§ 46. Mr. David Huntasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is satisfied with the development of political co-operation in the Council of Ministers and amongst the permanent representatives; and what initiatives he is planning.
§ Dr. OwenI am very satisfied with the development of political co-operation. We are finding increasing areas of agreement amongst the countries of the Nine on issues as diverse as Africa, Chile and the Belgrade conference.
§ Mr. HuntDoes not the right hon. Gentleman agree that there is an urgent need for a more cohesive and united EEC stance, in particular on Africa in the light of recent events in Zaire and 1383 Rhodesia? Is he planning any political initiatives to speed up this process?
§ Dr. OwenI do not think that the hon. Gentleman gives credit where it is due. Three or four years ago there were major differences of opinion in the Community on African questions, particularly in relation to South Africa. Also, there was a fairly major divide, and very little cross-fertilisation of ideas and exchange of information with regard to Francophone Africa and Anglophone Africa. I believe that the Community's involvement in Africa through Lomé has been a significant new development, and there is now far greater understanding than hitherto.
§ Sir G. de FreitasWhile recognising the point which the Foreign Secretary has made about Francophone and Anglophone Africa, may I ask whether the Government are aware that in the answers given to questions each month in the European Parliament by the President in Office of the Council of Ministers there is very little sign of increasing political co-operation? Surely, the success which we have achieved in this particular respect can be extended to other areas.
§ Dr. OwenMy right hon. Friend points to a genuine problem which the President faces on this issue. I remember it well when I held the Presidency myself. It is extra-Treaty political co-operation, and there is great sensitivity about speaking in front of the Assembly on the Community's position in relation to some of these questions. We find it easier to reach agreement informally as a Council but not so easy to translate that into specific and detailed answers on the floor of the Assembly. This was discussed at the last political co-operation meeting, and when the Presidency comes to Germany the new President—Herr Genscher—has said that he hopes to be more forthcoming in parliamentary answers.
§ Mr. Russell JohnstonCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether prior to the Franco-Belgian intervention in Zaire either France or Belgium used the mechanism of political co-operation either to ask the Community countries about the appropriateness of the action or to give their Community partners some warning of the action?
§ Dr. OwenNo, it was not done in the framework of political co-operation. Because time was so short, there was an ad hoc arrangement involving France, the United States, the United Kingdom and Belgium. There was then an interchange of ideas which went wider as events developed, but initially it was those four who co-operated in the initial response. Zaire had been discussed in the framework of political co-operation in the spring of 1977, when the first incident in Shaba occurred.
§ Mr. JayDoes my right hon. Friend stand by the pledge, so often given, that on matters of basic national interest each member State has a right of veto in the Council of Ministers?
§ Dr. OwenYes, and that is implicit in political co-operation. One has to reach unanimous agreement among the Nine.
§ Mr. HurdWill the Foreign Secretary put some extra effort into this matter? Even if he is satisfied, I am sure that no one else is. Does he not agree that the pooling of information and the occasional issuing of declarations of principle are not enough? Is it not time that we had the will and the machinery to use coherently and consistently the economic and political power of Europe in the defence of Western interests?
§ Dr. OwenMost of the criticism is that the United Kingdom spends too much time on political co-operation and not enough on true Community affairs. I do not think that there is any doubt that we give a very high priority to it. For instance, there is the involvement over the Belgrade conference and the co-ordination of positions there. It also applies to many other areas. For example, at the United Nations Special Session, for the first time ever the Community produced a common position—I admit, not a very exciting one—on disarmament. Hitherto, this has always been thought too sensitive a subject for the European Community to take a position on. I think that this is an interesting and new development.