The President of the European Parliament, Mr Pat Cox, has told EU leaders that the European Parliament, like most Europeans, remains unconvinced that military intervention is justified at present.
But he said that, despite the anti-war protests that brought millions of people onto European streets on Saturday, the option of using force to disarm Iraq should not be ruled out.
"If they want peace, they want compliance. If they want compliance, they want the full panoply of multilateral instruments to be available," he said.
Mr Cox told the leaders that they must develop a vision that would enable the EU to act more effectively in the face of threats such as that represented by Iraq.
"We the Europeans have to get our act together: it is no use us whinging when others, in the absence of European action, pick up the burden. Doing nothing in the face of this threat is not a viable option. European citizens are right to expect European leadership," he said.
Mr Cox expressed satisfaction at the resolution on Sunday of NATO's split over preparations for war in Iraq. But he said that divisions within the EU over the issue had exposed the gap between aspirations and capacity in European foreign policy.
"At a time when we are debating the future of Europe, we must recognise that constitutions and institutions are an empty vessel if not animated by political will," he said.