REGIONAL POLITICAL PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE,
SECURITY AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE HORN OF AFRICA
Letter from the Chairman to Rt Hon Geoff
Hoon MP, Minister for Europe, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Sub-Committee C considered the above Commission
Communication at its meeting on 14 December and cleared it from
scrutiny.
The Sub-Committee took a particular in interest
in the Commission's plans for the Horn of Africa in view of their
recent report on the EU and Africa. The Sub-Committee commends
the Commission for seeking to tackle the region's problems with
a strategy and in a comprehensive way. As the Explanatory Memorandum
states however, the test will be to convert the proposals into
practical action, as at present they consist largely in proposals
for dialogue and cooperation and none of the proposals are costed.
The Sub-Committee would like to be kept informed
as this strategy develops into specific proposals. Specifically
it would like to hear how the budgets are to be allocated and
how the strategy is to be implemented without additional resources?
How realistic is it to think that the EU's input can help to solve
the conflicts which afflict the region, and what prospect is there
of the proposed regional partners responding to the EU's efforts?
18 December 2006
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