Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) - European Parliament

In its foreign and defence policies, the EU has to be united and assertive, while its member states must take responsibility, say MEPs. No single EU member state can provide, on its own, an efficient response to today’s global challenges, warn MEPs on Wednesday in two annual resolutions, one on foreign policy, the other one on defence.
In the resolution assessing the state of play on the EU´s common foreign and security policy (CFSP), MEPs note that the world is facing a global power shift, with geopolitical competition becoming a leading trend.They express their full support for new Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's decision to transform the European Commission into a 'geopolitical Commission'.

Team up with like-minded partners

MEPs point out that the EU has to switch from a responsive to an anticipatory approach. Teaming up with like-minded EU strategic partners, in particular NATO and emerging countries, is essential to defend the global rule-based order.

Further information
Press Releases from the Plenary session, 15-01-2020
Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

The European Parliament condemns the recent attempted coup to prevent Juan Guaidó from being re-elected President of the Venezuelan National Assembly.
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

AMENDMENTS 1 - 4 - Draft opinion on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of the Investment Protection Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, of the other part
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Isabel Wiseler-Lima

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

The meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee will allow for a first exchange between the new EU leadership and parliamentarians from the national Parliaments and the European Parliament, at the outset of the new mandate. Mr Joseph Borell, High Representative/Vice-President-designate of the European Commission and Mr Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner-designate for Enlargement and Neighbourhood, are invited to participate at the meeting.
The half-day meeting will take place from 14:30-18:30 on Wednesday, 4 December 2019 in room JAN 2Q2 at the EP premises in Brussels.
Further information
Live video streaming on eptv
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

AMENDMENTS 1 - 4 - Draft opinion on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Isabel Wiseler-Lima

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

MEPs call for more action to combat child trafficking and forced marriage, whilst stressing the crucial contribution that kids make in the fight against climate change.
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

Length of video : 69'
You may manually download this video in WMV (835Mb) format

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

This document provides links to all Briefings produced by the Policy Departments of the Directorate-General for Internal Policies and of the Directorate-General for External Policies of the European Parliament, with salient points and essential commitments made by the Vice-Presidents and Commissioners-designates at their respective hearings before the European Parliament. For an exhaustive list of all commitments made and positions taken by the candidates, the full verbatim report of each public hearing is available on the dedicated hearings website of the European Parliament, as are the written questions and answers.
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

This document is a compilation of salient points and essential commitments made by the Vice-Presidents- and Commissioners-designate at their respective hearings before the European Parliament. It is intended to provide you with a practical and concise tool to follow-up on the efforts and actions of the future Commission. For an exhaustive list of all commitments made and positions taken by the candidates, the full verbatim report of each public hearing is available on the dedicated hearings website of the European Parliament, as are the written questions and answers.
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President designate of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, appeared before the European Parliament on 7 October 2019 to answer MEPs’ questions. During the hearing, he made a number of commitments which are highlighted in this document.
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

Commissioner-designate Olivér Várhelyi appeared before the European Parliament on 14 November 2019 to answer questions from MEPs in the Committee on Foreign Affairs (the Committee on International Trade was invited). This document highlights a number of commitments which he made during the hearing. They refer to his portfolio, as described in the mission letter sent to him by Ursula von der Leyen, President-elect of the European Commission, including: Western Balkans and Turkey; Eastern Neighbourhood; Southern Neighbourhood.
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

The Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Committee on Development will hold an exchange of views with last year's laureate of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. Mr Sentsov is a Ukrainian film director who had been sentenced to 20 years in prison for "plotting terrorist acts" against the Russian "de facto" rule in Crimea. After spending more than five years behind bars, he was released from prison in September this year as part of a major prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine.

Further information
Draft agenda
Sakharov Prize 2018: Oleg Sentsov and the struggle of political prisoners in Russia
Oleg SENTSOV, Sakharov Prize 2018
Information for Visitors
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

Length of video : 104'
You may manually download this video in WMV (1.2Gb) format

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

AMENDMENTS 1 - 326 - Draft report Implementation of the common security and defence policy - annual report 2018
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Arnaud Danjean

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

AMENDMENTS 327 - 486 - Draft report Implementation of the common security and defence policy - annual report 2018
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Arnaud Danjean

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

Length of video : 43'
You may manually download this video in WMV (528Mb) format

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

Length of video : 6'4''
You may manually download this video in WMV (68Mb) format

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

AMENDMENTS 1 - 61 - Draft opinion Conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Isabel Wiseler-Lima

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP