HL Deb 03 December 1998 vol 595 cc55-6WA
Lord Pearson of Rannoch

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many working groups have been set up in Brussels to discuss matters of common interest to European Union member states under the Common Foreign and Security Policy; whether they will list the subjects under discussion by each group; and by whom each group was set up and to whom it reports. [HL25]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean

There are 28 working groups which discuss Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) matters.

The subjects covered by the groups are:

  • Administrative Affairs
  • Africa
  • Armaments Policy
  • Asia
  • Central Europe
  • Communications
  • Consular Matters
  • Conventional Arms Exports
  • Drugs
  • Eastern Europe and Central Asia
  • Euro-Med (Mashreq/Maghreb)
  • Global Disarmament
  • Human Rights
  • Latin America
  • Law of the Sea
  • Mashreq/Maghreb
  • Middle East/Gulf
  • Middle East Peace Process
  • Nuclear Non-Proliferation
  • OSCE
  • Policy Planning
  • Protocol
  • Public International Law
  • Security
  • South-East Europe
  • Terrorism
  • United Nations
  • Western Balkans Region.

CFSP working groups are set up by the Presidency of the Council of the Union. They report to the Council of the Union.