European Union

On 30 April, the Committee onf Foreign Affairs will discuss with the Vice-President of the European Commission/ High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell the latest report by the European External Action Service about disinformation around COVID-19 pandemic.
The discussion will be an opportunity for MEPs to get more insight into the proliferation of disinformation activities related to Coronavirus around the world and in particular those targeting the EU and its wider neighbourhood.
Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

MEPs and High Representative/Vice President Josep Borrell will discuss the latest report by the European External Action Service about disinformation on COVID-19, on Thursday.
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

The French Navy’s new nuclear attack submarine made its first sea trip on April 28

Tag: Suffren

The Subcommittee on Security and Defence will discuss the Foreign Affairs Committee's draft report on EU-African security cooperation in the Sahel region, West Africa and the Horn of Africa, on 27 April. The Foreign Affairs Committee's draft motion for resolution on the implementation of the common position regarding arms export will also be looked into.
Meeting agenda and documents
Live streaming
EU Fact Sheets: External relations policy
Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

OPINION on Guidelines for the 2021 budget – Section III
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Nikos Androulakis

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

BPC Mistral (Antilles et Guyane), BPC Dixmude (Réunion) et BPC Tonnerre (Corse) sont mobilisés.

Tag: BPCOpération Résilience

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

On 20 April, the Committee onf Foreign Affairs in association with the sub-committees on human rights (DROI) and security and defence (SEDE) will discuss with the Vice-President of the European Commission/ High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for foreign affairs and geopolitical situation.

The discussion will follow the Joint Communication on the Global EU response to COVID-19 focusing on the EU role in combating the coronavirus crises on the international scene. It will address the measures and actions taken by the EU and its Member States in third countries, and particularly the countries in the EU's immediate neighbourhood. The discussion will also focus on the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020- 2024 due to be adopted by the Foreign Affairs Council.
Webstreaming
Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

DRAFT REPORT on EU-African security cooperation in the Sahel region, West Africa and the Horn of Africa
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Javier Nart

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

On 20 April, the Committee onf Foreign Affairs in association with the sub-committees on human rights (DROI) and security and defence (SEDE) will discuss with the Vice-President of the European Commission/ High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for foreign affairs and geopolitical situation.
The discussion will follow the Joint Communication on the Global EU response to COVID-19 focusing on the EU role in combating the coronavirus crises on the international scene. It will address the measures and actions taken by the EU and its Member States in third countries, and particularly the countries in the EU's immediate neighbourhood. The discussion will also focus on the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020- 2024 due to be adopted by the Foreign Affairs Council.
Webstreaming
Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

Tag: Operation Irini

“North Macedonia is now part of the NATO family, a family of 30 nations and almost 1 billion people. A family based on the certainty that, no matter what challenges we face, we are all stronger and safer together," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement. Macedonian President Stevo Pendarovski said: "We cannot rejoice and mark the event as it should [be marked] … But, this is a historic success that after three decades of independence, finally confirms Macedonian security and guarantees our future. Congratulations to all of you! We deserve it!”

Pendarovski signed the so-called instrument of accession after Spain earlier in the week became the last alliance member to ratify the former Yugoslav republic’s membership.

Since gaining independence, one of the strategic goals of the country was to join NATO, as was stated in 1993, and the relationship with Alliance was always marked by close cooperation. North Macedonia joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) in 1995, and in 1999 the country submitted its first Membership Action Plan. Furthermore, North Macedonia deployed troops in support of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan from 2002 to end 2014 and is currently supporting the follow-on Resolute Support mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan security forces. Before that, the country was a key partner in supporting NATO-led operations in Kosovo in 1999, as well as to provide logistical support to the Kosovo Force (KFOR) mission.

The 20th NATO Summit in Bucharest in 2008 was more than symbolic, as it was expected that Albania, Croatia and (then) Macedonia would receive an invitation to join NATO. However, although Albania and Croatia did receive the invitation and became members a year later.

It marks the end of a long quest for the former Yugoslav republic. Joining NATO and the European Union has been a priority for its leaders, but a dispute with neighboring Greece over the country’s name stalled progress for more than two decades. North Macedonia previously was known as FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), a name it shared with a Greek province. Under a 2017 deal with Athens, the country changed its name and Greece agreed to drop objections to its NATO and eventual EU membership.

On the other hand, Kržalovski thinks that until now the participation of North Macedonia in NATO mission was symbolic.

“We have also increased defense part of the budget, though we are not at the level of 2% of the GDP yet. As a small country, both the requirements and expectations from other members are not so high, and our participation so far in NATO missions were rather symbolic, although we have participated with a relatively high number of soldiers in proportion to the overall size of the Army”, explains Kržalovski.

The budget increase that he mentions is DEN 10,133,000,000 for 2020, or about 1.4% of North Macedonia’s total GDP, which is an increase over 2019 when it was about 1.19% of total GDP. Interestingly, this is a third year of the defense budget increase, but it is still far from the prescribed 2% of BDP. However, this is not a major problem, as many current NATO members have not fulfilled this provision.

Source

Weekly schedule of President Charles Michel 9-15 March 2020

President Michel received the letters of credentials from four new ambassadors to the European Union.

Foreign Affairs Council ministers issued a statement on the crisis in Idlib and the situation at the EU external borders with Turkey.

The Council today adopted conclusions on air quality which give political guidance for further work to combat air pollution.

The EU is complying with the pledges made in the Paris Agreement. Today, the Council adopted the submission of the EU's mid-century, long-term objective to the United Nations

In his opening speech at the Centre for European Policy Studies - Ideas Lab 2020, President Michel outlined his vision for the single currency and how the euro could play a more prominent role internationally.

The Council extended the asset freezes directed against certain persons responsible for the misappropriation of Ukrainian State funds until 6 March 2021.