My right honourable friend the Minister for Europe (David Lidington) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. The Foreign Affairs Council and General Affairs Council were held on 31 January in Brussels. My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary and I represented the UK. The agenda items covered were as...

My right honourable friend the Minister for Europe (David Lidington) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. The Foreign Affairs Council and General Affairs Council were held on 31 January in Brussels. My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary and I represented the UK. The agenda items covered were as...

The Foreign Affairs Council and General Affairs Council were held on 31 January in Brussels. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I represented the UK. The agenda items covered were as follows: General Affairs Council (GAC) The GAC was chaired by the presidency, Hungarian Foreign Minister Martonyi. A...

The Foreign Affairs Council and General Affairs Council were held on 31 January in Brussels. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I represented the UK. The agenda items covered were as follows: General Affairs Council (GAC) The GAC was chaired by the presidency, Hungarian Foreign Minister Martonyi. A...

My Lords, I agree strongly with both underlying propositions the noble Lord, Lord Brittan, has introduced. The services directive proposed by Commissioner Bolkestein in January 2004 requires the co-decision of both the European Parliament and the Council. In February, the European Parliament voted through a package of amendments. The Commission will present a revised...

My Lords, I agree strongly with both underlying propositions the noble Lord, Lord Brittan, has introduced. The services directive proposed by Commissioner Bolkestein in January 2004 requires the co-decision of both the European Parliament and the Council. In February, the European Parliament voted through a package of amendments. The Commission will present a revised...

My Lords, does the Minister agree that the progress that has been made with regard to the services directive is the broad emergence at the European Council of support for the compromise reached in the European Parliament? While far from perfect, and not going nearly as far as one would...

My Lords, does the Minister agree that the progress that has been made with regard to the services directive is the broad emergence at the European Council of support for the compromise reached in the European Parliament? While far from perfect, and not going nearly as far as one would...

There was not, as I recall, discussion on the Palestinian situation in the summit itself. We discussed it earlier in the week, in the General Affairs and External Relations Council on Monday. We will get a better idea of Hamas’s real intentions after the Arab League summit in Khartoum. If...

There was not, as I recall, discussion on the Palestinian situation in the summit itself. We discussed it earlier in the week, in the General Affairs and External Relations Council on Monday. We will get a better idea of Hamas’s real intentions after the Arab League summit in Khartoum. If...

I do understand that. On Belarus, the European Union’s view is strong and united, and I think that we will see action.

I do understand that. On Belarus, the European Union’s view is strong and united, and I think that we will see action.

My Lords, there are many fine words in the presidency conclusion. However, is my noble friend confident that last week’s European Council will rescue the so-called Lisbon strategy from failure? That is the issue so far. Can he assure the House that an open and robust system of national comparisons...

My Lords, there are many fine words in the presidency conclusion. However, is my noble friend confident that last week’s European Council will rescue the so-called Lisbon strategy from failure? That is the issue so far. Can he assure the House that an open and robust system of national comparisons...

I am sorry to disappoint the hon. Gentleman but, although he may not have spotted it, we did not join the euro, and I do not anticipate that we are likely to do so in the foreseeable future. [Hon. Members: ““Ah!””] In this case, that is a long time. In...

I am sorry to disappoint the hon. Gentleman but, although he may not have spotted it, we did not join the euro, and I do not anticipate that we are likely to do so in the foreseeable future. [Hon. Members: ““Ah!””] In this case, that is a long time. In...

My Lords, I can only repeat my answer that there was no substantive discussion. We are still in the period of reflection that was identified after the French and Dutch referenda. I can say nothing that will conjure up a discussion on a particular subject in the past few days, however much...

My Lords, I can only repeat my answer that there was no substantive discussion. We are still in the period of reflection that was identified after the French and Dutch referenda. I can say nothing that will conjure up a discussion on a particular subject in the past few days, however much...

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for repeating this fairly detailed Statement. After the rumpus at the summit about language, perhaps I should make it clear that I shall respond in English and not in French—I say that without apology. We welcome the comment at the end of the Statement about Gibraltar....

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for repeating this fairly detailed Statement. After the rumpus at the summit about language, perhaps I should make it clear that I shall respond in English and not in French—I say that without apology. We welcome the comment at the end of the Statement about Gibraltar....

My Lords, with the leave of the House, I shall now repeat a Statement made in another place by the Foreign Secretary, the right honourable Jack Straw. The Statement is as follows: ““With permission, Mr Speaker, I should like to make a Statement about the European Council which took place in Brussels last...

My Lords, with the leave of the House, I shall now repeat a Statement made in another place by the Foreign Secretary, the right honourable Jack Straw. The Statement is as follows: ““With permission, Mr Speaker, I should like to make a Statement about the European Council which took place in Brussels last...

My Lords, a significant number of issues have been raised and there is only a brief moment to reply to them as best I can. I will also do so in English, which I note is the lingua franca of the European Community. The Lisbon process, as the noble Lord, Lord Howell, said, has...

My Lords, a significant number of issues have been raised and there is only a brief moment to reply to them as best I can. I will also do so in English, which I note is the lingua franca of the European Community. The Lisbon process, as the noble Lord, Lord Howell, said, has...

My Lords, we on these Benches recognise that this was an informal summit with, primarily, an economic agenda; therefore, we will focus primarily on the economic agenda. On energy policy, I certainly defer to the noble Lord, Lord Howell, as he is a much greater expert than I am. However, I would say that...

My Lords, we on these Benches recognise that this was an informal summit with, primarily, an economic agenda; therefore, we will focus primarily on the economic agenda. On energy policy, I certainly defer to the noble Lord, Lord Howell, as he is a much greater expert than I am. However, I would say that...

With permission, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I should like to make a statement about the European Council that took place in Brussels last Thursday and Friday. As the House is aware, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister normally makes the post-Council statement to the House. I have been asked to...

With permission, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I should like to make a statement about the European Council that took place in Brussels last Thursday and Friday. As the House is aware, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister normally makes the post-Council statement to the House. I have been asked to...

Let me try to rattle through that long list of questions. On Belarus, the statement of conclusions spells out that the EU will be considering restrictive measures against those responsible. I cannot anticipate precisely what will be decided, but there could be a range of measures, including travel bans and...

Let me try to rattle through that long list of questions. On Belarus, the statement of conclusions spells out that the EU will be considering restrictive measures against those responsible. I cannot anticipate precisely what will be decided, but there could be a range of measures, including travel bans and...

I warmly welcome the European Council’s declaration on Belarus—in particular, the call to release those already detained—and we welcome the announcement that measures will be taken against those responsible in the regime. Can the Foreign Secretary tell us more about the measures being considered against Europe’s last dictatorship? Does he...

I warmly welcome the European Council’s declaration on Belarus—in particular, the call to release those already detained—and we welcome the announcement that measures will be taken against those responsible in the regime. Can the Foreign Secretary tell us more about the measures being considered against Europe’s last dictatorship? Does he...

I agree with my hon. Friend on both those points. Ensuring a broader diversity of supply was one of the summit’s key conclusions on energy. She is right about national cartels. It is curious that several member states have national energy companies that are highly protective of their own market,...

I agree with my hon. Friend on both those points. Ensuring a broader diversity of supply was one of the summit’s key conclusions on energy. She is right about national cartels. It is curious that several member states have national energy companies that are highly protective of their own market,...

May I take the Foreign Secretary back to what he said about the strategic energy review? Apparently it is said in Moscow that it is not so much remarkable that the EU enlarged eastwards, but that Gazprom enlarged westwards. Does he thus recognise that we must secure safety of supply...

May I take the Foreign Secretary back to what he said about the strategic energy review? Apparently it is said in Moscow that it is not so much remarkable that the EU enlarged eastwards, but that Gazprom enlarged westwards. Does he thus recognise that we must secure safety of supply...

The House is united in its condemnation of the elections in Belarus, which were a travesty of democracy, in marked contrast to the experiences next door in Ukraine. The Foreign Secretary says that the matters being considered include travel bans, but exactly how watertight will they be, given the way...

The House is united in its condemnation of the elections in Belarus, which were a travesty of democracy, in marked contrast to the experiences next door in Ukraine. The Foreign Secretary says that the matters being considered include travel bans, but exactly how watertight will they be, given the way...