§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the status and what are the functions of the EEC Political Committee mentioned in the Press statement issued after the meeting of EEC Foreign Ministers on 5th June.
§ Mr. John DaviesThis committee is composed of senior officials of the nine member States of the European Communities. The committee operates within the framework of arrangements established by the First Luxembourg Report of 1970 on European political co-operation. These arrangements were also the subject of paragraph 14 of the October 1972 Paris summit communiqué.
The committee presents reports to Foreign Ministers of the member States of the Communities on progress in political co-operation and prepares the meetings of Foreign Ministers, which are now held four times a year, for co-operation on foreign policy. Under the direction of Foreign Ministers the committee organises the increasing effort towards foreign policy harmonisation by the nine Governments.