On 7th October 2019, Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, from Spain, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight, is heard by the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) of the European Parliament in Brussels to test his general competences, European commitment and specific expertise related to his portfolio. On this occasion, Josep BORRELL FONTELLES has the opportunity to make an opening statement. The following transcription is the result of an automatic process. Check Against delivery.

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Brussels

hearing

High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

hearing of Commissioners

BORRELL FONTELLES, Josep (PSE, ES, EC)

2019 Commissioners' hearings (T)

hearing of Josep BORRELL FONTELLES 2019 (T)

Hearing of Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative/Vice President-designate of the European Commission: Opening statement by Josep BORRELL FONTELLES

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/9118772/I178140Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: Dear members I'm happy to be back in the European Parliament. Honoured and humbled by the magnitude of the responsibilities they will face. You may get your support. I fully recognize the vital contribution of the European Parliament in shaping European foreign policy and the added value of the parliamentarian diplomacy as you did in Ukraine. One of my main responsibilities will be to inform consult and ensure your views are taken into account.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: I strongly believe that a strong European Union foreign policy requires strong Democratic support. In my opening statement I will approach in a conceptual basis rather than a geographic approach for region of time. But let me stress from the beginning my intention to engage and do reforms and integration processes in the worst imbalance to support democracy and territorial integrity of Ukraine address the challenges in our South the neighbourhood many of them develop a new comprehensive strategy towards Africa.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: Working out the politically rounded strategy in and with Asia stepping our cooperation with Latin America and a reset interest on Latin relations as I discussed in New York recently with Secretary of State on bail. The last time we met resetting press unwanted relations. I am happy to discuss about all of this and also about how we can work together for democracy and human rights in these very challenging times. Let me first set out my overall vision. Dear members Mr. Chair we will soon be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the fall of Berlin Wall. It was the triumph of freedom.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: Enabling the reunification of Germany and Europe in peace and democracy. But it also brought key strategic challenges. Most of them were addressed with European policies. The enlargement the euro on the starting of a common foreign policy. And that was also the spirit to my time at that house. But since then the world has changed dramatically and for worst but much worse. Now we have three words climate change refugee crisis and instability in our neighbourhood. I believe threats the rule based international order is being challenged by the logic of power politics which is much more unfair unpredictable and conflict prone.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: What does it mean power politics by vote means that the international law is undermined. There are few agreements and more vetoes and the territorial integrity of 17 stage is being violated. Does the war in Ukraine demonstrates the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament system is threatened and embargoes are broken in Libya and elsewhere. But power politics means that great technology and finance I use as tools of international competition may become political weapons.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: There is no certainty about international role of the United States. There are new threats coming from the East and China is as much as a rival as an economic opportunity and a partner on global issues. We have around us a fragile neighbourhood and the demographic dynamism of Africa and in Latin America our ally a multilateralism. Some countries are facing threats to democracy and security.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: Dear members. This is not the world the European Union wanted. But I am convinced that we have what it takes to face this challenging environment. Because we are and we must be proud of it. The best combination of political freedom economic prosperity and social cohesion in the world. We have the resources we have the support of our population and in strong institutions. And we need to build on this.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: This is how I read the political guidelines of the practice they elected were full of underlining who has defined this commission as a geopolitical commission and asked me to work for a stronger Europe in the world a stronger Europe in their work their members. How do we do. We should pull our national sovereignties together to multiply the power of individual member states. And I am convinced that we don't act together. Europe will become irrelevant in the new coming world.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: To pull national sovereignty is a political decision. Is that the proclaimed and the chief. My old friend Jack de la said we must reconcile Sunday your speeches with Monday actions. But for that we need a truly integrated foreign policy that combines the power of member states acting together in the council without Polish managed by the Commission and the democratic legitimacy of this house. This was the premise of the Lisbon Treaty.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: I am confirmed if I am confirmed the heart of my work as vice president and high representative will be to breach the foreign policy of the member states with external action of the commission. I know it's not an easy task but they will do my best. Geopolitics. One could say begins at home. Why. First because to be geopolitically relevant we need unity much more than the one we have. I will work with all member states big and small to achieve these uniting.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: Second because we need coherence between internal and external policies and we have the instrument to play power politics. Our challenge is to put them together at the service of one strategy. We are key normative power in setting worldwide rules and standards. We have a powerful common drug policy powerful because it's common. We are truly there in shaping the 2030 Agenda. We represent the new global consensus on building sustainability.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: Our budget together with those of the member states makes us a financial superpower. I know our diplomatic capacity is among the strongest in the world. We should reinforce the euro international role and further our military capacity to act. To sum up in a single sentence the European Union has to learn to use the language of power. We often say partnerships and multilateral. Martin our collective DNA. Yes. But you cannot be multilateralist alone. So we need partners. But many of our partners are disengaging from the rules based system and others are applying rules in a selective and self-serving way.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: Europe has to position itself among the growing. Confrontation between US and China. Confrontation not a strategic competition. Whatever you want. We have to back rules based multilateralism and promote our own approach. Avoiding being is squished between the two of them. We are and we will remain allies of the US as strong allies. But we have legitimate concerns about unilateral moves that go against decades of cooperation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: The rules based system can and should be reform but not have ended. We also have to welcome the positive Chinese move from climate change and on the Iran nuclear deal. But we expect China to work with the rules of the system reciprocity a level playing field. Must be the basic principles of our relationship. For instance on trade investment and connectivity.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: Mr. Chairman, dear Members Europeans citizens says that the two biggest challenges they face are climate change a migration. Both are geopolitical challenges because we cannot solve them alone. Even if we become carbon neutral the European Green leader will have to help others to move in the same direction or we will not solve the problem. Climate change poses the biggest problem of redistribution after the Industrial Revolution.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: Inside the EU and beyond. Among countries and among citizens is a driver of instability and migratory pressures that we will have to face both at home and abroad. That's why the geopolitical issues. Migration and asylum have profound geopolitical implications also a humanitarian tragedy of Syria created in 2015. A spike in asylum seekers. My migration is an a structural issue. It requires border control for sure but mainly requires a true partnership with origin and transit countries mainly from Africa.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: I'm coming from Spain and I have certain experience on that. Saying that in a no so distant future Africa will have over one billion people more not one billion people one billion people more. Don't look at that only through the eyes of migration. It's also an opportunity if we are able to set up a comprehensive strategy that integrates trade investment security education mainly education woman's empowerment. It will not be a solution with how woman empowerment in Africa mobility altogether.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: We need to think big and creative. Developing a common strategic vision. We have the tools to do so. And we cannot renounce what we are. Every time a migration crisis come be it big or small. Dear members let's talk now. How about security and defence. Our strength lies in our ability to lead diplomatic mediation crisis management and internal and external aspects of security. This is the way we promote peace.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: We have I believe threats including disinformation campaigns and cyber attacks that jeopardize our democracies. I am conscious of the gravity of the threats and I will advance on going on defence is the part of our security. Sometimes threats is start far away from our borders. We have recently put in place instruments to develop a more usable defence capabilities.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: We have to go further. Member states are deploying 35000 women and men worldwide in different types of international missions. That's impressive but you have to do more. Our military spending is roughly half the GDP of Belgium more than China. Much more than Russia. Second only to the United States. We spend 40 percent but our capacity is much lesser because our what fragmentation and duplication.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: We have to spend together. We have to spend better and investing was spending better. It is spending together. We had to be more operational in the ground. We have to deploy forces starting in another neighbourhood. Rethink about the Helsinki headlines goals. Remember 1999 after the Yugoslavian war. We are going to be able to deploy 50 or 60 thousand troops on the ground.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: Where is this commitment. Let's be clear NATO is and will remain the cornerstone of our collective alliance or our collective defence. What developing European defence. We will reinforce the Atlantic alliance. And by covering more weight in NATO we will contribute to a more balanced thrust on land relationship.

SOUNDBITE (French) Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission,: Chairman, honourable members rather than being the third you know just a tragic robbery we should envisage a Europe which can defend itself while working for a multilateral peaceful world order respecting human rights and pursuing sustainable development goals. So that was my Sunday sermon. Honourable members. But I would rather this is my Monday speech because I'm very keen to move from words to action. If you place your trust in me. Thank you.