Introductory statement by the European Union

The European Union is honoured to act as cosponsor of the ARF-

seminar on "Evolving Changes in the Security Perceptions of the
ARF countries". We are very glad that Mongolia took the
initiative for this important event. In our view the subject of
this seminar is highly relevant, as false perceptions of
security or insecurity can lead to wasting money on unnecessary
arms and in a worst case can even lead to unnecessary war.
The EU also welcomes the willingness of Vietnam to co-chair
this meeting. This is probably the first time ever of a joint
project by Mongolia, Vietnam and the EU. We hope it will not be
the last time. Our co-operation on such a difficult subject is
in itself a positive sign.
Mr. Co-chair,
There is probably no region in the world where security
concepts have changed so dramatically as in Europe during the
last sixty years. The proof of that is that I am standing here,
as representative of the European Union, representing 25
individual countries with individual security concepts.
Don't be afraid, I will not present you today with 25 different
security perceptions. I don't have to do so, because all 25
countries of the European Union are in agreement on the
fundamental underpinnings of our Common Foreign and Security
Policy and therefore subscribe to a common European Security
Strategy. So, that is what I will present to you under agenda
item 3.
Finally, I like to make, from a European prospective, three
propositions with regard to concept of security.
1. The purpose of security policy is not the security of the
state, but the security of the people.
2. In the final analysis, security is an inclusive concept. In
other words: one's security is served by the security of
others, not by their insecurity.
3. Optimal security is not reached by keeping all options open,
but rather by accepting an international order based on the
rule of law.
But as a result of this cumbersome process, essential questions
about the European Union seldom receive a definite answer. One
of those essential questions is: Who belongs to it? Well, the
answer was six countries, then nine, ten, twelve, fifteen and
for the moment it is 25, and the only thing that seems certain
is that the number will increase further. The candidate member
states Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia are in the waiting
room, and four Balkan countries have a perspective on the
status of candidate member states. Nobody knows for certain
where the process of enlargement will end, although the number
of European countries is limited.
An other question under continuous debate, is the question
which issues should be decided at the European level and which
should be left to the national or local level, or brought to a
level that encompasses more countries that those of the
European Union, such as NATO with its partners, the Council of
Europe or the United Nations.
Such important questions will remain without a definitive
answer for some time. However, I believe there is little doubt
about the principles upon which European integration is built.
Probably the most innovative among these is the recognition
that strict protection of sovereign rights is harmful, not only
for other countries, but also for the population of the country
itself. That might seem obvious, but it took us Europeans two
devastating world wars to come to that conclusion. Only then,
in 1950, we realised that joint exploitation of iron and coal
is more efficient than fighting over it. Since that time we
have identified more and more fields where a pooling of
resources is more effective and efficient than continuing
national policies.
What is true for Europe we consider to be true for the world as
a whole, because a growing number of problems can only be
tackled effectively at a worldwide level. Obvious examples are
the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, climate
change, terrorism and the spread of infectious diseases.
One principle underlying European integration is therefore the
willingness of member states to forego their sovereign rights
for the common good. Other crucial principles are respect for
human rights and democracy, not just as requirements that have
to be fulfilled, but as the fundaments upon which the
legitimacy of governments is based. A final principle is the
rule of law, not just as the basis for the European order, but
also as the basis for a just and durable world.
Having said this by way of introduction, I like now to give you
a brief overview of the European Security Strategy as it was
adopted by the European Council in December 2003.
conflicts threaten regional stability and can lead to
extremism, terrorism and state failure. They provide
opportunities for organised crime. Furthermore regional
insecurity can fuel the demand for WMD.

(State Failure)
Bad governance - corruption, abuse of power, weak institutions
and lack of accountability - and civil conflict have brought
about the collapse of State institutions. They thereby
undermine global governance and add to regional instability.
(Organised Crime)
Organised crime is primarily an internal threat to our security
but it has important external dimensions: cross-border
trafficking in drugs, women, illegal migrants and weapons
accounts for a large part of the activities of criminal gangs.
Revenues from crime fuel conflicts in other parts of the world.
The growth in maritime piracy merits further attention.
Taking these different elements together - terrorism committed
to maximum violence, the availability of weapons of mass
destruction, organised crime, the weakening of the state system
and the privatisation of force - we could be confronted with a
very radical threat indeed.
(Strategic objectives of the EU)
To defend its security and to promote its values, the European
Union has three strategic objectives:
- addressing the threats
- building security in our neighbourhood
- promoting an international order based on effective
multilateralism
To address the threat of terrorism the EU has taken many steps,
inter alia to attack terrorist financing. At the end of 2003
the European Union adopted a Strategy to combat proliferation.
The current programme of action foresees inter alia steps to
strengthen the International Atomic Energy Agency, and measures
to tighten export controls and to deal with illegal shipments
and illicit procurement. The EU is committed to achieving
universal adherence to multilateral treaty regimes, as well as
to strengthening the treaties and their verification
provisions.
An important point to note here is that in contrast to the
massive visible threat in the Cold War, none of the new threats
is purely military; nor can any be tackled by purely military
means. Each requires a mixture of instruments. Proliferation
may be contained through export controls and attacked through
political, economic and other pressures while the underlying
both through multilateral cooperation in international
organisations and through partnerships with key actors.
We like to develop our relations with all those who share our
goals and values/ and are prepared to act in their support.

(Conclusion)
The world is full of new dangers but also of new opportunities
that require common action. The European Union is willing to
work with others to deal with the threats and to help realise
the opportunities. In doing so, we can contribute to an
effective multilateral system leading to a fairer, safer and
more united world.
I am grateful that this seminar has provided me with an
opportunity to present our views.