QCEA
Responses to the Convention on the Future of Europe
Stop
the Militarisation of The European Union
28
May 2003: STOP THE MILITARISATION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
The
Quaker Council for European Affairs wishes to draw your attention
to Article 40 (Specific provisions for implementing common defence
policy) of Part One of the Draft Constitution. We are gravely concerned
about the implications of Article 40.3, paragraph two, starting:
“Member
States shall undertake progressively to improve their military capabilities.”
We
believe that this sentence, and in fact, this whole paragraph, should
be deleted.
An
increase in military capabilities is in contradiction with the EU’s
stated aims of peace and sustainable development and will divert
resources from other areas of public spending, not least, research
into and improvement of civilian instruments and mechanisms for
conflict prevention and crisis management.
Article
40.3 directly contradicts one of the aims of the Union’s external
action, stated in Part Three, Article 188 of the draft Constitution
as being to “preserve peace, prevent conflicts and strengthen
international security”. For Member States to increase
their military capabilities would contribute to the global proliferation
of arms, something widely recognised as contributing to, rather
than preventing, violent conflict. Indeed, the European Commission,
in its Communication on the Prevention of Violent Conflict (COM(2001)
211, April 2001), cites “the proliferation of weapons
of mass destruction and small arms” in a list of factors
which aggravate conflict.
Article
40.3, if introduced, would also have an indirect effect on the realisation
of many of the EU’s objectives as stated in Article 3 of Part
One of the draft Constitution. If Member States are committed to
dedicating a progressively greater proportion of their budgets on
military expenditure, this will necessarily entail reducing other
elements of public spending, such as that needed to achieve the
Union’s social and development goals.
The
EU is uniquely placed to play a role in the global prevention of
violent conflict. As the EU Programme for the Prevention of Violent
Conflicts explains: “The European Union is a successful
example of conflict prevention, based on democratic values and respect
for human rights, justice and solidarity, economic prosperity and
sustainable development.” The Constitution of the EU
must reiterate the European commitment to conflict prevention, based
on the civilian mechanisms that have been introduced in Europe over
the last half-century to make the prospect of violent conflict between
Member States a distant memory.
Member
States should commit to improving civilian instruments and mechanisms
for the prevention, resolution and management of violent conflict.
This is an area where there is a need for more research and resources.
The proposed European Armaments, Research and Military Capabilities
Agency should be refocused on strengthening the civilian capabilities
of the EU: this, rather than increasing military capabilities, would
contribute to the EU’s goal of preserving peace and preventing
conflict.
The
Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) was founded in 1979 to
promote the values of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
in the European context. Our purpose is to express a Quaker vision
in matters of peace, human rights, and the right sharing of world
resources.
The
Quaker concern for peace derives from a belief in the unique value
of individuals. The worldwide Quaker tradition of peace has evolved
over three hundred and fifty years, and the peace testimonies remain
a guide and inspiration for activism to the present day. Quakers
believe conflict can be avoided by mutual understanding of needs
at the earliest stage, and therefore violence should never become
necessary.
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