General PITARCH addresses the European Parliament

Brussels (Belgium), 5th May 2008.

Spanish Lieutenant General Pedro Pitarch, Eurocorps Commander, addressed for the first time the European Parliamentarians in the European Parliament in Brussels. The speech of General Pitarch was delivered upon request of German Parliamentarian Karl Von Wogau, President of the Subcommission for Security and Defence, who visited Headquarters Eurocorps in Strasbourg last 16th January.

The Eurocorps Commander emphasized the role of the European Union as a global actor and declared that “Europe constitutes our common future”.

In his address, General Pitarch broached several subjects: firstly he highlighted the importance for the European Defence of the development of the concept of Reinforced Cooperation and Permanent Structured Cooperation in the Treaty of Lisbon. Then he tackled, the need for significant advances in the European Common Security and its complementariness with NATO, credibility and legitimacy as main values of Eurocorps built on its experience and participating nations, as well as its decision-making system. Finally he stressed the increasing interest of the European Nations in Eurocorps, with the desire of Poland to substantially increase its participation and the new joining requests by Italy and Romania, as well as the USA.

Picture: PIO Eurocorps