Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) - European Parliament

On 25 May 2023, the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on International Trade will hold a hearing on the implementation of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement that has been in force since 1 May 2021. Members will discuss with four expert speakers how unprecedented arrangements with a third country have been implemented so far.
Their valuable expertise will feed in the preparation of a joint implementation report on the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement that the two Committees are preparing.
Location : Antall Building - Room 4Q2
Poster
Draft programme
Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

On 24 May 2023, the Committee on Foreign Affairs will hold a hearing on the EU relations with Latin America, a region of strategic importance for the EU with long-standing history of shared common values and cultures. In the recent past the relations have faced some hurdles, which have enabled other global actors such as Russia and China to step in and promote their agendas.
Members will discuss with experts the geopolitics of the region against the backdrop of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, its internal dynamics and influences by China and Russia, and how to make a qualitative leap in the EU-Latin America strategic bi-regional partnership.
Location : Brussels - Antall 4Q2
Draft programme
Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

DRAFT OPINION on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council Establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and amending Regulations (EU) 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, 2018/1724 and (EU)
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Miriam Lexmann

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

Members of the AFET Committee will meet on Wednesday 24 May 2003 - 9.00-12.30 and 14.00-18.00 and
Thursday 25 May 2003 - 9.00-11.00 and 11.00-12.30 (ANTALL 4Q2)

Debates:

• Recent developments in the Lachin corridor and the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan
• New developments in the Gulf and the Middle East region
• Geopolitical dialogue on the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III)
• Situation in Tunisia
• The Democratic Republic of the Congo ahead of the elections in 2023
• Public Hearing on the EU and Latin America relations
• Public hearing on the Implementation report on the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement
• Presentation of the Study on African Union

Votes:

• 2022 Report on North Macedonia
• 2022 Report on Albania
• Framework Agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Thailand
• Framework Agreement between the European Union and the Government of Malaysia
• The protection of journalists around the world and the European Union's policy on the matter
  

The meeting will be webstreamed.

AFET-SEDE-DROI meetings 2023
Meeting documents
Webstreaming
Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

A delegation of AFET Members will travel to Washington D.C. and Wisconsin, U.S. from 15 to 19 May. The main goal of the mission will be to establish and deepen the political dialogue with the US administration and meet counterparts in Congress, following the US mid-term elections.
Members will hold meetings with Government and Congress representatives in Washington D.C. The visit to Wisconsin, a swing and bellwether State, will provide AFET members with an in-depth look into grass-roots America from a transatlantic perspective. On top of meeting the political authorities and institutions of the State of Wisconsin, Members will also meet management and students form the Jean Monnet Programme on European and Global studies at the University of Madison - Wisconsin.
Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted three resolutions on the respect for human rights in Algeria, Belarus and Myanmar.
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on Human Rights

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

Parliament stresses normalising relations between Belgrade and Pristina is a priority and a precondition for the EU accession of both countries.
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

DRAFT REPORT on relations with Belarus
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Petras Auštrevičius

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

On 22 March 2023, the Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing on the situation in the Taiwan Strait. The hearing focused both on domestic developments in Taiwan and on China’s policy towards Taiwan following the 20th CCP Congress in October 2022.
The key role of the US, as well as regional actors like Japan was also addressed, as well as the implications for EU's Indo-Pacific Strategy and security. Members debated with the invited experts from the US German Marshall Fund, Mercator Institute for China Studies and Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique the continuing trend of increases in breaches of Taiwan's defence zone. They also expressed support for a bilateral EU-Taiwan investment agreement and to attracting semiconductor investments into the EU. Experts encouraged continuing the EU-US and the G7 coordination, to develop the EU's own contingency approach and to deter China.
Draft Programme
Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

AMENDMENTS 1 - 182 - Draft report Uzbekistan
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Ilhan Kyuchyuk

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

AMENDMENTS 39 - 217 - Draft opinion Prohibiting products made with forced labour on the Union market
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Salima Yenbou

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

A delegation of AFET Members will travel to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia and the seat of the ASEAN Secretariat, and to Hanoi in Vietnam from 20 to 24 February. The main goal of the mission is to contribute to furthering the EU-ASEAN Strategic Partnership, in particular cooperation between the parliaments, and to enhancing bilateral relations with EU’s major partners in the region.
Members will hold meetings with government and parliament officials in Indonesia and in Vietnam to discuss global and regional security issues as well as to follow-up on the EU-ASEAN Summit of 14 December 2022 and the own-initiative-report of June 2022 on the 'EU and the security challenges in the Indo-Pacific'. Members will also pursue dialogue with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which Indonesia is chairing in 2023.
Location : Jakarta and Hanoi
Mission report
Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

A delegation of AFET Members travelled to Banjul in The Gambia and to Dakar in Senegal from 3 to 7 April. The main goal of the mission was to contribute to further strengthening the partnerships with these countries. Members met with government and parliament officials as well as with representative of civil society to discuss global and regional security issues.
The visit to Senegal presented a timely opportunity to closely engage with a historical partner and symbol of stability in West Africa. The visit to the Gambia enabled MEPs to better understand the opportunities and shortcomings the Gambia faces in its democratic consolidation and reinforce the EU support for important reforms, as a prerequisite for the future development of the country.
Location : Banjul (The Gambia) and Dakar (Senegal)
Mission report
Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP