Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) - European Parliament

REPORT on the Annual Report on the implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy
Committee on Foreign Affairs
David McAllister

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

REPORT on the Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World 2016 and the European Union’s policy on the matter
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Godelieve Quisthoudt-Rowohl

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

AFET will host Albania's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ditmir Bushati to discuss the country's EU-related reforms. With the date of the future opening of the EU accession talks looming large, Members will examine Albania’s efforts to overhaul judiciary, tackle corruption and drug trade, improve internal political dialogue and ensure good neighbourly relations.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

On 4 December 2017, the Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on the "Prospects for Libya in the current regional context". The hearing will assess the current political and security situation in Libya and the prospects for the stabilisation of the country, ahead of the two-years deadline of the Libyan Political Agreement.
It aims to discuss what role the EU should play in order to support the UN-led political negotiations as well as the interests and roles of different regional and international players.

The panel will consist of the chargé d'affaires of the Libyan Mission to the EU, Mr Mohamed Farhat, and of two experts, Mr Karim Mezran, resident senior fellow of the Rafik Hariri Centre for the Middle East in the Atlantic Council, and Mr Mattia Toaldo, senior fellow of the European Council on Foreign Relations. The discussion of this hearing will feed into the recommendation on Libya that the European Parliament is due to adopt in the coming months.
Location : European Parliament, Jozsef Antall (JAN) building, room 2Q2, Brussels
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Parliament is inviting African leaders to Brussels on 22 November to discuss development ahead of the next EU-Africa summit. The conference is set to discuss issues such as peace and security, human rights, sustainable development and migration. African political leaders, African Union representatives and UN officials will debate with MEPs, Parliament President Tajani and Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign affairs chief.

Over the last few decades there have been significant demographic shifts in Africa. Since the 1980s the population has nearly trebled. The continent's population is also very young: 40% is less than 15 years old, while 15-24-year-olds make up another 20%.

This population growth leads to challenges regarding economic growth and job creation, as well as for security, migration and political participation.

The conference on Africa, hosted by the European Parliament will take place in Brussels on 22 November in the run-up to the Africa-EU summit at the end of November in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. You have until 16 November to register for the conference at the Parliament. Check out the link below.

Further information
More information about the conference (registration and programme)
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

On 20-21 November, parliamentarians from across Europe gathered at the European Parliament to attend a High-Level Roundtable on the European integration of the Western Balkans. The morning session of 21 November focused on the financial support accompanying the accession process. In the afternoon, members of EP, national EU and Western Balkan parliaments met in a joint session to scrutinize the EU-related reforms in the Western Balkans, a priority region for the EU.
Further information
Agenda - Interparliamentary Committee meeting in the presence of national Parliaments
Programme - Public Hearing - Mid-term review of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA II): matching funding with political priorities
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

OPINION on women, gender equality and climate justice
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Pier Antonio Panzeri

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Further information
Programme
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Further information
Programme
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Further information
Programme
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Location : Brussels JAN 2Q2Further information
Programme
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Location : Brussels JAN 2Q2Further information
Programme
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

The Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World 2016 and the European Union’s policy on the matter – 2017/2122(INI)
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Nearly three years have passed since the adoption of a revised protocol that will grant the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) legislative powers and considerably strengthen the institution within the overall African governance system. While very few countries have ratified the protocol so far, the acceleration of its ratification procedures is a priority for the recently elected PAP president. The EP and the PAP enjoy a long-standing partnership and both of them have an important role to play in monitoring the Joint Africa EU Strategy (JAES) and its roadmap for 2014-2017. The fifth EU-Africa Summit, which will be held in Côte d’Ivoire in November 2017, will assess the implementation of the road map and identify new priorities for the future. Thematic priorities for the upcoming summit include youth, peace and security and migration, which are now at the heart of the relationship between the two continents.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Signing and ratifying Association Agreements with Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine has proven to be an impressive affirmation of Brussels’ soft power. The EU’s overtures have persuaded elites and mobilised societies despite the fact that the Agreements come neither with a membership promise nor with the kind of financial assistance that has been given to the EU’s new member states. EU assistance has been effective in restoring macro-financial stability in all three countries. While costs of compliance with the DCFTA were calculated, level of investment associated with the necessary modernisation to make these economies competitive were neglected. The discrepancy between costs and benefits should prompt the EU to be more flexible. Brussels’ achievements remain fragile. Informal interests continue to play important roles in these countries and have the potential to thwart reforms. In the absence of strong, de-politicised institutions, the EU should work to support political consolidation—the alternative is further polarisation and political fragility—while at the same time insisting on adherence to democratic standards and strengthened institutional checks and balances.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

The next AFET meeting is scheduled to take place as follows:

Monday, 20 November 2017, 15:00-18:30, room JAN 2Q2;
Tuesday, 21 November 2017, 09:00-12:30 and 15:00-18:30, room JAN 2Q2.

Further information
Information for visitors
Draft agendas
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP