Andrea Belasco and Tiann Nelson-Luck
Greenfield High School
Council of the European Union
Topic 1: Building a Unified European Military Force
Austria is in full support of forming a unified European Union military force. Austria also
believes that SAFE will represent a major step toward the European Union‟s takeover of
member states‟ armed forces. The Synchronized Armed Forces Europe is a concept for an
ever closer synchronization of the Europe forces. Under the common security and defense
policy, it will have its own training standards and operational principle. The military force
will be structured closest to what is called the European Union Military and currently is the
deployment force called the European Union Battlegroup (BG). It will be made up of a
completely voluntary force and aims to integrate the European security structure. It will
consist of forces from all member nations within the European Union and is based on a
combined arms, a battalion sized force and reinforced with Combat Support and
Combat Service Support elements.
Within the discussion of a unified military- plans are being created to form a European Union
Council of Defense Ministers and a European statute for soldiers within the framework of
SAFE governing training standards, operational doctrine and freedom of operational action.
Additionally, implementing a unified force will draw Europe farther away from NATO,
therefore they will not depend as heavily upon United States‟ technology, security, and
provisions. According to Eurocorps, “The purpose of the European Defence Agency is to
support the Member States and the Council of Europe in order to improve European defence
capabilities in the field of crisis management, and to sustain and develop the European
Security and Defence Policy.”1 As a member of the European Council, Austria fully agrees to
that statement. Austria wants a unified European Military Force.
In response to this action, the United States would lose leverage and control within European
nations and Europe‟s structure as a whole. Austria believes that Europe will be better off if
Europe can stay in control without the United States helping as much as they do. As a result,
the U.S. would be angry over losing control within a powerful nation. As it says in BBC
News, “Europe needs to stop depending so much on the U.S. to help solve all the problems
Europe has.” 2 Building a unified military force also gives more power to Europe and gives
them more weight and opportunities against other influential nations, including Russia, the
United States and China. Therefore, this will move nations all over Europe towards closer
integration.
1
"European Union - European Defence Agency - EU Helsinki Headline Goal 2010 - EU Military Plans - EU
Military Structures - Eurocorps - m23 - Armed Forces." Armed Forces - Defence Suppliers Directory - Defence
And Security Consultancy - Military Books - Armed Forces of Europe - Royal Navy - British Army - Royal Air Force
- RAF - Defence News - Defence Projects. 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2010.
.
2
"BBC News | Talking Point | Should there be a European army?" BBC NEWS, 20 May 1999. Wed. 26 Feb.
2010.
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Andrea Belasco and Tiann Nelson-Luck
Greenfield High School
Council of the European Union
European Union Energy Policy and External Supply of
Resources
Austria concurs with the Council of the European Union that a unified energy policy is
needed as is the need to research more new forms of renewable energy. As a country, Austria
does not produce much energy and many times relies heavily on external suppliers, like
Russia, for their energy. After the Russia and Ukraine dispute in early 2009, it is of great
concern that it could happen again. Likewise, Austria understands it is Russia‟s right to sell,
and therefore export, it is not Europe‟s job to import it. It is also believed that a closer
European cooperation on the policy of energy, would give the European Union more
leverage when it come to countries like Russia, who like to exert their power in a more open
method.
As it says in Austria's Trade, Export of Wine, Energy & Industry, “Up to 70% of the energy
comes from renewable sources, primarily water which is used for electricity: while the rest
are imported from other countries.”3 Austria has limited domestic reserves of oil and natural
gas. It shows in the International Energy Data and Analysis for Austria, “In 2008, an annual
energy report showed that the energy produced by Austria, like petroleum, was down by a
little less than a percent.”4 Though a unified energy policy within the European Union,
Austria would benefit highly from it and the policy would keep them out of harm‟s way
when it comes to upsetting Russia- yet, Austria would be very limited in what they could
contribute. However, the country produces much machinery and chemicals, so they would be
able to trade machinery products or chemicals for an energy flow to them through Europe.
Action Plan for Energy Efficiency says, “To ward off future possible crises within the
European Union, an Action Plan for Energy Efficiency (2007-2012) was adopted and aimed
at decreasing the overall consumption of energy in various ways by twenty percent,”5 so the
EU would not have to depend so heavily on external energy sources in the first place. To aid
in the common goal of lowering energy consumption, Austria can put more money toward
researching renewable energy sources. The Action Plan for Energy Efficiency aims to
improve the energy performance of products, buildings and services; to improve the
3
"Austria's Trade, Export of Wine, Energy & Industry." Vacation in Austria: Travel Information of the Austrian
Tourist Office. 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. .
4
"EIA - International Energy Data and Analysis for Austria." Austria Energy Profile. 6 Jan. 2010. Web. 26 Feb.
2010. .
5
"Action Plan for Energy Efficiency (2007-12)." EUROPA – The official website of the European Union. 9 Mar.
2008. Web. 26 Feb. 2010.
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surrender of energy production and distribution; to reduce the impact of transport energy
consumption; to ease the financing and investments in the division; to encourage and merge
rational energy consumption behavior and to step up international action on energy
efficiency. With all the components of the plan already in place, Austria should be able to
contribute to the research on developing new energy sources. By simply being a part of the
Action Plan, they are helping to work toward that common goal of European energy
interdependence. Additionally, the Energy Community Treaty works toward cooperation
with Europe, as it creates an internal market and supply of natural gas and electricity. While
everyone participates in these treaties and plans, a unified energy plan should not be too far
away. Austria supports this goal, though limited in the resources they can provide, they are
willing to help in many ways.
Andrea Belasco and Tiann Nelson-Luck
Greenfield High School
Council of the European Union
Moving Toward a Common
European Union Immigration Policy
Austria is in agreement with the implementation of the Tampere Program, with the objective
of tightening immigration policies both legal and illegal. It says in Migration News that, “In
2007, Austria took its own actions designed to restrict the participation in their markets from
„new‟ European Union member states for seven years.”6 Additionally, Austria, along with
Finland and Belgium, completed a study, titled Police and Secure Borders. After the
completion of the study, they set up a kind of border patrol to prevent trafficking and illegal
immigration.
Creating stricter immigration policies is most important to Austria. Austria has been known
as an asylum and migration country, with many citizens from the area of Turkey and the
former Yugoslavia. Austria is also known as a transit migration country- with many who aim
to pass through Austria‟s attitude as ambivalence in the early 2000s, neither denying nor
6
"EU: A8, Pact, Blue Cards - Migration News |." Migration Dialogue. Jan. 2009. Web. 26 Feb. 2010.
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welcoming immigrants. With the September 11th terrorist act, Austria has taken a dislike to
immigration; and Europe‟s general attitude is seen through the difficultness in traveling from
country to country if a person is not a natural born European citizen. Immigration lately has
become more of a problem for the Europe in its entirety and an increase in northern African
and Asian immigrations has been seen for southern Europe.
To an extent, the program is effective in managing the amount of legal and illegal immigrants
into European member states. By evaluating the demographic and economic situations of
each country accepting immigrants- the flow of legal immigrants can be easily managed. Yet,
a huge problem lies within human trafficking and smuggling illegally across the borders.
According to Hague programme, “The Tampere, and in accordance the Hague Program, are
not strong enough in dealing with illegal immigrants.”7 Many countries, like Austria, still call
for stronger immigration programs. As noted above, they even took their own initiatives to
blockade against both authorized and unlawful immigration.
Immigration impacts a variety of issues: demographic constraints, economic needs, social
expectations, health impacts, trade commitments, development needs, education
opportunities, and security. In the past, Austria has been open to those in need of asylum and
migrants, but recent opinions have changed resulting in the desire for a tightening on
immigration policies. While in favor of the Tampere Program, a stronger program yet is still
needed for the success of Europe. By implementing a unified immigration policy, Europe as
a whole would conduct more leverage and power in control of terrorism.
7
"Hague programme - JHA programme 2005-10 |." EurActiv. 29 Jan. 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2010.
.