Ferrero-Waldner Benita

This author's articles

• EU Foreign Policy: Myth or Reality?

  26 June 2007
  Naturally we take a particularly close interest in our neighbours. Successive enlargements as well as our policies towards the Western Balkans have demonstrated the EU’s ability to promote stability and prosperity in its own region. The benefits of membership – economic prosperity, democracy, freedom of movement, the protection of human rights and the rule of law - have proven a powerful force for change. More recently we have launched a major new initiative to extent this area of security and prosperity to a wider circle of of states close to the EU - the European Neighbourhood Policy.

• Statement on the situation in the Middle East

  11 September 2006
  The conflict in Lebanon, the violence in the Palestinian Territories, the suffering of civilians in northern Israel: these past months the prospect of a comprehensive peace has seemed further off than ever.

• Discours d’ouverture : Conférence ministérielle euro-africaine sur la migration et le développement

  11 July 2006
  Je suis très heureuse de me joindre à vous, au nom de la Commission européenne et en particulier de mes collègues Franco Frattini et Louis Michel, pour cette conférence ministérielle euro-africaine. La question de la migration et du développement est au coeur de nos préoccupations communes. Il est primordial que nous trouvions ensemble des approches équilibrées et solidaires.

• The EU’s role in protecting Europe’s security

  31 May 2006
  Last weekend I was in Austria for a discussion with foreign ministers about the future of Europe. There are different views about what that future will look like, and how quickly we ought to move towards it. But there is one element on which we all agree - the European Union must focus on its citizens’ most pressing concerns if it is to convince them of its continued relevance.

• Migration, External Relations and the European Neighbourhood Policy

  31 January 2006
  2005 was a difficult year for the EU. The disaffection sweeping certain EU Member States about the role and direction of the EU was brought home sharply. It is understandable that our citizens now take our most impressive achievement, peace, for granted. We should rejoice that they can take it for granted. But that means we have to work hard to show our citizens the EU is relevant to their present-day concerns.