European Parliament
von Wogau (PPE-DE ).
(DE)
Mr President, I wish to point out one remarkable characteristic of the vote that is currently in progress. With effect from 1 April the European Union will be taking over from NATO responsibility for peacekeeping in Macedonia. This will be the first military operation to be conducted under European Union leadership. I would like to point out that the issue of democratic control is of even greater importance in this instance than in others; that the mandate of a parliament – specifically of this European Parliament – is required; and that this principle, whereby similar operations have to be subject to democratic control, has to be embodied in the future European Constitution.

