The European Union is the world's largest commercial and financial player. However, whilst the EU may be an economic giant, it is unfortunately today a political dwarf. As long as we Europeans are not able to speak with one voice on the international stage, we will not have the influence and political decision-making capability to match our economic and commercial standing. This is perhaps the essential role that the EPP-ED Group must play and the objective it must pursue in the development of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and in the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security, Defence and Human Rights.

PRESS RELEASES

04/09/2008	FYR-Macedonia: EU integration new government's top priority. Anna Ibrisagic MEP
03/09/2008	EU must meet its share of responsibility for Georgia's reconstruction. Elmar Brok MEP
01/09/2008	Georgia: Europe's Centre-Right calls for a strong and united response of the European Union. Joseph Daul MEP, Chairman of the EPP-ED Group
01/09/2008	Europäischer Rat sollte bezüglich Georgiens weitere Fehler vermeiden/ European Council should avoid further mistakes regarding Georgia. Karl von Wogau MEP
29/08/2008	MEPs call for Ukraine's rival leaders to set aside differences at a time of crisis. Charles Tannock MEP and Elmar Brok MEP

SESSION NEWS

	Situation in Georgia The crisis in Georgia and Russia's move to recognise South Ossetia and Abkhazia was the subject of the plenary debate on Monday, 1st September, following an extraordinary meeting of the European Council.
The Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski MEP (Poland), and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner took part in the debate. A resolution is being drafted and a vote is expected on Wednesday.

EPP-ED Group resolution on the situation in Georgia
Council conclusions of 13 August 2008 on the situation in Georgia

Video: Georgia's PM reacts to summit

	EU Enlargement Strategy Following an almost unanimous result in the Foreign Affairs Committee, Parliament adopted with a large majority, Elmar Brok's report on the EU's enlargement strategy. The report clearly states that further enlargements must comply with the provisions of the EU Treaty and its integration capacity.
Other forms of integration apart from EU membership should be explored such as the European Neighbourhood Policy or a European Commonwealth. The Union should therefore establish an area based on common policies like the rule of law, democracy and human rights. Full EU membership can, but does not have to be the final stage of this integration.

Legislative summary

	Space and security The report adopted in July's plenary session by Karl von Wogau MEP (Germany) underlines the importance of the space dimension for the security of the EU as well as the need for a common approach to defend European interests in this important area.
According to the rapporteur, the EU must be able to rely on independent, reliable and complete information to prevent future conflicts and improve its crisis management. Technical facilities should thus be made compatible and financial resources be pooled to achieve more efficiency and more security in return for the money spent by the EU and the Member States.

Legislative summary

RAPPORTEURSHIP NEWS

Ari Vatanen MEP (France) is the newly-appointed rapporteur on the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in the security architecture of the European Union.

Francisco Millán Mon MEP (Spain) is rapporteur on the state of the transatlantic link in the aftermath of the USA elections.

Anna Ibrisagic MEP (Sweden) is authoring the report on ‘Consolidating stability and prosperity in the Western Balkans’.

POLICY

In today's world, nations alone are too small to face up to the major challenges posed by globalisation, and too large to resolve and focus exclusively on the minor problems affecting the international stage.

Though this may be something of a truism, the EU's CFSP should have 5 priorities: Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Oceania...