General Affairs Council/Foreign Affairs Council

Thursday 25th November 2010 Written Statements

[The Minister for Europe (Mr David Lidington)]

The General Affairs Council and Foreign Affairs Council were held on 22 October in Brussels. I represented the UK.

The agenda items covered were as follows:

General Affairs Council (GAC)

The Belgian presidency (Foreign Minister Vanackere) chaired the meeting. The full text of all conclusions adopted can be found at:

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/genaff/117939.pdf

Follow-up to the October European Council and preparations for the December Council

The discussion was dominated by economic issues, in particular the establishment of a permanent crisis mechanism, treaty change, and the process leading up to any decision by the European Council in December.

Along with others, I stressed the need to keep changes to the treaty to a minimum and ensure that national Parliaments were fully involved. Others also emphasised the importance of careful presentation and handling of economic policy matters, in order to avoid unnecessary market speculation.

On the EU budget, I reiterated our determination that EU expenditure should reflect consolidation efforts being made by member states. The December European Council will discuss how the EU budget can contribute to these efforts.

European Commission 2011 Work Programme

The Commission presented their work programme for 2011. They hoped it would increase the predictability of the discussions in the year to come. They were actively seeking feedback from national Parliaments. The UK (Sir Kim Darroch) said this exercise would aid transparency, and noted that much of the content was useful, especially on sustainable growth. However, the UK also stressed that any proposals needed to be considered against tests on subsidiarity and the avoidance of regulatory burden.

Videoconferencing at Councils

The presidency introduced proposals for a staged upgrade in the Council’s video conferencing capability. These were approved without discussion.

Disaster Response

The Commissioner for International Co-operation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response (Ms Georgieva) presented the Commission’s ideas on European disaster response. She stressed the need to address the increased frequency and intensity of disasters, and to use the EU’s new institutional arrangements. She underscored the primary responsibility of member states, the need to be cost-effective, and the importance of UN leadership externally.

Many speakers welcomed the ideas but made clear they could not accept EU control of national assets. Any legislative proposals had to reflect the different structures in Europe, and the primacy of the UN in humanitarian operations. The UK (Sir Kim Darroch) stressed the need for flexible and pragmatic solutions, noting that future Council conclusions could broadly endorse moving forward but should not prejudge technical discussions. Others emphasised the importance of greater EU visibility and enhanced co-ordination.

The presidency concluded that there was broad agreement to proceed to Council conclusions at the December GAC.

Transparency Register

Under AOB, the European Commission informed the GAC that they had reached agreement with the European Parliament on a transparency register covering all lobbyists and NGOs who sought to influence the two institutions. The text of the agreement would be forwarded to the Council.

Foreign Affairs Council (FAC)

The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Baroness Ashton, chaired the meeting. The full text of all conclusions adopted, including “A” points, can be found at:

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/117948.pdf

Middle East Peace Process (MEPP) - Gaza/Lebanon

Over lunch, Ministers focused on the efforts to encourage Israel and the Palestinians to restart direct talks. Many speakers emphasised the need for the EU to support the efforts of the US. There was also concern about continuing settlement activity, particularly in East Jerusalem. Baroness Ashton said that it was important to maintain momentum to improve conditions in Gaza, reiterating the EU’s readiness to contribute to this. She added that the EU would continue to work with the international quartet. On Lebanon, a number of Ministers argued that the EU should support the special tribunal. Conclusions were agreed.

Iran

Baroness Ashton updated the FAC on the latest developments on the nuclear dossier.

Sudan

Baroness Ashton invited me to lead discussion on Sudan, following the special session of the UN Security Council on Sudan on 16 November chaired by the Foreign Secretary. I highlighted that this was a defining period for Sudan: the EU needed to work energetically to support a peaceful outcome. The EU should ensure that contingency preparations were ready to be signed off at the next FAC on 13 December. The EU also needed to consider how to engage Khartoum, to complement the US package, and to strengthen the role of moderates in the north. I argued that debt relief might be an important element. Additionally, we should not lose sight of Darfur.

Other speakers echoed these themes, particularly on the need to explore quickly options on debt relief. Assistance for the three kidnapped Latvians and one Hungarian in Sudan was also raised.

Baroness Ashton announced that she was setting up a Sudan taskforce headed up by Dame Rosalind Marsden, the EU Special Representative for Sudan. Conclusions were agreed.

Preparations for forthcoming Summits and relations with strategic partners

The FAC discussed preparations for the forthcoming EU summits with Africa (29-30 November), Russia (7 December) and India (10 December), and for the OSCE summit (1-2 December). The discussion also covered the EU’s strategic relations with the US, Russia and China.

Much of the discussion focused on relations with Russia, specifically visa liberalisation and Russia’s WTO membership. Baroness Ashton proposed that Ministers discuss these issues further on 13 December ahead of her presentation to the December European Council.

Burma

Ministers discussed developments in Burma, including deeply flawed elections and the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. Strong concern was expressed at the continued detention of 2,200 political prisoners, and there was agreement on the need for caution in the EU’s response to recent events, and on the need to co-ordinate with other key partners, including the US.

Iraq

There was a brief exchange of views on the political situation and recent developments in Iraq. A number of speakers emphasised the need to pay close attention to the situation of religious minorities. Conclusions were agreed.

Belarus

The FAC was briefed by the Polish Foreign Minister on his joint visit with the German Foreign Minister to Minsk on 2 November. The Lithuanian Foreign Minister reported on the recent visit to Minsk by the Lithuanian President.