newsitems EUROCORPS Chief Buchsenschmidt to EuroFora: EU Defense doesn't lack Means, but needs Political Will
EUROCORPS Chief Buchsenschmidt to EuroFora: EU Defense doesn't lack Means, but needs Political Will
*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- Europeans don't lack Today material, human and institutional means to develop a more Autonomous Defense policy, complementary and, if need be, independent from NATO, despite various shortcomings, but it's mainly an issue of collective Political Will inside the EU, replied, in substance, to relevant "EuroFora"s Questions, the experienced Chief of EUROCORPS, Commander General Guy Buchsenschmidt from Belgium, who heads the European Force able to serve as Headquarters of Multi-modal, Land - Air - Sea, Defense - Security Operations, based in Strasbourg, with 6 full Member Countries (France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg and soon also Poland), as well as several "Liaison Officers" from various other Countries, that EU Parliament has repeatedly supported in its Resolutions on EU's CFSP.
- Indeed, particularly since the entry into force, from 2010, of EU's Lisbon Treaty which opens possibilities for Reinforced Cooperations by certain EU Member Countries in various concrete areas of activities, the current problem of the lack of a Consensus among all the 28 EU Member States for the development of a European common Defense and Security policy, does not exist no agreed with "EuroFora" Buchsenschmidt, who, indeed, sees such a possibility only between a smaller number of EU Countries willing to advance forward and meet the growing Challenges of Today and of the foreseable Future.
EUROCORPS' Chief, who heads for 2 Years this unique Organisation, which has already been used to Head the Staff Officers of important MultiNational Forces, f.ex. at Kosovo and even in Afghanistan, etc., was invited as Key-note Speaker of a Conference organized by the "PanEuropa" Think Tank at EU Parliament this afternoon, with Moderator the experienced, mainstream Austrian MEP Paul Rubig, and he participation also of former Chairman of the Biggest EU Parliament's Political group, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, and current President of the EPP Party, headquartered in Brussels, recently elected also as at the Presidence even of the International Democratic Party, Joseph Daul from Strasbourg.
- Europeans should be prepared to become more "Autonomous" in Defense, since the USA are turning the focus of their attention towards other regions of the World, and given that we already have, despite delays, an important potential of capacities, in material and know-how in Europe, which could help us to become more Free to move in the Future, Buchsenschmidt added on this occasion.
- While regretting,; however, a recent trend to include Defense among the wider Budget Restrictions since the recent Global Crisis, despite the emergence even of New Challenges, (such as the ISIS, etc), Lietenant-General Buchsenschmidt, who doesn't find neither feasible, nor necessary, to create a fully-fledged "European Army" as such at all, nevertheless strongly believes that Europeans already have the means Today to organise an efficient Defense-Security Force, (competent both for Military and Civil Protection operations f.ex. against Natural or Man-made Catastrophes), mainly by pooling Together their assets under a Joint Command, where those EU Countries who wish to actively participate, should be able to do so, on the sole main condition of the existence of a common Political Will.
During the debates, Buchsenschmidt had, however, to reply (even if briefly) even to Questions on both how to address Russian President Putin's propaganda on Ukraine, judged to be sometimes too efficient and influential, and whether EU (and USA) should forge a Coalition with Russia against growing Threats by Brutal Islamic Terrorists of ISIL's BeHeaders, that he handled, apparently, as diplomatically as a Military Chief could..
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EUROCORPS, which is traditionaly used by EU Parliament for the official ceremonies involving Heads of State/Government, served also, Today Morning, in the Welcome ceremony for Pope Francis, during which, a Group of Soldiers from that MultiNational European Force, raised both EU's and Vatican's Flags, followed by the respective Anthems.
The Pope has repeatedly declared, on the occasion of the atrocious BeHeadings and Brutal Oppression against Christians and other Minorities in Iraq and Syria by the Islamic Extremist Terrorists of ISIL, that a reaction against "Unjust Aggression" would be Legitimate, but on the condition that it will be authorized by an Agreement of the International Community, i.e. mainly at the UNO.
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(NDLR : Fast Translation from the Original in French. + "DraftNews", as already sent to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors, earlier. A more accurate, full Final Version, might be published asap)
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Fillon invites EU to invent "New Horizons" behind Oil crisis
Soultz-under-Forests, June 13, 2008
A pioneer Franco-German research project on GeoThermy, near Strasbourg, served as "Symbol" of EU's will to become Independent on Energy by developing innovative Technologies, while imported Oil prices threaten to provoke a World-wide crisis.
It's essential to demonstrate Europe's will to "invent New Horizons", by creating Environment-friendly, Independent and Renewable Energy sources, while price rises continue for Oil, a polluting old ressource with insufficient stocks, stressed French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, anouncing that this will be a focus during the forthcoming French EU Presidency (July - December 2008).
Fillon symbolically injected a 1st KWh produced by GeoThermy into Strasbourg's Electricity grid, during a special gathering of German and French officials at Soultz-under-Forests ("Soultz-sous-Forêts"), using a geothermal innovation which is "the most advanced in the World" :
The innovation uses Strasbourg's underground water richness to capture Heat, by injecting liquid among Rocks 5 km deep, where temperature is 200 c. Thus, it can be activated at any moment and location, even without natural warm water springs : A big advantage compared to old biothermal tools.
Engineers, Scientists and the Industry will have 2 Years to invent practical ways for this innovation to become productive and cost-efficient in real Economy, said Fillon.
115 Millions of Euros invested, 15 Research Labos, 430 Scientific Publications including 34 Doctoral PhD, and a systematic cooperation between French and German Governments and Public Agencies on Research, succeeded to prove that the new method works.
Already able to serve Electricity to a village with 1.500 inhabitants, the pioneer project intends to reach a capacity to serve 20.000 inhabitants before 2015, as part of a larger Plan to make all Renewable Energy Resources (together with Wind, Solar, etc) able to cover more than 23% of all Electricity needs before 2020.
- In fact, "behind the challenge" faced with the current Oil crisis, there "is a New Horizon that we can shape all together", by "creating New Tools for the Future", Fillon launched towards EU Member States.
Meanwhile, we should intensify Energy Savings, simplify Transports, and help the Poorest cope with growing Oil prices, until EU joins a World-wide lead into inventing reliable and sufficient Renewable Energy Sources, he added.
Many, technologic and other Challenges exist, but they can be overcome : F. ex. the new GeoThermic method tested at Shoultz since 1987, had provoked an Earthquake at a nearby site, close to Bale, by injecting big volumes of pressurized Water in underground broken Rocks near a Seismic Faultline in 2003. But the move was rectified later-on, by diminishing the amount and pressure of the water injected in underground rocks, so that no Earthquake is provoked.
More than 1 Billion Euros are invested by France on Scientific and Technologic Research about Sustainable Development until 2012, aiming to take a 10 years advance, there where innovation can become source of Growth, Competitivity and Jobs, which, according to some evaluations could reach more than 220.000 before 2020, Fillon observed.
During the forthcoming French EU Presidency, together with our German friends, we shall do all necessary efforts for Europe's World-wide lead against Global Warming, thanks to Energy tools able to ensure its Independence, Growth, and Citizens' well-being, he concluded.
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The "Enhanced Geothermal System" (EGS) stems from pioneer research initiated by teams from France, Germany and Italy, joined also by Swiss, the U.K., and Sweden, even U.S. and Japan, since the 90ies.
In 1996, a European Economic Interest Group (GEIE) was founded, in order to exploit Electricity-produsing Heat from deep underground Rocks, including France's EDF and Germany's PfalzWerke.
In 2002, a Pilot scientific project started to be tested in Soultz-under-Forests, 50 kms north of Strasbourg.