June 14, 2001

 

EU/OSCE: EU Statement on Strengthening the Organisation and increasing its relevance for the participating States

The European Union welcomes the process initiated by the Romanian Chairman-in-Office aimed at strengthening the OSCE and further increasing its relevance.

This process should build on the existing strengths and flexibility of the OSCE. These are in particular its extensive field presence, its professional institutions and Secretariat, which have been developed during the last years. This positive development must also be recognized during the ongoing discussions on how to further improve the work of OSCE.

Our discussions should furthermore be based on the important achievements at the Istanbul summit: The Charter for European Security, including the Platform, and the Istanbul declaration.

Priority should be given to result-oriented political dialogue and co-operation between all OSCE participating States. We believe that increased transparency and reformed working methods can contribute to this objective, and we welcome the steps already taken by the CiO to this effect. For instance, concluding statements in the Permanent Council by the Chair, reflecting the discussion and giving clear guidance to the visiting Heads of Missions, are positive innovations, as are efforts to arrive at declarations of the Permanent Council, when appropriate.

We should aim at processes to further develop and strengthen the OSCE. We support the approach initiated by the CiO to identify areas of interest and address them individually. We appreciate a number of initiatives taken by the Romanian Chair during the first months of 2001, including in the Economic and Human Dimension.

Inter alia, efforts should be undertaken to enhance co-operation and co-ordination between OSCE Institutions and other OSCE bodies, including field missions; and the visibility of the work of the OSCE should be increased.

We look forward to the discussion today. The CiO can rest assured that the European Union will make an active contribution in the coming months leading up to the Bucharest Ministerial Meeting.

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