Appendix 1: report on Council meeting
When the House is sitting, we table a written Question
on the day of each meeting of the Council of Ministers asking
for a report on the Council meeting and on the activities of UK
Ministers in it. However, for Council meetings taking place when
the House is in recess we ask Departments to write to us instead.
A reply concerning a meeting during the summer recess is published
below.
Letter from the Minister for Europe at the Foreign
and Commonwealth Office (Denis MacShane) to the Chairman of the
Committee
GENERAL AFFAIRS AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS COUNCIL:
26 JULY
I am writing to inform you of the outcome of discussions
held at the 26 July General Affairs and External Relations Council
in Brussels, in place of my reply to the usual Parliamentary Question.
Outcome of the 26 July 2004 General Affairs and
External Relations Council
Mike O'Brien (Minister of State for Trade, Investment
and Foreign Affairs) and John Grant (UK's Permanent Representative
to the EU) represented the UK at the General Affairs and External
Relations Council (GAERC) in Brussels on 26 July.
Conclusions were agreed on WTO, Sudan, and Western
Balkans.
GENERAL AFFAIRS SESSION
FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVES 2007-2013
The Council heard a presentation by Commissioner
Schreyer of the Commission proposals for the EU's financial perspectives
for the 2007-2013 period. The Presidency noted that the GAERC
would start discussing the Commission proposals at its 13 September
meeting.
PROGRESS OF WORK IN OTHER COUNCIL CONFIGURATIONS
The Council took note of a progress report from the
Presidency on work under way in the Council's other configurations
(the Justice and Home Affairs Council, the Trade Council, the
Transport and Communications Council, and the Environment Council).
EXTERNAL RELATIONS SESSION
WTO/DOHA DEVELOPMENT AGENDA
Concerns were expressed over the first draft framework
agreement currently under discussion in Geneva. Council Conclusions
were agreed. Commissioner Lamy noted the desire of all WTO members
to put the DDA negotiations back on track by agreeing a framework
package this week. The Presidency concluded that there was a need
for a further Council meeting in July, either in Geneva or Brussels.
SUDAN
The Council remains extremely concerned at the situation
in Dafur and called upon the Government of Sudan and on the rebel
movements to meet the seven demands set out in its Conclusions
of 12 July.
The Council cleared the legal obstacle to Peace Facility
funding. The need now was to maintain strong pressure on the Sudanese
government, and to improve EU/AU/UN/US co-operation. Conclusions
were agreed.
MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS
The Council assessed the situation in the Middle
East. High Representative Solana briefed Ministers on his visit
to the region (Jordan, Egypt, Israel, 19-23 July), with particular
reference to the follow-up to the ICJ's advisory opinion and the
ensuing vote in the UN General Assembly; future developments in
the Gaza disengagement plan including the role of Egypt; and the
situation in the Palestinian Authority. Mr Solana also briefed
the Council on his contacts in Cairo with the Iraqi Foreign Minister
and the Ministers of countries neighbouring Iraq.
The Presidency noted that Ministers would return
to the issue of the Middle East at their informal meeting in early
September in the Netherlands.
WESTERN BALKANS
The Council adopted conclusions on Serbia and Montenegro,
the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
EU — ECOWAS (Economic Community of West
African States)
The Council, at the Presidency's initiative, agreed
to invite the Foreign Ministers from the sixteen member States
of ECOWAS for an informal meeting on 4 September in the margins
of the "Gymnich" (informal Foreign Ministers) meeting
in the Netherlands.
The meeting is meant to underline the increasing
importance of international co-operation in the area of peace
and security, notably in Africa, as well as the partnership between
the EU and ECOWAS.
3 August 2004
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