Importance of civil society in EU foreign policy stressed by Mogherini at EESC

On Wednesday afternoon (16 March) Federica Mogherini addressed the plenary meeting of the European Economic Social Committee in Brussels, the forum of European business associations, trade unions and NGOs, discussing the role of civil society in Europe's foreign policy.

After recalling that she began working on foreign policy within civil society organisations, the High Representative added: "In all my trips, both inside Europe and abroad, I always try to meet with the business community, trade unions and NGOs." All of them "ask for our European Union to be truly united, because there is no other way we can truly help them in their daily work."

Mogherini highlighted the impact that European non-governmental actors have on the European Union's foreign policy: "Organised civil society in Europe – and this very Committee in particular – have strong ties with civil society groups in our neighbourhood and worldwide. You are part of the European foreign policy community."

For this reason, Mogherini explained that a contribution from the Committee on the forthcoming EU Global Strategy would be welcome: "In these months, we are trying to listen to the greatest number of voices on what the future Strategy should look like. Tomorrow, for instance, I will meet with a group of former Erasmus students to hear their views. And we have already engaged with think-tankers, academics, defence experts – and with civil society organisations. In a word: we are engaging with European citizens."

 

Mogherini explained that non-State actors have become more and more relevant to determine a country's future: "Non-State actors can start a war or they can bring it to an end." She warned against repeating "the mistakes of the past", when "some believed that a stable government equalled to a stable country" and that "democracy could be exported militarily. Today we know all too well that a country can only be stable, peaceful and democratic if its citizens decide so." In particular, Mogherini stressed the importance of creating opportunities for young people in our neighbourhood: "I really don’t buy this notion that young people have lost their idealism. There is no lack of idealism, but of spaces for young generations to engage in our societies."

 

In the final part of her speech Mogherini focused on the current refugee crisis and the need for a stronger common European response. The High Representative praised the role of civil society organisation in welcoming refugees and explained: "We are in a debate about protecting our borders. But we protect borders from enemies, not from refugees. And I am so proud of the thousands of lives we have saved in the Mediterranean." "Until a few months ago – she concluded – we only had national responses to the crisis. The choice today for Member States is whether to keep failing individually or to try and succeed collectively."

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