European Responsibility, a Common Project

Often I ask myself why a person helps another person, a country another country, a continent another continent? Mere emotion, a feeling of pity or solidarity, doesn’t fully explain it. There is more to it than that. Perhaps, responsibility is what makes a human being human. Conscience, the feeling of responsibility for what is beyond myself, beyond my world and yet does not leave me indifferent, is linked directly to the human soul and self-awareness. Modern philosophy has expressed this link many times in many forms but in today’s thoroughly practical world it must be reiterated again and again.

We cannot be indifferent to events in other parts of the world. To understand these events we must consider their many dimensions - the moral, the spiritual, the philosophical as well as the thoroughly practical.

Development work which supports and enables countries become self-reliant in the long term is difficult, thankless and sometimes seemingly endless. For the EU though, Development Cooperation is a unique competency which can be far-reaching in its effect and through which we can demonstrate that we want to use our influence in a responsible manner. For these reasons, we now have a rare opportunity, both within and beyond our borders.

Europe's influence - past and present - on citizens and societies across the globe has been profound. Despite the ambiguity of many of its values, for centuries and in different ways Europe has promoted beyond its own borders cultural values and systems of governance. For this reason if no other, it must act responsibly as it looks to the future. It must unify, strengthen and develop in a way which enriches our global society.

I am convinced that the responsibility which Europe carries is growing and that this must be assumed by the new member states. Countries which struggled hard to be part of the European Union, to be full-fledged legitimate partners of those who have enjoyed democracy for a much longer time, these countries must not forget that by their membership not only have they accepted rights and privileges but also a portion of Europe’s responsibility.