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Sanctions: Current UK Implementation

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Currently the United Kingdom implements mandatory UN sanctions, imposed by the UN Security Council acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, in relation to Al'Qaeda and the Taliban, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sudan and Somalia. In addition, the UK implements sanctions imposed by the European Union in relation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burma, China, the DRC, the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Libya, Moldova, Sudan and Zimbabwe. In accordance with a decision of the OSCE, the United Kingdom implements arms embargoes on Armenia and Azerbaijan. A full list of sanctions regimes and restrictive measures implemented by the UK has been placed in the Library of the House. Annexed to this is a summary of additional UK restrictions on the export of strategic goods. These documents are also available on the FCO website at www.fco.gov.uk/sanctions and are updated each time there are changes to sanctions regimes implemented by the UK, or to UK restrictions on the export of strategic goods. Restrictive measures implemented in the UK are also implemented in the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.

Sanctions: Recent Changes

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: On 11 June the Council of the European Union adopted Common Position 2004/510/CFSP. The Council adopted EC Regulation 1353/2004 on 27 July. These amend Common Position 2004/3l/CFSP of 10 January and EC Regulation 131/2004 of 28 January, which renewed the arms embargo against Sudan and added an exemption for the supply of de-mining equipment. The new measures broaden the exemptions to the prohibition on the supply of arms, technical assistance
 
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and financial assistance to include crisis management operations of the African Union. This allows EU member states to offer full practical and financial support to the deployment of the African Union's Ceasefire Commission to Darfur. With the support of her Majesty's Government, the United Nations Security Council on 30 July unanimously adopted Resolution 1556 (2004), which, inter alia imposes an arms embargo against non-governmental entities and individuals, including the Janjaweed, operating in the states of North Darfur, South Darfur and West Darfur in Sudan.

With the support of Her Majesty's Government, the United Nations Security Council on 27 July 2004 unanimously adopted Resolution 1552 (2004) on the situation concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This renewed the arms embargo imposed by UNSCR 1493 (2003) for one year and extended the mandate of the UN Expert Group established by UNSCR 1533 (2004) to monitor the embargo for a further six months.

With the support of Her Majesty's Government, the United Nations Security Council on 8 June unanimously adopted UN Security Council Resolution 1546 (2004). Among other measures, the resolution leaves the arms embargo in place, with new exemptions for arms and related materiel required by the Government of Iraq or the multinational force to serve the purposes of the resolution. The resolution passes all outstanding rights, responsibilities and obligations relating to the Oil for Food Programme to the Government of Iraq, including ensuring independently authenticated confirmation that goods have been delivered, and it leaves in place the financial sanctions upon former Government of Iraq funds and any funds belonging to Saddam Hussein, senior members of his regime and their immediate family members.

On 26 April, the Council of the European Union adopted Common Position 2004/423/CFSP and EC Regulation 798/2004, concerning Burma. These renewed the restrictive measures imposed by Common Position 2003/297/CFSP from 30 April 2004 for a further 12 months, in view of the current political situation in Burma, notably the failure of the regime to pursue the process of national reconciliation, respect for human rights and democracy. The restrictive measures comprise an assets freeze and travel ban against members of the regime and others, an arms embargo, a prohibition on the attachment and hosting of military personnel to diplomatic missions, restrictions on development programmes and a suspension of high-level bilateral governmental visits to Burma.

European Union: Update on Prospects for 2004

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary (Mr Jack Straw) will today lay before Parliament the latest White Paper on Prospects for the EU (Cm 6310). Copies will be placed in the Library of the House and will be available from the Vote Office in the House of
 
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Commons and the Printed Paper Office in the House of Lords. A copy will also be available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website (www.fco.gov.uk).

This White Paper is a supplement to the one published in April on Prospects for the EU in 2004 (Cm 6174). As well as setting out the issues we expect the Union to address in the rest of the year, it updates readers on developments since April and provides a short breakdown of the achievements of Ireland's EU Presidency, which ran from January to June. It covers the full gamut of EU business, from enlargement—and whether we should start negotiations with Turkey on membership of the Union—to the Lisbon Agenda for economic and social reform—which includes developing the single market, simplifying new and outdated regulation, and increasing employment.

The purpose of this White Paper, and April's, is to keep Parliament and the public informed about developments in the EU, the Government's approach to them and the benefits they will bring to the UK and its citizens.

The next White Paper on prospects for the EU will be published in January 2005, to be followed by a shorter update—along the lines of the one published today—in July 2005.

These White Papers are part of the Government's commitment to make EU business more accessible and interesting for Parliament, the media and members of the public alike by providing an appropriate amount of detail and depth on significant progress that might have an impact on our daily lives. I hope they will play a vital role in involving Parliament more closely in EU affairs, and trust that Members of both Houses will read them. I commend this White Paper to the House.

National Grid Company: Confirmation of Appointment as GB System Operator

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): My honourable friend the Minister for Energy, E-commerce and Postal Services (Stephen Timms) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

On 17 December 2002, the then Minister for Energy and Construction, my right honourable friend the Member for Cunninghame North made a Statement to Parliament (Official Report, Commons, col. 45 WS) saying that Ministers were minded to accept the recommendation of the GB System Operator Selection Panel that National Grid Company's application for the role of GB system operator should be accepted. Licensing of the GB system operator could not take place until the Energy Bill had received Royal Assent. The necessary legislation is now in place and I have confirmed the appointment of the National Grid Company as the GB system operator under the British Electricity Trading and Transmission Arrangements (BETTA), with effect from 1 September 2004.
 
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WTO Framework Agreement

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Ms Hewitt) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

On 1 August the General Council of the World Trade Organisation agreed a framework text for further negotiations on the Doha Development Agenda. Commissioners Lamy and Fischler negotiated on behalf of the European Union. I warmly welcome this Framework Agreement, which is a crucial step on the road to delivering a trade round that will benefit developed and developing countries alike.

On 17 September last year I made an oral Statement to the House (Official Report, Commons, cols. 861–63), about the WTO ministerial conference in Cancun, where WTO members had been unable to reach an agreement. In that Statement I said that in order to get the Doha Development Agenda back on track, the WTO community would need to lift its sights to the prize on offer. I believe that WTO Members have done just that. The period since Cancun has been marked by a much more positive and business-like atmosphere and the Framework Agreement has now cemented the progress made.

For the most part the purpose of the Framework Agreement is to set out guiding principles for future negotiations rather than to provide specific proposals. However, it contains sufficient detail to allow technical discussions to continue during the rest of this year, when the US presidential elections and the appointment of a new College of Commissioners are likely to limit political engagement in the round.

The Framework Agreement gives greater detail on the direction of the negotiations on agriculture, industrial tariffs, commits WTO members to negotiate on a trade facilitation agreement and sets a revised target date for more requests in the ongoing services negotiations. Agriculture is generally acknowledged to be the key to progress in the round and the agriculture section contains a welcome level of detail. The agreement provides for extensive special and differential treatment for developing countries across all the sectors covered. Three of the four so-called Singapore Issues (competition, investment and transparency in government procurement), divergent views on which did much to derail talks at Cancun, have been dropped from the Doha Development Agenda. The fourth—trade facilitation—will now be the subject of negotiations.

The text of the agreement reflects the increasing influence of developing countries within the WTO. This is a development that I have previously welcomed. India and Brazil in particular played an influential role in the lead up to the agreement. Both the G20 group (larger developing country agricultural exporters) and G90 (some 62 smaller developing countries) engaged in the negotiations in a flexible and constructive manner. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for International Development, my
 
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right honourable friend the secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my honourable friend the Minister for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs and I were in regular contact with a number of influential members of both of these groupings, as well as our EU colleagues, to underline the importance of reaching an agreement. My honourable friend the Minister for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs and I between us attended the two General Affairs and External Relations Council meetings held in the last week of July to agree the EU's position for this stage of the negotiations.

The Government have been strongly supportive of the Commission's approach to negotiations in the period since Cancun. We consider that the Commission has shown leadership and flexibility to move talks forward, capitalising on the stronger negotiating position that the EU enjoys after the CAP reforms of June 2003 and March 2004, which will cut significantly the level both of trade-distorting domestic support and export subsidies. In particular, the conditional offer to eliminate of export subsidies in the letter of 9 May from Commissioners Lamy and Fischler to WTO trade Ministers helped to breathe new life into the talks and encouraged other developed countries to match the EU's level of ambition. My honourable friend the Minister for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs and I attended meetings of the General Affairs and External Relations Council in the week leading up to the Framework Agreement where we strongly supported the European Commission.

There is much still to be done. The challenge now for the whole WTO membership of 148 countries is to build on this success and to ensure that the momentum that has been built up is maintained in the detailed negotiations that will now follow. Success in the Round has the potential to deliver huge benefits, including for developing countries as their opportunities for trade increase, so adding to their prosperity, aiding development and contributing towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Gaols.

The Government will continue do all we can, both inside the EU and within the broader WTO community, to help to deliver an ambitious development-focused Round. In particular, we will press hard for substantial progress before the sixth WTO Ministerial meeting in Hong Kong scheduled for December 2005.

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