Freitag, 29.03.2024 09:46 Uhr

Tectonic shifts in the geopolitical landscape of Europe

Verantwortlicher Autor: Carlo Marino Rome, 27.07.2022, 10:33 Uhr
Kommentar: +++ Politik +++ Bericht 8490x gelesen

Rome [ENA] The EU is preparing to face the complete cut of gas supplies by Moscow while Gazprom announces that starting from July 27 it will drastically reduce to 33 million cubic meters per day, compared to the daily capacity of about 167 million cubic meters , deliveries of Russian gas through North Stre-am, the gas pipeline that takes methane from Siberia to Europe via Germany. In this scenario Russia’s war against Ukraine,

and the resulting need for the EU to engage, has radically underlined the need for an early revision of the MFF (Multiannual Financial Framework), including the need for more appropriate funding tools to effectively address the tectonic shifts in the geopolitical landscape of Europe that are currently unfolding. The funding for external action has been lagging behind the geopolitical necessities and the potential for global EU added value seems to be limited and shrinking further. The European Commission ought to propose an ambitious early revision of the MFF in order to meet needs more effectively; including, yet not limited to, in terms of greater defence spending, divestment from Russian hydrocarbons,

and alleviation of the socio-economic consequences of the war for EU citizens. It is increasingly necessary an ambitious early revision of the MFF in order to more effectively meet needs that can emerge for the various instruments in order to provide the geopolitical Union, with a sound financial foundation and enable it to fulfil expectations as a credible and reliable geopolitical actor. In particular at this watershed moment following the Russian war against Ukraine and all its repercussions, such as the food crisis and increase in the prices of basic goods, but also other global challenges, such as the mounting urgency of the climate and biodiversity crisis, post-pandemic recovery, migration, as well as setbacks in fundamental rights.

Member States somehow are going to be forced to increase resources to the EU budget and raise the MFF ceilings for EU external action, in particular for the need for additional resources to support the new EU candidate countries, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, as well as for the aspiring applicant Georgia, on their path to EU membership. The upwards revision of the MFF through the EU budget has to be considered as a matter of priority. The undivided solidarity with the people of Ukraine of the European Union implies the need to mobilise all available EU budget instruments to provide the strongest possible economic and financial support to Ukraine and to people fleeing the war and seeking refuge in neighbouring EU countries.

There are calls for work to start on a Marshall-Plan-like facility within the EU budget (Ukraine solidarity trust fund) to rebuild Ukraine after the war, and for a massive investment programme to be launched. More resources are aimed at enforcing the freezing and confiscation of Russian oligarchs' assets. In this case, the European Defence Fund is a crucial instrument for further harmonization of the defense activities of the European Union and it has to reflect priorities in Common Security and Defence Policy.

An interesting point is the Commission’s upcoming proposal for a European Defence Investment Programme(EDIP), the aim of which would be to introduce joint procurement and life cycle management of military capabilities, in particular those critical and strategic capabilities deemed necessary to harness EU defence over the decades to counter a military threat from Russia and other actors, as well as to guarantee EU security against the threats emanating from every strategic directions (both East and South), and to empower the Union to be a decisive player in its external action.

All Member States have to complement EU funding with funding from their national defence budgets in a cooperative way with the aim to create a concrete added value for the whole Union while the Commission has to open this programme to key strategic partners and allies that share the same interests and values, building on the already existing guidelines on the participation of third parties. In light of the war on Ukraine there’s the necessity of an utmost importance of a paradigm shift in EU foreign policy, and in addition to delivery of arms and geo political sanctions, the Union has to be also a strong actor promoting urgently peaceful, diplomatic conflict resolution, advancing cooperation on arms control and nuclear disarmament,

focusing on the looming famine catastrophe and poverty reduction, fair trade and balanced economic relations. This is certainly a very important and delicate task which needs a reinforced budget also to face the challenges of the Southern Neighbourhood, including the need to install solid democratic regimes in the relevant countries and undertake economic reforms to boost education and employment across the Southern basin of the Mediterranean, as well as contribute to tackling the root causes of forced migration from and across the region. Te stability of the Southern Neighbourhood is key for the stability of Europe as a whole, given the political and economic interdependency between the two regions.

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