Press room 

The Foreign Affairs Committee questioned Josep Borrell, Spanish candidate for High Representative/Vice-President for foreign affairs and security policy.

All of the EP’s 20 standing committees and two subcommittees held their constitutive meetings on Wednesday to elect their chair and vice-chairs.

The Chair of Parliament’s United Kingdom Coordination Group, David McAllister (EPP, DE), made the following statement on Friday after a meeting with EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier.

Foreign Affairs MEPs call for a dedicated budget and more tools to strengthen foreign and defence policies and make the EU a credible and strong global player.

The upcoming parliamentary elections in Georgia will be “pivotal” in confirming the country’s democratic credentials, say Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs in a report adopted on Monday.

Joint statement of the chairs responsible for external policies in the European Parliament on the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for the EU’s external action.

Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee adopt recommendations ahead of June summit, to determine the route ahead for relations with the EU’s Eastern European neighbours.

On Thursday 3 September, Niels Annen, Minister for State, at the German Federal Foreign Office, told the Development Committee that the presidency has two main priorities on humanitarian aid

Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee say negotiations on the EU-Belarus Partnership Priorities must be suspended until new, free and fair presidential elections can be organised.

The democratic opposition in Belarus, Guapinol activists and Berta Cáceres, and the Archbishop of Mosul were shortlisted for the 2020 Sakharov Prize on Monday.

Ministers are outlining the priorities of the German Presidency of the Council of the EU to parliamentary committees, in a series of meetings.

Speakers from the Western Balkans parliaments will gather at the European Parliament, under President Sassoli's patronage, to discuss European prospects for their region.

The respect of human rights and the rule of law in Turkey in the aftermath of the failed coup attempt will be a crucial test for the state of the country’s democracy, said Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs on Tuesday. They assessed the results of last week’s fact-finding mission to Turkey by the committee chair and rapporteur and stressed the need for constant monitoring.

MEPs acknowledged Lebanon's struggle with the enormous migration flows and voiced their concerns about the internal crisis there and growing extremism across the region, in a Foreign Affairs Committee debate with its Prime Minister Tammam Saeb Salam on Tuesday afternoon.

The European Parliament should give its consent to the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine, recommended the Foreign Affairs Committee in a vote on Monday afternoon. The deal would establish a deep political association between the EU and Ukraine and provide for mutual free market access, by dismantling import duties and banning export duties and restrictions.

The Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs called in a debate on Monday on the EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to present EU foreign ministers on Thursday with concrete proposals for further restrictive actions towards Russia, following the escalation of violence in the Donbas region and the shelling of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. Time is now for action, many MEPs underlined and suggested furthering of sanctions namely in financial or banking sectors.

Propaganda pressure on the EU from Russia and Islamic terrorist organisations is growing, say Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs in a resolution voted on Monday. It seeks to distort the truth, incite fear, provoke doubt and divide the EU. However, this pressure should be countered, not with more propaganda, but with positive messaging, awareness raising and education to increase the information literacy amongst EU citizens, MEPs add.

The November 2017 Eastern Partnership Summit should pave the way to set up a trust fund for Eastern partners and reward reforms by offering them customs union, MEPs said on Tuesday.

An EU scheme to mobilise €44 billion in private sector investment in Africa and the EU’s neighbourhood should focus on the poor, said committee MEPs on Monday.

An informal agreement on an EU scheme aiming to mobilise €44 billion in private sector investment in Africa and EU neighbourhood was reached with EU ministers on Wednesday.