The European Union is late in forging
a common defence structure and must do so urgently, President
Sergio Mattarella told the 18th COTEC Europe summit in Coimbra,
Portugal on Wednesday.
Common European Defence "well exemplifies the consequences of
inaction and unjustified reluctance to proceed along the path of
integration", said Mattarella.
"Member States have been discussing this for over seventy years.
Ever since the Treaty establishing the European Defence
Community was signed in Paris in May 1952. It was relaunched, in
different and less ambitious forms, between 1998 and 2000.
"It is not difficult to imagine what the Union would be like
today, given the changed geopolitical context, if we had chosen
at the time to make that qualitative political leap in the
integration process.
"Today we are behind schedule, chasing events and we must,
consequently, feel the urgency".
Mattarella also said that Europe must act, stressing that
staying put is not an option, and said that it must move forward
on boosting competitiveness without delay.
He also said that "we are proud of Europe's exceptional nature".
He said:
"Our Symposium therefore has the merit of launching a highly
timely "Call to Action": it is in fact urgent, I would say a
priority, that Europe act, because standing still is no longer
an option. The risks of inaction are well identified in the
Draghi Report as in the Letta Report, on the future of the
internal market: the hypothetical consequences for Europe, for
example in terms of a retreat in the material conditions of
widespread well-being or an irreversible distancing from the
technological frontier, would also increase its vulnerabilities
on strategic and geopolitical levels, reducing its ability to
counter the current disturbances of the international order.
Averting such risks is fundamental".
Mattarella added:
"These days the Symposium celebrates the twentieth anniversary
of its first edition and, like every year, the proposed theme -
competitiveness - appears at the top of the agenda of European
governments and community institutions. Progressing without
delay and effectively in this area is widely considered an
indispensable condition for further deepening the continental
integration project, for the strategic relaunch of the European
Union and for the preservation of a prosperous economy for its
Member States and its citizens".
He also said:
We face "a serious challenge, yet, without underestimating the
gravity of the situation, we have a duty - and many good reasons
- to remain optimistic. The Union stands on solid foundations: a
market economy open to competition and international trade; an
independent system of central banks; a stable and reliable legal
framework; a concept of the rule of law firmly anchored in a
convinced democratic tradition; active redistribution policies
inspired by the principle of solidarity. We must be proud of
this "European exceptionality" and move forward on these
premises".
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