ELDR adopts security and defence policies and celebrates the forthcoming accession to the EU of Bulgaria and Romania.

The title of the 2006 Congress was “working together for a free and secure Europe” and saw the Party adopt its policy for the years to come on the key issues of Europe’s internal and external security and defence. Furthermore, debates focused on “Upholding Europe’s legacy of freedom and openness” and “Making Europeans work together for a safer world”. Fringe meetings addressed the topics of “Combating human trafficking”, “Liberalism in a Multicultural Reality” and “Secularism in Europe.”

Choosing Romania as the location of the event was particularly relevant given that the EU has given Bulgaria and Romania the green light to become members of the Union as of 1^st January 2007. By holding its Congress in Romania, shortly before the country’s accession, ELDR marked its commitment to spreading prosperity, democracy and individual freedoms across Europe. In her opening speech ELDR Party President, Annemie Neyts, commented, “I have been able to witness the slow but steady maturing of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law and market economy. The accession of Romania to the European Union on 1^st January 2007 is the crowning achievement of these sustained efforts. Both the accession of Romania and Bulgaria fill me with joy and pride. Joy, because the accession of Romania and Bulgaria brings us so much closer to the complete re-unification of Europe, and pride because liberals have played a decisive role all along this process.”

Composition of the ELDR Bureau

There were three positions available on the ELDR Bureau for the post of Vice-President. The Congress re-elected Sharon Bowles (Lib Dems, UK) and Johannes Lebech (Radikale Venstre, Denmark) with Vesna Pusic (HNS, Croatia) joining as a Vice-President for the first time. Mrs Pusic is also the new President of the European Liberal Women’s Network (ELWN), replacing Mrs Androula Vassiliou who stepped down at the Congress.

Resolutions

The EU must develop a Defence Identity and pursue a comprehensive approach to promoting peace and security based on conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict institution building. However the EU cannot limit itself to policing if it is to contribute effectively to the re-modeling of a workable and peaceful world order. A fully-fledged European Army should in this respect be built up. ELDR points out that a sustainable and peaceful world order requires the constant cooperation of the EU and the US and sees ESDP and NATO policy as complementary, without the former being systematically subservient to the latter.
ELDR stresses that an effective ESDP will require further modernisation of the Member States’ armed forces. Reorientation of spending and investment might not suffice, so that increases in military spending, both at the EU level and by the Member States might be considered.

In the field of asylum of immigration, ELDR advocates the adoption of qualified majority voting and co–decision by the Member States in order to bring about common asylum and immigration policies. Common policies in this field should also comprise the establishment of a European “Green Card”, the strengthening of cooperation agreements (including readmission agreements) with the main emigration countries and more effective cooperation with Member States, and third countries, confronted with huge influxes of refugees.  ELDR welcomes the adoption of a second generation Schengen Information System to uphold the core EU concept of the free movement of people. ELDR believes that terrorism should be fought at its roots so as to prevent and in the worse case scenario, limit its potential impact. This includes reducing and removing the imbalances between rich and poor regions, the increasing hostility towards Islam, the political exploitation of religious feelings, the renewed violence in the Middle East and the many so called “frozen conflicts”, all of which provoke frustration, alienation, suffering, pain, anger and despair and may thus provide breeding grounds for terrorism. If the EU wants to live up to its ambition to contribute to world peace, all of these imbalances and conflicts must be addressed.
These were the main points addressed by the theme resolutions on EU internal and external security and defence that were adopted during the Congress.

Resolutions were also adopted on the following:

• A coherent Energy policy towards Russia
  
• Ending trafficking of human beings 
  
• Moving towards a Common Internal and External European Energy Policy
  
• The environmental policy of the European Union
  
• The situation in Kosovo and Serbia

European Liberal Women’s Network

HNS Party Leader Vesna Pusic (Croatia) was approved as the new chair of the European Liberal Women Network. Norica Nicolai (Senator, PNL, Romania) and Trine Skei Grande (MP, Vice Chair of Venstre, Norway) were designated as Vice-chairs.