Pages of thoughts

This month’s online issue of Europe Infos dedicates two initial articles to the energy question, with a contribution by the EU Commissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger, (“Towards a European Energy Strategy”) and the statement by German cardinal Reinhard Marx, COMECE vice-President (“Nuclear-free energy is not enough for an energy turnaround”). Continuing the reflections started with the previous issue, the question of regulating European countries’ access to natural resources in Developing Countries gains renewed relevance along with integration, foreign affairs and notably, of EU aid programs to East-European Countries and the presence of the EU in Iraq today. The editorial is by the General Secretary Piotr Mazurkiewicz, “Lux ex Oriente, luxus ex Occidente” (Cf. SIR Europe 75).Energy policy, without nuclear energy. “Nevertheless, the energy policy debate falls short if it is essentially focused on fear of a worst-case nuclear accident scenario. While this fear is quite understandable, it should not lead to our fleeing from a risky form of energy supply without any proper planning”. Thus writes the Cardinal of Munich, Vice-President of COMECE Reinhard Marx. “Instead, thoughtful and comprehensive consideration of the challenges of energy policy is necessary in order to introduce a reconfiguration of energy supply supported by a broad consensus”. “There is no doubt that nuclear energy can make an important contribution to securing the supply of energy. However, the fact must not be ignored that it is an extremely risky technology. In general terms, claims the German cardinal, “the energy question is a question of justice” that must take into account the young generations. The proposals advanced by Cardinal Marx are the following: “reducing energy consumption through moderation; existing forms of energy should be used more efficiently; a changeover to renewable energy sources is vital”.Migration and asylum. According to forecasts by the European Union, mentioned in the article by José Luis Bazán, 6.5% of the total EU-27 population are foreigners (32.4 million). “Of those, 12.3 million were EU-27 nationals living in another Member State and 20.1 million were citizens from a non-EU-27 country (4% of the total population)”, although in reality this presence is numerically more consistent and multifarious. Moreover, “The statistical dimension of immigration is a key tool for analysing the influence of the participation of residents of third-countries in the political field, which is a proposal supported by the Commission”. If that 4% of third-country nationals are not to be totally excluded from political life, prudence also requires case-by-case decisions on the manner and extension of political participation”. Bazán claims: “The cultural assumptions that give cohesion and unity to a society should not be weakened by an unbalanced migration policy”; “In the case of European culture, strongly rooted in the Christian values which are the major factor of its unity, any ‘equilibrium’ must respect its Christian cultural background. Even the strength of the European political project depends of the recognition of these common roots and the plurality of its expression”.In defense of its sovereignty. Once more, Europe Infos tackles the question of access to natural resources by the EU. In particular, Emmanuelle Devuyst, Ocipe, questions the European Commission’s initiative on Raw Materials, which has three targets: “guaranteeing fair and sustainable access to raw materials on world markets; ensuring long-term supplies within the European Union; and promoting the efficient use and recycling of resources”. The paradox is that many Countries producing raw materials, on which the EU strives to adopt a protectionist policy in defense of its own interests, are beneficiaries of EU development aid. The European Parliament decided to make an announcement on this initiative by adopting an own-initiative report, that “forms part of a trend towards rebalancing trade between the EU and countries that produce raw materials…which reaffirms the sovereignty of developing countries, their right to diversify their economies, to reduce their dependence on exports of natural resources and to increase their value-added through local processing”.The European external action service. The head of the EU delegation in Iraq Jana Hybásková, since 2011 has been committed to the promotion of democracy, stability and security in Iraq. Interviewed by Joe Vella Gauci for Europe Infos, Hybášková spoke of the European mission and of the humanitarian mission Eujust Lex, which provides support to one million widows and 800 thousand orphans. Naturally, Europe has its interests as well. “We need to strengthen the EU-Iraq strategic partnership in energy, mainly with a view to future supplies of gas through the so-called southern corridor”.