Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) - European Parliament

On 17 March Foreign Affairs MEPs will welcome Dritan Abazović, Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro, several months after the elections, leading to the first transition of power since the introduction of the multi-party system in the country. The debate will offer an opportunity to re-confirm the EP support for Montenegro's EU-related reforms and to discuss government priorities in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected Montenegrin economy particularly hard.
Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

On Friday 12 February 2021, AFET will discuss the details of the renewed partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood with Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement.
The debate follows the publication of the Joint Communication by the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the renewed partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood - A new Agenda for the Mediterranean. The exchange of views will be web-streamed live from 8:30 to 10:00.
Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

On 6 July, the Committee on Foreign Affairs will hold an online hearing on the geopolitical implications of the COVID-19 crisis. The pandemic has had profound geopolitical consequences that inevitably affect key aspects of EU foreign policy, including relations with major global powers, humanitarian aid, development and peacekeeping, and the fight against disinformation and cyber-attacks.
The hearing will provide AFET Members with more insights on foreign policy consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak from leading experts in the area.
Location : (Remote) - 2Q2 - European Parliament - Brussels
Draft programme
Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

On Tuesday 21 January 2020, The Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) will hold a public hearing on the Eastern Partnership - vision of development after 2020.

On 21 January, the Committee on Foreign Affairs will hold a public hearing on the future of the Eastern Partnership. The Members will discuss with experts the achievements and shortcomings of the Eastern Partnership both at the regional and multilateral level. They will also analyse possible evolution of the EU's relations with its six Eastern partners and a way forward for the Eastern Partnership in the next decade.

The hearing will help the Parliament in drafting its contribution to the Eastern Partnership summit, which is foreseen in spring 2020.
Location : JAN 2Q2, european Parliament, Brussels
AFET Public Hearing - Draft Programme
The Eastern Partnership a decade on looking back, thinking ahead
Live Webstream
Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

On 2 December the Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) will hold an Interparliamentary Committee Meeting (ICM) with national parliaments in two sessions. The meeting is scheduled from 13.45 to 15.45 and 16.45 to 18.45, via remote participation.
The first one will be devoted to the situation in the Western Balkans in the perspective of 25 years after the Dayton Accords, and the second one to Belarus and the EU response in support of democratic change in the country. Members of the AFET Committee and national parliaments, as well as those from the Western Balkans will debate in a remote meeting with high-level speakers and experts.
Draft agenda
Watch the meeting live - 13.45 - 15.45
Watch the meeting live - 16.45 - 18.45
Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

Length of video : 55'

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

Length of video : 94'

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

On 18 March, the Committees on Foreign Affairs and on Development will vote on the provisional agreement resulting from interinstitutional negotiations establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument - Global Europe. With a proposed budget of €79.5 billion over the period 2021-2027, this instrument will radically overhaul the manner in which the financing of the European Union's external action is administered.
In an effort to streamline existing external financing instruments, the Global Europe Instrument merges ten existing regulations as well as the European Development Fund into one tool. This will make the financing of EU external action more coherent, transparent and flexible, and will allow the EU to effectively uphold and promote its values and interests worldwide.
Landmark deal on new EU Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument
Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

Length of video : 123'

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

Length of video : 95'

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

On 17 March Foreign Affairs MEPs will welcome Dritan Abazović, Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro, several months after the elections, leading to the first transition of power since the introduction of the multi-party system in the country. The debate will offer an opportunity to re-confirm the EP support for Montenegro's EU-related reforms and to discuss government priorities in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected Montenegrin economy particularly hard.
Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

On Friday 12 February 2021, AFET will discuss the details of the renewed partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood with Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement.
The debate follows the publication of the Joint Communication by the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the renewed partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood - A new Agenda for the Mediterranean. The exchange of views will be web-streamed live from 8:30 to 10:00.
Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

The AFET and INTA committees will hold a meeting under the joint committee procedure on 4 February, with all opinion-giving committees invited to present their positions on the draft EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
This will be followed by another joint AFET-INTA committee meeting on 5 February, where the co-rapporteurs, Ms Kati PIRI (AFET, S&D, NL) and Mr Christophe HANSEN (INTA, EPP, LU), will present their draft recommendation for consent.
Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

AMENDMENTS 1 - 210 - Draft report on the 2019-2020 Commission Reports on Montenegro
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Tonino Picula

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

Length of video : 68'

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

Strategic Sovereignty (or Autonomy) for the European Union appears to be its ability to decide and act according to its own rules, principles and values. The latter include the promotion of multilateralism, respect for the rule of law, democracy and human rights, openness in trade relations. Given rapidly shifting global geopolitical and technology trends, and the seeming fragmentation of the multilateral order, the EU is being forced to strengthen its own position in the international arena.
The EU needs to secure its values and interests in new (and more determined) ways. If the EU wants to "do it its way" to quote HRVP Borrell's "Sinatra doctrine", several questions needs to be answered.

With the assistance of the EU Institute for Security Studies, and of top-level experts, this AFET workshop/webinar will tackle three important questions: 1- How can the EU deal more strategically with interdependencies in a less cooperative world? 2- How should the EU adapt existing and develop new strategic partnerships? 3- How can EU efforts to strengthen multilateralism both reinforce EU autonomy and global cooperation?
Draft Programme
Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

On Thursday, Parliament adopted three resolutions taking stock of the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bahrain and Cambodia.
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on Human Rights

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP