6. Letter to the Chairman of the Committee from the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
I am delighted to enclose a copy of the Government's response[1] to the Committee's report on the Foreign Policy Aspects of the Lisbon Treaty (21 January 2008).[2]
I welcome the Committee's conclusion that the "the Common Foreign and Security Policy will remain an intergovernmental area, driven by the Member States". As I, and ministerial colleagues have long argued, this was a key objective for the Government in the negotiations and one of the reasons why we have no hesitation in recommending the Treaty for UK ratification.
I also welcome the Committee's assessment that "the new post of High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy has the potential to give the EU a more streamlined international presence and to contribute to the more coherent development and implementation of external policy". Your analysis of the European External Action Service is similar. Both assessments strike at the heart of why the reforms are necessary—to get the EU to move on from institutional navel-gazing and enhance its ability to deliver on the issues that matter to people, not least global peace and security.
I look forward to debating these important issues, as well as the issues raised by the Committee, on 19 February when we discuss CFSP issues during the Committee stage of the EU (Amendment) Bill.
Rt Hon David Milliband MP
Secretary of State
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
15 February 2008
1 Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Government Response to the Foreign Affairs Committee Report on `Foreign Policy Aspects of the Lisbon Treaty', Cm 7332, February 2008. Back
2 Foreign Affairs Committee, Third Report of Session 2007-08, Foreign Policy Aspects of the Lisbon Treaty, HC 120-I/II. Back
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