Documents considered by the Committee on 25 February 2015 - European Scrutiny Contents


Meeting Summary



The Committee took oral evidence from Mr David Gauke MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, on EU financial matters, including the EU Budget and the Investment Plan for Europe.

The Committee also considered the following documents:

EU Strategy in Afghanistan 2014-16

This week we revisit a Joint Communication outlining the key elements for EU strategy in Afghanistan for 2014-16. It focuses on four key areas: promoting peace and security; reinforcing democracy; encouraging economic and human development; and fostering the rule of law and respect for human rights. The Minister now provides further information, particularly on the outcome of the 24-25 November 2014 London Conference on Afghanistan, which the UK co-chaired alongside the Afghan Government. When we first considered this Joint Communication, we noted that there was nothing controversial in it per se, but did indicate that we were minded to recommend it for debate in due course because of the role that, in one way or another, the EU would be undertaking (with EU taxpayers' money) in post-2014 Afghanistan and the uncertainties surrounding the essentials for the strategy's successful implementation. We now recommend this document for debate in European Committee B.

The EU and Bosnia and Herzegovina: Stabilisation and Association Agreement

It has been a long standing goal for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to enter the EU. Before being able to do so, BiH must deliver five objectives revolving around creating a sustainable, multi-ethnic, democratic, law-based state; and fulfil two conditions, including the signing of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA). Delivery or fulfilment of these "Five Objectives and Two Conditions" has proved elusive. The SAA has been ratified by all Member States, but ratification by the EU has been held up by the failure of local political leaders to deliver their side of the bargain. Last November, the British and German foreign ministers met their eight western Balkan counterparts, and proposed a new joint initiative, saying that if BiH implements the necessary reforms, they would "work to achieve progress on the country's path towards Europe". This week we consider a proposal for the EU to put itself in a position to swiftly conclude the SAA before the end of March. We conclude that the "conditionality" question, which is supposedly at the heart of the accession process, is epitomised in the BiH story so far. It is not clear to us whether the accession process is being "massaged" once again, for wider political reasons. The Minister does not provide evidence to support this "re-sequencing" which would effectively award the crucial step forward of an SAA without addressing the underlying problems. We ask the Minister for further information, including on what position the Government will be taking in Council on this proposal, and more generally, on the extent to which the "Five Objectives and Two Conditions" have been fulfilled. We also consider issues relating to competence, and the applicability of the UK opt-in to this proposal. The Minister asserts that the opt-in is engaged; we do not agree.


 
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