MEPs criticise lack of information from Council on foreign policy - Main contents

In a wide-ranging report on the EU's common foreign and security policy, MEPs express annoyance at the lack of consultation and information from the Council, and are proposing to see if legal action can be taken.

They ask Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee to see whether action can be taken against the Council at the European Court of Justice for a breach of Article 21 of the EU Treaty, which explicitly states that Parliament must be consulted "on the main aspects and the basic choices of the common foreign and security policy" and that its views must be taken into account.

MEPs also call on the Council High Representative, Javier Solana, to participate actively in the annual debate on the CFSP. The Council should report to the Foreign Affairs Committee on every Foreign Ministers Council meeting and high-level summit with key international partners.

More generally, MEPs say that the future priorities of the CFSP should be the Mediterranean, the Near and Middle East, the Balkans, Eastern Europe and relations with the US, as well as conflict situations, the promotion of peace, security in all its aspects, the fight against terrorism, disarmament and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. MEPs believe security also includes aspects such as energy, climate change and the spread of poverty.

The EU should update its Security Policies with a view to addressing its increasing dependence on energy from ever more unstable countries and regions; the recent unilateral gas delivery suspensions by Russia call for a strategic response from the EU.

MEPs call for a solution to the future status of Kosovo which respects its territorial integrity, upholds minority rights and does not endanger the EU's overall policy for the Balkans. The EU should try and achieve an agreement between the political forces and public opinion in Bosnia-Herzegovina for going beyond the Dayton accords in order to rationalise the institutional architecture and create a more efficient and self-sustainable state. Special attention should be given to the development of Africa. MEPs expressed their deep concern over the large-scale war crimes and human rights violations "which can be construed as genocide" in Darfur. Parliament asks the Council to examine carefully the possibility of sending a military mission to Congo as a contribution to the security of upcoming elections in Congo.

Parliament criticises the present partnership with Russia as reflecting "common economic interests without achieving any progress as regards human rights and the rule of law". The EU policy towards Belarus has achieved few results, MEPs state; therefore new measures should be proposed to strengthen links with the people of Belarus. MEPs also express their hope that Russia will take a more transparent and even-handed approach towards the EU's and Russia's common neighbours. Relations with China should be advanced in such a way that progress is also made on human rights and democracy.

MEPs call on the Council to renew efforts for a revival of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians and to set up a comprehensive strategy for the broader region of the Middle East. Regarding Afghanistan, MEPs warn that ISAF's reconstruction mission should not be merged with the US Enduring Freedom operation.

Finally, Parliament recommends that joint costs for military operations in the framework of the European Security and Defence Policy should come from the Community budget, doing away with the current Member States' subsidiary budgets. This should also be the case for any future ESDP operations in the fight against terrorism. Parliament deplores Council's position for the Financial Perspective, the EU's long-term budget until 2013, which would cut spending on external actions and policies. This sends out the wrong signal on the EU's policy priorities and its willingness to deliver results in the CFSP.