Malta and the Future of Europe

Only US intervention prevented Milosevic's regime from causing a greater genocide than that which had already taken place. The problem is that several other events are still occurring just outside Europe's boarder which, heavily influence the stability and security in Europe.
             The situation in the Middle East is a simple example of an external factor which heavily influences peace and stability in Europe. It is unconceivable how the largest financial donor to the region fails to play an influential role in the area unlike the US which continues to be the playmaker in the Middle East. Over the years, the EU has never gone beyond the issuing of press releases regarding this situation despite the constant appeal for the various parties to respect the UN resolutions.
             If the EU wants to become an important actor in the world and work towards peace, particularly in its proximity it needs to adopt a concrete Common Foreign and Security Policy. This does not necessarily have military implications since external action can take various forms such as trade policy. If need be the EU should go beyond economic pragmatism and take strong actions such as trade sanctions if it really wishes to extend its values to various parts of the world. Outlining common objectives and goals by consensus beforehand should be supplemented by concrete initiatives to implement these objectives by creating efficient institutional structures. Participating as a single actor on the international scene the same way as it does in the WTO definitely adds weight to the EU's role in the world. .
             The amalgamation of the roles of the External Affairs Commissioner and the Council's High Representative (Mr.CFSP) could represent a step in the right direction since it widens the competences of the EU's "foreign affairs- representative. However, it is important to establish beforehand, who is the real representative of the EU, in order to avoid an overlapping of roles between the President of the Council, the President of the Commission and the High Representative.