The
Committee consisted of the following
Members:
Chairman:
Mr.
Mike Hancock
Clappison,
Mr. James
(Hertsmere)
(Con)
Cohen,
Harry
(Leyton and Wanstead)
(Lab)
Davey,
Mr. Edward
(Kingston and Surbiton)
(LD)
Fisher,
Mark
(Stoke-on-Trent, Central)
(Lab)
Flint,
Caroline
(Minister for
Europe)
Francois,
Mr. Mark
(Rayleigh)
(Con)
Goodman,
Helen
(Bishop Auckland)
(Lab)
Hopkins,
Kelvin
(Luton, North)
(Lab)
Horam,
Mr. John
(Orpington)
(Con)
Newmark,
Mr. Brooks
(Braintree)
(Con)
Purchase,
Mr. Ken
(Wolverhampton, North-East)
(Lab/Co-op)
Taylor,
Matthew
(Truro and St. Austell)
(LD)
Wyatt,
Derek
(Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
(Lab)
Mick Hillyard, Committee
Clerk
attended the
Committee
The following also attended,
pursuant to Standing Order No.
119(6):
Ryan,
Joan
(Enfield, North)
(Lab)
Cash,
Mr. William
(Stone)
(Con)
European
Committee B
Monday 2
March
2009
[Mr.
Mike Hancock in the
Chair]
Mandates
of EU Special
Representatives
4.30
pm
The
Chairman: Does a member of the European Scrutiny Committee
wish to make a brief explanatory statement about the decision to refer
the relevant documents to the
Committee?
Kelvin
Hopkins (Luton, North) (Lab): It might be helpful to the
Committee if I explain why the European Scrutiny Committee recommended
this debate. European Union special representatives are appointed to
represent the common foreign and security policy when the Council
agrees that an additional EU presence is needed on the ground to
deliver the political objectives of the Union. Special representatives
were established under article 18 of the 1997 Amsterdam treaty and are
appointed by the Council. The aim is to represent the EU in troubled
regions and countries and to play an active part in promoting its
interests and
policies.
An
EUSR is appointed by the Council through the legal act of a joint
action. All EUSRs carry out their duties under the authority and
operational direction of High Representative Javier Solana. Each is
financed out of the CFSP budget implemented by the Commission, to which
the UK contributes 17 per cent. There are 12 EUSRs in
office. The draft joint actions will extend the mandate of the five
EUSRs in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia, the African great lakes region and Sudan. The Council is
being asked to approve the extension of the
mandate.
The
substance of each EUSRs mandate depends on the political
context of the deployment. The Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina
special representatives are double-hatted because they also represent
the elements of the wider international community that helped to settle
the conflicts and that remain involved. In Kosovo, the EUSR took over
from the UN as head of the international civilian office when Kosovo
declared its implementation. The EUSR in Bosnia and Herzegovina
represents the EU and the High Representative of the international
community and has a mandate to oversee the implementation of the Dayton
peace agreement, the 1995 accord that ended almost four years of war in
Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
The
EUSR in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is also
double-hatted. In addition to representing the EUs political
interests in a candidate country with a recent disturbed political
history, the EUSR is head of the local European Commission delegation
that delivers normal pre-accession technical assistance. The EUSRs in
the African great lakes region and Sudan are involved on behalf of the
EU in the wider local, regional and international effort to solve the
long-running
crises.
No
legal questions arise from the provisions. As was mentioned earlier, no
changes were proposed to mandates already cleared by the Committee on
previous occasions.
However, it is now 10 years since the inception of the EU CFSP. During
that period, EUSRs have embraced wider responsibilities and are
illustrating the wider embrace of the CSFP. The European Scrutiny
Committee therefore decided that a debate on their role would be
timely.
4.33
pm
The
Minister for Europe (Caroline Flint): I thank my hon.
Friend the Member for Luton, North for his introductory comments. I
also thank the European Scrutiny Committee for its approach in dealing
with the explanatory memorandum on the renewal of mandates for EU
special representatives. By using section 3(b) of the scrutiny reserve
resolution, the Select Committee was able to flag up issues of interest
to the House without the need for me to override scrutiny on
operational grounds. I am glad that the Committee used its discretion
in the matter. I hope that we will continue to work together in that
way.
We
have a range of tools with which to deliver our foreign policy
objectives. One is to act collectively with our European partners on
issues such as Afghanistan, the middle east peace process and Zimbabwe.
Particularly in areas emerging from conflict, we use classic foreign
and security policy instruments delivered by member states such as
peacekeeping or policing missions alongside longer-term tools
such as development agreements delivered by the
Commission.
EU
special representatives support that effort. They are appointed by the
Council to represent the CFSP when the Council agrees that an
additional EU presence is needed on the ground to deliver the political
objectives of the Union. They represent the EU in troubled regions and
countries to promote its interests and policies. They also help better
align EU resources and efforts with the external priorities set by
member states in
Council.
There
are 11 EU special representatives covering 12 portfolios:
Afghanistan, the African great lakes region, the African Union, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, central Asia and the crisis in Georgia, Kosovo, the
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the middle east, Moldova, the
south Caucasus and Sudan.
The substance
of an EU special representatives mandate depends on the
political context and can include providing political backing to
European security and defence policy operations. No one size fits all
and duties vary from involvement in crises far from Europe, such as
supporting the Darfur political process in Sudan, to complex and
challenging responsibilities in the western Balkans. The incumbents
come from different backgrounds, with a welcome range of experience and
strengths, which help them carry out their responsibilities to good
effect. For example, the most recently appointed EU special
representative for the crisis in Georgia, Pierre Morel, is, as former
French ambassador to Moscow and already EU special representative for
central Asia, well placed to lead the Geneva talks with considerable
skill.
Having an EU
special representative responsible for relations with the African Union
has helped us work with the African Union commission on the joint
Africa-EU strategic partnership. It has, without doubt, helped
strengthen the political relationship between the EU and the African
Union. The current incumbent is the
head of the EU Commissions delegation, which has also helped
with the co-ordination of implementing the strategic
partnership.
As
my hon. Friend commented, there are several EUSRs for whom the phrase
double-hatting can be used. There are sometimes
circumstances where such an arrangement makes sense in striving for a
more coherent and effective EU external action effort. It works where
there are clear benefits for the coherence and impact of the
EUs presence on the ground, and for speaking with one voice.
The EUSR for the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is also
double-hatted, as the head of the EU Commission. Mr.
FouÃ(c)rÃ(c) played a key role in highlighting the seriousness
of the problems caused by conduct of the 2008 parliamentary elections,
and our special representatives in Bosnia and Kosovo are doing a
sterling job in what we all agree are complicated situations.
The UK
remains seriously concerned about the situation in Bosnia and
Herzegovina. We believe that a lack of reform, and ongoing rhetoric and
actions that sometimes challenge the Dayton agreement, undermine the
structure of the state. The EU perspective is vital for stability and
so the EU special representatives double-hatted position as
High Representative as well will play a key role.
On Kosovo,
the EU has stated its willingness to assist the economic and political
perspective, through a clear European perspective. The UK remains
strongly committed to the pursuit of that goal for all in the region.
For that reason, we fully support Pieter Faith in his roles as EU
special representative and as international civilian representative in
Kosovo. He plays a key role in co-ordinating international policy for
Kosovo and contributes to the common objective of securing a stable,
viable, peaceful and multi-ethnic Kosovo, which we believe contributes
greatly to regional stability.
The
Government continue to work closely with the presidency, Commission and
member states to ensure that EUSRs continue to make a full contribution
to the efforts to stabilise crises or situations in their regions, and
to make the EUs external action as visible and effective as
possible. We believe that EUSRs can be an important part of delivering
the CFSP on the ground as the EUs eyes, ears and mouthpiece as
well as its implementers in key regions of the world. For that reason,
the Government will continue to support their
work.
The
Chairman: We now have until half-past 5 for questions to
the Minister and I remind all Members that they need to be brief. It is
open to a Member to ask, subject to the discretion of the Chair,
supplementary questions relating to the Ministers answer, or to
further questions that they might have.
Mr.
Mark Francois (Rayleigh) (Con): It is a pleasure to serve
under your chairmanship this afternoon, Mr.
Hancock.
I would like
to ask the Minister a technical, but nevertheless important, question.
On page 31 of the bundle of papers, the mandate for the EU special
representative to Bosnia and Herzegovina specifically mentions Miroslav
Lajcák as holding it. As he has now
resigned, will the EU Council have to agree a new mandate, or is this
mandate transferable to another
candidate?
Caroline
Flint: The hon. Gentleman is correct about Mr.
Lajcáks resignation. At present, he continues to work in
Bosnia and Herzegovina, but we are in the process of seeking a new
candidate. Of course, two parties need to agree the candidate and that
process is under way.
Mr.
Francois: With respect, I know that. We know that
Mr. Lajcák has resigned and that the Council is
looking for a replacement. Will the mandate, which specifically
mentioned Mr. Lajcák, still apply to any other
candidate, or will the Council need to generate a new mandate? I hope
that the Minister, given the situation, will understand that that is an
important
question.
Caroline
Flint: I presume that the mandate will go forward under
the new candidate, but I will check that matter for the hon.
Gentleman.
Mr.
William Cash (Stone) (Con): Can the Minister tell us
whether the reports in
The Daily Telegraph last week, which
claimed that the enlargement strategy is being put on hold, are
correct?
The
Chairman: I do not know whether the Minister is
responsible for what appears in
The Daily Telegraph, but if she
cares to answer that question she may do
so.
Caroline
Flint: Enlargement has been one of the success stories of
the European Union, and we continue to work with several countries that
seek to pursue a journey that will take them closer to membership and,
for some, eventually lead to membership. I wrote a letter to
The
Daily Telegraph, which is in the public domain, giving some
detailed responses to the article to which the hon. Gentleman
referred.
Mr.
Cash: Will the Minister clarify what she had a
disagreement about with
The Daily Telegraph, or anyone else for
that matter, as she knows my views on enlargement for the countries we
are discussing and others, and will she explain more precisely what she
had in
mind?
The
Chairman: Thank you for that question, Mr.
Cash, but once again I find it difficult to understand how that relates
to what we are discussing this afternoon. If the Minister cares to
clarify the situation, she may do
so.
Caroline
Flint: The debate is on the mandate of EU special
representatives, and the Committee had a debate on enlargement a short
time ago. Suffice it to say that the Government think that enlargement
is good for the EU, a view shared by other political parties, but there
are conditions set for it and we continue to support that process. No
timetables have been set for any countrys journey towards
membership, which is decided on the basis of conditionality, as I
explained in great detail the last time I appeared before the
Committee. Also, my
previous answer to the hon. Member for Rayleigh was correct: the same
mandate will apply and we will just have to change the
name.
The
Chairman: I think that we have exhausted
The Daily
Telegraph
article.
Mr.
Francois: I would like to ask the Minster several
questions about the replacement for Mr. Lajcák, given
the sensitive situation in Bosnia and Hertzegovina. In the
Ministers letter of 19 February to the European Scrutiny
Committee, which is included on page 85 of the bundle, she stated that
the UK is proposing Sir Emyr Jones Parry for the role of EU special
representative to Bosnia, and that of international higher
representative, following Mr. Lajcáks
resignation. The media, however, reported that Sir Emyr withdrew his
application before a final decision was made because of other
commitments that would not allow him to take up the post in
time. Is that the case, and if so, was the Minister aware of those
other commitments when she first proposed Sir Emyr for that rather
important
post?