9 EU strategy on public security in Central
America and the Caribbean
| Committee's assessment
| Politically important |
| Committee's decision | Cleared from scrutiny
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| Document details | Joint Communication: Elements for an EU strategy on public security in Central America and the Caribbean
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| Legal base | —
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| Department | Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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Summary and Committee's conclusions
9.1 The Joint Communication sets out elements for an EU strategy
on public security in Central America and the Caribbean. The strategy
aims to adopt a "comprehensive approach" to the challenges
facing the region, placing citizens' security at the heart. It
is intended to promote greater efficiency and improved co-ordination
in delivering EU support to the region.
9.2 The European Union considers itself a long-term
strategic partner of Latin America and the Caribbean. Overall
relations are governed by a strategic partnership that was last
renewed at the Summit of the EU and the Community of Latin America
and the Caribbean (CELAC) in January 2013. This public security
strategy aims to enhance relations on a sub-regional basis, so
as to develop a shared public security agenda with the region
as part of an overall political and development partnership with
the EU. The strategy is intended to strengthen the capacity of
governments in the region to help tackle insecurity, while upholding
human rights and boosting prevention policies. It is also aimed
at fostering regional and international cooperation, so as to
deal with the transnational dimension of public security threats.
9.3 Although the proposed EU Strategy —
which is plainly a "good fit" with both ongoing regional
initiatives and bilateral programmes —raises no issues in
and of itself, we are reporting it to the House because of the
degree of interest in the region and the threats to its security,
which — as the Minister for Europe (Mr David Lidington)
notes — the UK has for many years been seeking to help its
governments and regional organisations confront and overcome.
9.4 We are content to leave it to interested Members
who may wish to do so, to pursue the matter further via the means
at their disposal.
9.5 We now clear the Joint Communication.
Full
details of the documents:
Joint Communication: Elements for an EU strategy on public
security in Central America and the Caribbean: (36061), 10108/14,
JOIN(14) 21.
Background
9.6 In his Explanatory Memorandum of 23 June 2014,
the Minister for Europe (Mr David Lidington) notes that the EU
already provides support to the Central America Security Strategy
(ESCA), adopted at the Guatemala conference in 2011[17]
and coordinated by the Central American Integration System (SICA)[18]
and the Caribbean Security Strategy, adopted in February 2013
by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of State.[19]
9.7 He also notes that the strategy is in line with
the EU's "comprehensive approach" to external conflict
and crises set out in the Joint Communication on "The EU's
Comprehensive Approach to External Conflict and Crises" of
December 2013.[20] That
Joint Communication was one of several documents prepared ahead
of the December 2013 European Council, which was the first since
2007 to review that EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy and
defence activities. In December 2013, the European Council called
for further steps to improve the efficiency and effectiveness
of the EU's comprehensive approach.
9.8 The subsequent May Foreign Affairs Council Conclusions
welcomed the Joint Communication as an important step in this
process. The "comprehensive approach" is predicated
upon the notion that European Union and its Member States:
"can bring to the international stage the
unique ability to combine, in a coherent and consistent manner,
policies and tools ranging from diplomacy, security and defence
to finance, trade, development and human rights, as well as justice
and migration. This contributes greatly to the Union's ability
to play a positive and transformative role in its external relations
and as a global actor."
9.9 The Council defines the "comprehensive approach"
as:
"both a general working method and a set
of concrete measures and processes to improve how the EU, based
on a common strategic vision and drawing on its wide array of
existing tools and instruments, collectively can develop, embed
and deliver more coherent and more effective policies, working
practices, actions and results."
9.10 The Council said that:
"Its fundamental principles are relevant
for the broad spectrum of EU external action" and that "[t]he
need for such a comprehensive approach is most acute in crisis
and conflict situations and in fragile states, enabling a rapid
and effective EU response, including through conflict prevention."[21]
9.11 The Minister also notes that the approach in
the Caribbean security strategy also builds on a number of existing
EU policy documents and takes into account reports from relevant
multilateral institutions including UNDP and the OAS.
The Government's view
9.12 The Minister goes on to say that this EU action
has been proposed because it is:
"mindful of the scale of the challenges
facing Central America and the Caribbean and wishes to develop
a comprehensive approach towards helping to tackle them, similar
to the approaches made towards other global regions."
9.13 The Minister notes that the UK enjoys a strong
set of relationships with countries in Central America and the
Caribbean and with the various regional organisations including
SICA and CARICOM, and says that the proposal would fit with wider
UK policy of supporting good governance and security in the region.
9.14 The Minister also agrees that one of the biggest
challenges facing countries in the region is the fight against
criminals using their territories for international drug trafficking:
"The attendant deterioration in public security
is holding back the social and economic development of the region.
The UK is supporting efforts of countries in the region to tackle
the problem by sharing specialist British skills and expertise.
The UK is an extra-regional observer of the Central American Integration
System (SICA) and some of the UK's Overseas Territories are observer
members of CARICOM."
9.15 Finally the Minister notes that:
"The UK has offered a range of support to
the region for tackling serious organised crime, violent crime
and impunity. The UK has also been involved in initiatives to
strengthen the rule of law in the region, for example seconding
criminal justice advisers and asset recovery advisers to improve
capacity and recover the proceeds of crime. Mentoring and training
for security officials is also being provided."
Previous Committee Reports: None,
but see: Fifth Report HC 219-v (2014-15), chapter
13 (2 July 2014): (35696), 17859/13,
JOIN(13) 30.
17 See http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/dcam/dv/ca_security_s_/ca_security_s_en.pdf
for details. Back
18
The Central American Integration System (Spanish: Sistema de
la Integración Centroamericana, or SICA) is the economic
and political organization of Central American states, and was
established on 1 February 1993. Back
19
See http://www.caricom.org/jsp/pressreleases/press_releases_2013/pres35_13.jsp Back
20
See (35696), 17859/13: Fifth Report HC 219-v (2014-15), chapter 13
(2 July 2014). Back
21
For the full text of the Council Conclusions on the Comprehensive
Approach, see pp17-21 at http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/142563.pdf Back
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