14/2/2003
European Parliament President Tells Europe's Leaders 'Get Your Act Together'

The President of the European Parliament, Mr Pat Cox, delivered a hard hitting message to Europe's leaders this week saying that it was high time that they got their act together and gave Europe an effective Foreign Policy Voice. He also called for an EU Summit on the subject of Iraq.

"At the moment when the Convention on the Future of Europe has just published the first substantial draft of its thinking, the actual conduct of foreign policy relations at the highest political level in the EU underlines a dramatic divide between high aspirations, modest capacity and wholly inadequate political will," said Mr Cox.

"Without the will to act with coherence and by consensus, no amount of constitution or institution building can successfully animate a more dynamic and effective European Foreign Policy voice on the world's stage. Institutions without political will are empty vessels."

The European Parliament President said that no effort must be spared in the coming days and weeks, to seek a common accord and exert EU influence where it counts - at the UN Security Council. To this end he advocated a special meeting of the European Council on Iraq.

"At a moment of international tension and heightened public anxiety regarding prospects for war in Iraq I believe that the peoples of Europe expect a determined, coherent and consensual European effort from the highest political level to ensure respect for the United Nations and the multilateral process, and to mount a last ditch effort to impress upon Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi regime the absolute need for full compliance with the will of the international community as expressed unanimously in UN Security Council Resolution 1441," Mr Cox said.

"As a matter of urgency, in the light of the imminent second report to the UN Security Council by the weapons inspectors, on behalf of the European Parliament I fully support calls for the Greek Presidency to convene a special Summit Meeting of the EU's Heads of State and Government to show leadership, determination and resolve at this testing time for the EU, for EU-US relations and for the international community."