From the US visa-waiver programme to the Germano-Russian gas-pipeline, the common interest of 500 million European citizens is not compatible with national politicians’ vested interests.

Newropeans strongly condemns a series of recent decisions made by some member states, in the field of foreign policy, which are putting in danger the common interests of 500 million EU citizens. They all result from vested interests on the part of the national political parties and leaders concerned merely considering either short term national electoral advantages or direct personal rewards. They all put in jeopardy the elaboration of a needed EU international policy capable of promoting the 500 millions Europeans' vital interests on the world stage, such as they are presented in Newropeans programme on 'EU International Policy '. They all significantly weaken the stand of the EU as a credible global power at the very time when inside an outside Europe a growing number of voices is calling for more EU responsibility in world affairs.

Newropeans firmly condemns the decision made by the Hungarian, Lithuanian and Slovakian government to accept the US special conditions to any progress in their own US visa-waiver programme. And Newropeans strongly urges the Czech, Estonian and Latvian governments not to follow the path of the three previous countries.

Not only this attitude is weakening the general position towards the US administration which has been seeking a breach in the common visa policy in order to hamper the EU's ability to refuse the data collection requirements put forward by the US administration. But, coming just after the entry of those member states within the Schengen area of European mobility of people, those Member States are definitely setting a very negative and probably illegal precedent on this visa matter. New member states are supposed to be normal member states and therefore they have to play the common game in order to be able to fully benefit from their EU status. By weakening the common EU position they in the end weaken themselves at a time when the future of this part of Europe, faced with a growing Russian assertive power, and a collapsing US power, is more and more depending on EU's ability to shape up its own international action capacity.

Of course older member states have to show the example, as it is the only credible and lasting force in politics. On several occasions, Newropeans has already strongly condemned the German government attitude when they decided to develop on their own a common gas-pipeline project with Russia. The EU needs a common energy policy as much as a common strategic partnership with Russia. Both require a common EU definition of the main decisions to make.

The European Commission and the European Council have been too slow to firmly act concerning the US visa unacceptable situation regarding the 500 million EU citizens. Two years ago Newropeans already underlined that the EU should take swift action to harmonize the situation. Now Newropeans urges EU executives to immediately put forward a deadline for the US administration concerning the generalization of the US waiver-programme for all EU citizens. If the US administration does not answer rapidly and positively, then by October 1st 2008, a visa should be required for every US citizen willing to enter the Schengen area. Newropeans is fully aware that neither the USA nor the EU have any interest to escalate to such an extent. But Newropeans is also aware that it is high time for the EU to send a clear signal to the USA that it cannot play games with the different member states, just like the EU is not trying to make deals of its own with California, Florida, Vermont or Wyoming.

In the future, Newropeans will keep on asserting the need for a common international policy able to protect and promote the 500 million EU citizens interest. And once elected to the European Parliament, following the June 2009 European elections, Newropeans EuroMPs will systematically call for European Parliament decisions and possible actions against member states acting against common EU interests. Meanwhile Newropeans wants that each year an EU International policy debate, followed by a vote, takes place in the European Parliament in order to give to the future EU international policy the democratic legitimacy it currently lacks.

Newropeans - 04/04/2008

→ Go to: Newropeans’ Programme on the International Policy of the European Union (EU)

Newropeans is the first trans-European citizens movement to participate in the European elections in 2009. Newropeans focuses on the democratisation of the EU political process and on giving Europe a common voice in world politics. Newropeans wants all new EU Treaties and enlargements to be ratified by trans-European referenda.

Visit : www.newropeans.eu
Contact : Diego Malcangi at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it