Sophie Wilmès at the EU Foreign Affairs Council, at a pivotal moment for transatlantic relations

The American elections herald the beginning of a period of American re-engagement in the world. Strengthened by its steadfastness in defending the multilateral order built after the Second World War, the EU stands ready to cooperate with Washington in defending universal values and in the interest of the American and European peoples.

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The American elections herald the beginning of a period of American re-engagement in the world. Strengthened by its steadfastness in defending the multilateral order built after the Second World War, the EU stands ready to cooperate with Washington in defending universal values and in the interest of the American and European peoples. Belgium is actively contributing to these debates and to the development of strategic autonomy that should enable the European Union to be a credible partner. Belgium welcomes the adoption of a sanctions regime to target perpetrators of serious human rights violations around the world, a new tool that Belgium supported.

Human Rights

The EU has now a sanctions regime in place to target perpetrators of serious human rights violations around the world. Belgium has supported from the outset the creation of this important tool for the defense of the universality of these rights and freedoms. In declarations attached to the adoption of the texts, Belgium recalls that the responsibility to protect lies primarily with States.

Belgium also advocates the application of qualified majority voting in matters of common foreign and security policy, and more particularly in sanctions regimes. Convinced that rapid and effective decisions will also contribute to the autonomy of the EU, it invites the other Member States to deepen the discussion on common decision-making mechanisms.

Transatlantic relations

Attached to multilateralism, Belgium, through the voice of Minister Wilmès, welcomed the announcements made by President-elect Joe Biden on the return of the United States within the framework of essential multilateral agreements such as the Paris Climate Agreement and the Vienna Agreement on the Iranian Nuclear Program (JCPoA) or international organizations as indispensable as the World Health Organization (WHO).

The trust restored between partners on both sides of the Atlantic must help us address common challenges such as economic and trade recovery after the crisis linked to the COVID-19 pandemic or the defense of human rights and democracy which are in decline around the world. This trust and mutual respect must also allow us to address issues on which we have divergent views, such as how to deal with the emergence of China, the fiscal impact of digital activities or the extraterritorial effects of sanctions imposed by Washington. In this respect, Belgium believes that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is an essential actor in the fight against impunity and calls on the US to withdraw the measures taken against members of the Court's staff.

Strategic autonomy

Belgium has long been in favour of an ambitious Europe that is master of its destiny. The debate is not new and it is now time to move beyond discussions about definition and scope and move forward together. European autonomy does not aim to create antagonisms. On the contrary, it allows the emancipation of a strong Europe, which is positive for the Member States on the one hand, but also for our allies and partners in the world.

The deepening of our autonomy must be based first and foremost on strengthening our forces (normative power, ambitious and inclusive trade policy) and identifying the vulnerabilities that arise from interdependence with the outside world in order to remedy them (supply chains for essential goods, screening of investments, development of a Europe of defense as a pillar in NATO, strengthening the role of the Euro in international trade, etc.). It is therefore a matter of ensuring an autonomous capacity for action that is proportional to the role that the EU intends to play on the world stage, and Belgium intends to contribute to this.

Current affairs

In parallel with these discussions, the Council also addressed several issues and situations which requires the attention of the European Union. These include Venezuela, where the elections held on December 6 cannot be considered free and democratic, Belarus, where the repression of demonstrators continues and which could be the subject of new measures by the European Union, and Ethiopia, for which Minister Wilmès called for an immediate end to the fighting in the Tigray region and pleaded for the urgent access of humanitarian convoys for the victims of the clashes.

At a glance: General Affairs Council Tuesday December 8th

On December 8, Minister Wilmès will participate in the General Affairs Council by videoconference. The Ministers for European Affairs will first prepare the European summit to be held at the end of this week, which will in turn deal with the European response to the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, security and the fight against terrorism, as well as the EU's external relations. In addition, European Affairs Ministers will take stock of the negotiations on EU-UK post-Brexit relations. The German Presidency will also inform the Ministers about the legislative priorities for next year and the period 2021-2024, in full accordance with the European Commission's strategic objectives, and will explain the Commission's plan to strengthen European democracy (Action Plan for European Democracy). Finally, a brief state of play will be given on the EU enlargement.

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Spokespersons

Wouter Poels
wouter.poels@diplobel.fed.be

Nicolas Fierens Gevaert
nicolas.fierensgevaert@diplobel.fed.be

  1. News Type
    Press release
  1. Subjects
    European Union, Transatlantic relations