| Author (Person) | Banks, Martin, Cronin, David |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.9, No.9, 6.3.02, p2 |
| Publication Date | 06/03/2003 |
| Content Type | News |
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Date: 06/03/03 By THE head of the European Commission's delegation to Washington issued a blunt message to the EU yesterday: "Get your act together." Günter Burghardt delivered his get-tough warning after meeting a group of mostly left-wing MEPs, on a week-long trip to the US to campaign for a peaceful resolution of the Iraq crisis. Referring to divisions between member states over how to deal with Saddam Hussein, Burghardt said EU credibility had been threatened, and that the Union had shown its inability to speak with one voice on foreign affairs. He contrasted the failings of the common foreign and security policy with the EU's impact in other policy areas, such as trade. Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy was in Washington this week and Burghardt, formerly director general of DG Relex, said pointedly: "Washington knows who represents the EU on trade - Lamy." Although stressing that trying to influence the US did not necessarily mean "being America's best friend", the German envoy warned that the current crisis had shown "we have to get our act together". Burghardt told the MEPs he was concerned that any US decision not to seek a second UN resolution before taking military action would create "huge problems", for the UK in particular. Irish Socialist Pronsias de Rossa said America should be taken to the International Court of Justice in The Hague if it resorted to unilateral action. Another deputy, Italian Luisa Morgantini, suggested the UN General Assembly should convene an emergency meeting if the US decided to "go it alone". "If they take military action without the backing of the UN that is a blatant act of aggression for which they have no legal basis," she added. The MEPs earlier met a relative of one of the victims of the 11 September 2001 terror attacks. Irish-American Colleen Kelly, whose 30-year-old brother Bill Kelly Jnr was on the 106th floor of the North Tower in New York, said she did not want George W. Bush to wage war in her brother's name. "I feel strongly that war will only further increase violence and bloodshed. The US should stop being a big bully and look at the reasons why people did such a terrible thing."
Rockwell Schnabel's optimism comes despite last week's decision by EU justice ministers to temporarily suspend talks on the issue. France has requested clarification on what should happen if a suspect located in one EU country is being sought by both America and another member state. Paris believes preference should be given to the latter. According to Schnabel the extradition pact will "go beyond any existing bilateral agreements". Greece's EU presidency has stated it wishes to secure the agreement on extradition and judicial cooperation by the time its stint at the Union's helm ends in late June. The justice ministers are due to return to the issue next month. EU fears that people handed over to America could face the death penalty appear no longer to present a major hurdle to the accord's realisation, say insiders, because of guarantees offered by Washington. Assurances have also been granted that "sensitive information" passed onto the US will be subject to strict data protection requirements. The head of the European Commission's delegation to Washington issued a blunt message to the EU on 5 March 2003. Referring to divisions between Member States over how to deal with Saddam Hussein, Günter Burghardt said EU credibility had been threatened, and that the European Union had shown its inability to speak with one voice on foreign affairs. |
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| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations, Security and Defence |
| Countries / Regions | Middle East |
