MEPs debate the use of force in international relations

A public hearing by the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Security and Defence on the 23 february 2006 brought together MEPs, Commission and Council representatives as well as academics to discuss the international legal norms surrounding military interventions. The main points of debate centred around the necessity of obtaining UN Security Council resolutions for EU missions, the possibility of pre-emptive strikes and the role of Parliament in the legitimation of military operations.