«Dear Colleagues, first of all, since I represent the host country, I would also like to welcome you to Athens and wish you a pleasant stay.
From the various agenda items, please allow me to highlight the importance of the development and adoption of a comprehensive European Union Maritime Security Strategy.
Greece is not interested in Maritime Security just because it is a naval nation, but because we consider that the most serious threats for the European citizen and the opportunities and capabilities for further improvement of his living standards are linked to the sea.
More specifically, I would like to mention certain points, regardless of their significance to each member states:
Firstly, the protection, safeguarding and management of all EU member states sea borders are of utmost importance, since it is a prerequisite for any further development, progress and growth of the EU.
Secondly, a large component of the major terrorist threat comes from areas which are separated from mainland Europe by the Mediterranean Sea.
Thirdly, the Mediterranean Sea is one of the most important routes for irregular migration, a modern scourge with a tragic humanitarian dimension.
Fourthly, EU interests are not confined to the Mediterranean Sea. A clearly identifiable priority is to ensure safe and secure navigation by eradicating the plague of piracy.
Fifthly, the protection of the economic interests of the member states and therefore of the European citizens depends on the aforementioned points as well as the effective exploitation of the natural resources (including energy and fisheries) and their safe transfer, processing and distribution.
Lastly, even in activities like tourism, unfortunate events like natural disasters and issues like ecological/environmental security the sea plays a crucial role.
The Maritime Security Strategy should be coherent and follow general principles, such as multilateralism and interagency approach. It should also aspire to promote the EU values, including the Rule of Law, Democracy and the Respect of human rights. Moreover our Strategy should agree and abide by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, as regards the international law and the maritime safety.
Our aim is the agreement and adoption of a true EU Maritime Security Strategy by June and the current Presidency will work hard in order to achieve this goal.
It would be possible to bring about many more aspects of the Common Security and Defense Policy and analyze the December European Council Conclusions. Nevertheless, I’d rather refer to the reinforcement of the EU defense industry, which is within my area of responsibility.
The European Defence Industrial and Technical Base should be based on the distribution of production across Europe and not overlook the security of the defence chain of supply, especially pertaining to countries with greater sensitivity in defence and security issues due to their geographic characteristics.
The overarching strategic autonomy, innovation and the competitiveness have as a common reference point the excellent cooperation among countries and respective industries throughout the EU. The reinforcement of the Small and Medium Enterprises, mainly by means of co-productions and a fair share of the overall market, is a strategic choice in order to secure the aforementioned chain of supply and at the same time improve the specialization and global competitiveness.
Furthermore, the support of research and development should be considered a sine qua non, along with the “dual use” production and the broader civil-military synergy.
I express the certainty that the current Presidency will boost the implementation of all relevant Common Security and Defense Policy tasking identified by the European Council and will emphasize on the Maritime Security Strategy and the Defense Industry, which are both absolutely necessary for the progress and wellbeing of the people of the EU member states».
