HC Deb 17 November 2003 vol 413 cc652-3W
Angus Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 1 September 2003,Official Report, columns 796–97W, on the European Council of Ministers, what items were on the agenda for the Gymnich Informal Meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs on (a) 1 September 2002, (b) 9 to 10 February 2002 and (c) 2 to 4 May 2003; when the agenda for each was received by his Department; whether the agenda was forwarded to the Scottish Executive; and if he will make a statement. [137294]

Mr. MacShane

The Gymnich Informal Meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs can take in all the key policy issues of the day, as well as broader strategic issues. The last four meetings have addressed inter alia such issues as: enlargement, wider Europe, counter proliferation, Middle East Peace Process, Western Balkans, ESDP and Iraq.

The Gymnich offers Foreign Ministers an opportunity to discuss broad policy themes in an informal setting. The nature of the Gymnich means that there is no formal agenda. The Gymnich does not form conclusions or take decisions. Items to be discussed are set out in a letter from the Foreign Minister of the country holding the Presidency to his colleagues. However, the issues actually discussed at the Gymnich often vary from the preliminary suggestions in this letter.

We usually receive the Presidency's letter about two weeks before the Gymnich. The letter is not a document, which is automatically forwarded to the Scottish Executive. However here, as elsewhere, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is alert to the need to consult the Scottish Executive on issues which touch on devolved areas in Scotland (including non-devolved matters which will have a distinctive impact of importance in Scotland) in line with the Concordat between HMG and the Scottish Executive.

Forward to