed the geographical and demographic importance of Turkey in Europe and the world. The Russian Permanent Representative to the EU, H.E. Vladimir Chizov, provoked the Minister by asking how many rotating presidencies will be needed to deal with the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty. His initial response to the provocation was that Spain will be generous and leave enough work for next presidencies. However, on a more serious note he also stressed that the Lisbon Treaty has entered into force recently and therefore is being implemented on a day-to-day basis. The fact that lots of work is being done behind the scenes could be a source of concern over a lack of transparency, but progress is nevertheless being made. Finally the Mexican Permanent Representative to the EU, Sandra Fuentes-Berain Villenave, commented to the Minister on the climate summit in Copenhagen. She highlighted the progressive stance of Mexico and the EU in the debate and asked how we could free ourselves from isolation in the climate change debate. Minister Moratinos stressed again the need for the Union to speak with one voice and through constructive debate achieve the common objectives on combating global warming.