General Affairs and External Relations Council (10-11.11.08)
The General Affairs and External Relations Council met in Brussels on 10 and 11 November 2008.
The meeting
This session covered three areas:
1/ The foreign affairs ministers of the 27 EU Member States attended a meeting on Monday 10 November chaired by Bernard Kouchner, the French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs. They prepared the European Council meeting in December. The external relations session was devoted to the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the political and security situation in Iraq and a discussion on civilian crisis management capabilities. The ministers also discussed preparations for the EU-Russia summit on 14 November.
The foreign affairs ministers, joined by their defence counterparts, then examined draft conclusions on the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), inter alia, on operations, civilian and military crisis management capabilities and partnerships for security interests. They also reviewed the French Presidency’s initiatives intended to give new impetus to the ESDP, presented at the informal meeting of the defence ministers in Deauville. Lastly, they took stock of the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and in Afghanistan, in the presence of the NATO Secretary General.
2/ The defence ministers of the 27 EU Member States attended a meeting chaired by Hervé Morin, the French defence minister, on Monday 10 November.
3/ Alain Joyandet, the French Minister of State for Cooperation and the Francophonie chaired a meeting of the development ministers of the 27 EU Member States on Monday 10 November and on Tuesday 11 November. At the meeting on 10 November, the ministers analysed the situation in Afghanistan in terms of the reconstruction and development of this country. On Tuesday they pursued work on food security with the adoption of conclusions detailing the EU’s long-term response to the food crisis. They also discussed, on the basis of a European Commission communication, the issue of links between Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), regional integration and development. The third item on the development ministers’ meeting was the European position to be adopted at the United Nations Conference on Financing for Development in Doha (Qatar) from 29 November to 3 December 2008. In this context, the ministers reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to development and were expected to adopt conclusions on two major issues for the French Presidency: the role of local authorities in promoting development and the strengthening of health systems in developing countries.
The following meetings took place on the sidelines of the Council:
Steering board of the European Defence Agency EU-Tunisia Association Council EU-Jordan Association Council EU-SADC Troika Meeting EU-ECCAS Troika Meeting Troika meeting of the defence ministers with the European members of NATO that do not belong to the European Union and with the other EU candidate countries
Results
The General Affairs/External Relations Council meeting on November 10 and 11, chaired by Foreign and European Affairs Minister Bernard Kouchner, produced significant results on several foreign policy issues:
Piracy: To combat piracy off the coast of Somalia, foreign ministers, joined by defense ministers on the 10th, decided to launch the first EU naval military operation, Operation Atalante. This operation is in support of UNSCR 1814, 1816 and 1838. Its mandate is to protect vessels chartered by the World Food Program which are delivering food aid to displaced Somalis, to protect merchant ships sailing in the area where it is deployed, to monitor the areas off the coast of Somalia at risk for maritime activities, and to take the necessary measures to deter and prevent acts of piracy and armed robbery off these coasts.
Relations between the EU and Russia: Ministers finalized preparation for the Nice Summit in the light of an in-depth assessment of EU-Russia relations made by the Commission and the Council secretariat. The principle of pursuing negotiations on a new partnership agreement between the EU and Russia was decided with the support of virtually all member states.
The presidency of the EU recalled that EU-Russia relations are the subject of an ongoing evaluation which is to continue after the Nice Summit, in the light of Russia’s conduct. This evaluation will be taken into account in pursuing negotiations on a new EU-Russia agreement. Dialogue and negotiation are the best way for the EU to pursue its objectives, promote its principles and values, and firmly defend its interests in a united way, though this does not legitimize the status quo in Georgia or Russia’s conduct when they are contrary to our values and principles.
Western Balkans - Bosnia-Herzegovina: The Council recalled that the signing of the stabilization and association agreement (ASA) represented an important stage in relations between Bosnia-Herzegovina and the European Union. Ministers nevertheless said they are very concerned about the recent developments in the political situation in Bosnia Herzegovina and about the unilateral statements and actions that compromise the reforms necessary to the country’s future. The Council called on the Bosnian authorities to live up to their responsibilities and renew their efforts to adopt and implement the necessary reforms for Bosnia-Herzegovina to move closer to the European Union.
Read the press conference given by Mr Bernard Kouchner (Brussels, November 10, 2008)
More information
Print version