This morning’s EESC plenary session debated a, to my mind, highly significant own-initiative opinion on the role of the European Union in peace building in external relations. The rapporteur, Jane Morrice (Various Interests Group, United Kingdom), comes from Northern Ireland and had previously shepherded through a much-respected opinion on the role of civil society in the Northern Ireland peace process. Rather than describe the opinion, I would just like to quote some of its evocative language. ‘Peace-building is in the European Union’s DNA. Its very creation, enlargement and survival in times of crisis are a testament to its peace-building prowess. As a community of nations promotiong democracy, human rights, equality and tolerance, the EU has a moral obligation to support peace-building worldwide and it now has a Treaty mandate to do so.’ … ‘Without a clearly defined peace-building strategy…the EU’s potential to create a real and lasting difference in the world’s most troubled regions will not be fully realised. The challenge may be great, but the reward is greater. A peaceful Europe sits better in a peaceful world.’ Amen, Jane!
Finally got around to reading your blog and wanted to thank you for your kind words.
There has been a lot of interest in the opinion since . Hopefully it will contribute to a revitalised debate on the subject