Agence Europe

A Look Behind The News by Ferdinando Riccardi, 13 November 2010

Relations with Africa and Afghanistan - Military cooperation within EU

[...]  The committee on foreign affairs of the European Parliament approved by an overwhelming majority (60 votes in favour, one against and five abstentions) the Arlacchi report, which calls for a radically new policy in Afghanistan. Next month, the plenary session will take position. Nearly 4 months ago, this column referred in detail to this report (bulletin 10186), wishing to stress the Parliament's desire to put its stamp on the foreign policy of the Union.

Our bulletin 10185 provided a summary of the report and of the press conference in which Pino Arlacchi (ALDE Group) spoke out in the strongest possible terms against the ineffectiveness of the war, international civil aid going astray (it is believed that 80% never reaches its destination) and the scale of the poppy crop, the source of almost all of the opium produced in the world.
If the plenary session confirms its support for this report, the EU will have sent out a very clear message, radically distancing itself from the official stances through the position of this institution, which is created by universal suffrage. [...]