House of Lords - European Union - Thirty-Eighth Report

Select Committee on European Union Thirty-Eighth Report

Current Developments in European Foreign Policy

Report

1. The Committee asked the Minister for Europe, Mr Jim Murphy MP, to give evidence on the most recent developments in European Foreign Policy. We thank the Minister for his time

2. In this Report we make available, for the information of the House, the oral evidence given to Sub-Committee C (Foreign Affairs, Defence and Development Policy) by the Minister for Europe, accompanied by Mr Martin Shearman, Head of the Common Foreign and Security Policy Group (CFSP), and Mr Alan Parfitt, Leader of Research Analysts on CIS Energy and Central Asia, on 25 July 2007; and the correspondence from the Minister.

3. Key topics in the evidence are:

EU/AFRICA

The EU/Africa relationship as a partnership, the need for specific outcomes, the importance of properly functioning domestic governance (QQ 1, 3, 7);

Aid policy, aid and trade (Q 2);

The African peer review group mechanism (Q 4);

The need for good communications and transport in Africa (QQ 5, 6);

AU-EU relations (QQ 7, 8);

Africa's relations with China (Q 8);

The appointment of an EU Special Representative for Africa (Q 9);

ESDP

The EU's civilian capabilities for crisis management and new headline goals (QQ 10, 13-15);

Hybrid operations and cooperation with other organisations such as NATO, the UN, the AU and the OSCE (Q 11);