§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the progress of the European common foreign and security policy.
§ Mr. David DavisI have been asked to reply.
The CFSP has been in operation for a little over a year. A number of common positions and joint actions have been agreed and implemented by EU member states on a range of international issues, including support for the middle east peace process; extending the non-proliferation treaty; promotion of the stability pact in Europe; election monitoring in South Africa and Russia; and humanitarian relief in Bosnia, most notably manpower and financial support for the EU administration of Mostar.
The CFSP is a relatively new tool: we are determined to use it to best effect. Already, EU member states are becoming accustomed to developing common approaches and dealing with complex and difficult international issues collectively. We welcome this progress: it is self-evidently in the interests of EU member states that they should be able to harness their collective weight in the international arena.