Former Prime Minister and Maltese MEP Alfred Sant abstained on the final vote of a report on the proposed EU plan of action on ‘Military Mobility’ because he argued it does not take into sufficient account the position of the neutral EU member states.
The Maltese MEP said the resolution takes for granted the support and association of the EU as a whole in programmes of a military alliance, even when this could be problematic, and not just for neutral EU members.
“It forms part of a tapestry of moves that is meant to build into a fully fledged European defence policy for which an intelligible military doctrine is still absent, especially with the UK now being outside the scope of the overall approach. It assumes that the momentum behind proposals for an EU security and defence policy is cohesive when it is actually being built on contingent military concerns and strategies of disparate member states. While this may make it seem that the formulation of a fully fledged military policy will consequently be more speedily accomplished, it risks leading in the medium but even in the short term to impasses a situation in which no progress is possible, especially because of disagreement; a deadlock like those that have been experienced during recent years in the formulation eurozone policies. Only stagnation and stalemate can be much more dangerous in the field of defence than in that of monetary policy.” remarked the Maltese MEP.
European Commission President Juncker and EU High Representative Mogherini on 28 March 2018 presented an Action Plan on Military Mobility to consolidate and reinforce EU security and defence. The objective is to work together at European level to ensure road and rail networks are suitable for military transport, and to simplify and streamline national rules for quick and seamless movement of military troops and vehicles across the continent in case of a crisis.
Maltese Version – ALFRED SANT JGĦID LI L-PJAN TA’ AZZJONI TAL-UE DWAR IL-MOBBILITA` MILITARI JINJORA L-POŻIZZJONI TA’ STATI MEMBRI NEWTRALI
L-MEP Malti Alfred Sant astjena fuq il-vot finali ta’ rapport dwar il-mobbilta` militari tal-UE għaliex qal li dan il-pjan ta’ azzjoni propost mill-UE ma jqisx il-pożizzjoni tal-istati membri ‘newtrali’ tal-Unjoni Ewropea. Dr Sant qal li dan iqis bħala fatt maqbul l-appoġġ u l-assoċċjazzjoni tal-UE fi programmi ta’ alleanza militari, anke jekk dan jista’ jkun ta’ xkiel u mhux fl-interess tal-istati membri newtrali tal-UE.
“Dir-Riżoluzzjoni hija parti minn xenarju ta’ movimenti f’politika ta’ difiża Ewropea li għadha nieqsa minn ‘duttrina’ intelliġibbli, speċjalment issa li r-Renju Unit mhux se jkun involut fiha. L-istess Riżoluzzjoni qed tassumi qbil dwar il-proposti għal politika ta’ sigurta` u difiża, meta fil-fatt hija mibnija fuq it-tħassib ta’ kontinġenzi militari u strateġiji ta stati membri differenti.”
L-MEP Malti qal li dan jista’ jagħti l-impressjoni dwar ftehim dwar politika militari żviluppata, meta jeżistu riskji li ma jintlaħaqx qbil dwarha, bħalma diġa` kellna fl-aħħar snin waqt il-formulazzjoni tal-politika dwar iż-żona ewro.
“L-istaġnar u sitwazzjonijiet fejn ikun impossibbli li stati membri jilħqu qbil fil-qasam tad-difiża jistgħu jkunu aktar perikolużi minn nuqqas ta’ qbil fil-politika monetarja.” wissa l-ex Prim Ministru Malti.
Il-pjan ta’ azzjoni dwar il-mobbilta` militari tal-UE ġie ippreżentat mill-President tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea Juncker u mir-Rappreżentanta Għolja Mogherini fit-28 ta’ Marzu 2018 biex tissaħħaħ is-sigurta` u d-difiża tal-UE. L-għan kien ħidma fuq livell Ewropew biex ikun żgurat li n-‘networks’ tat-toroq u tal-ferroviji jkunu addattati għat-trasport militari, biex liġijiet nazzjonali ikunu simplifikati għall-movimenti ta’ truppi u vetturi militari fil-kontinent Ewropew f’każ ta’ kriżi.
Ir-rapport ġie approvat b’437 vot favur, 155 kontra and 63 astensjonjiet.
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