Lords to debate report on EU Russia
On Tuesday 24 March the House of Lords will debate the EU Committee report on the relationship between the EU and Russia, which was published earlier this year.
In its report ‘The EU and Russia: before and beyond the crisis in Ukraine' the House of Lords EU Sub-Committee on External Affairs warned that sanctions may have to be increased, if the situation in Ukraine worsened.
The report also found that in the run-up to the crisis mistakes were made by the UK and the EU as well as Russia. In particular, a key finding of the report was that analytical capacity within the UK and within other Members States had greatly diminished over recent years, leading to a serious inability to read the signs coming from Russia.
Committee Chairman, Lord Tugendhat, who will open the debate, said:
“Our inquiry looked beyond the immediate crisis and considered the history and breadth of EU-Russia relations, including the economic relationship between the two regions, the EU's relations with countries in the Eastern neighbourhood, how the EU should respond to Russian actions in Ukraine and the basis of a future relationship.
“We also took a close look at the Ukraine crisis and the factors that led up to it. Our report found that EU Member States displayed a worrying lack of political oversight regarding the Commission's negotiations with Ukraine. That, coupled with Russia's misreading of the Ukrainian mood, and the EU's misreading of Russian intentions and perceptions, paved the way to the situation unfolding in the way it did.
There has been much interest in the report, as witnessed by our well-attended seminar, and I hope that during the debate on Tuesday we will hear some interesting views on the report as well as some useful contributions to the issue of EU-Russia relations in general.”
The debate will be held in the Chamber of the House of Lords, tomorrow, on Tuesday 24 March. It is expected to start after 3pm.
Members due to speak include:
- Lord Anderson of Swansea
- Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury
- Earl of Caithness
- Lord Cormack
- Baroness Coussins
- Lord Cromwell
- Lord Davies of Stamford
- Lord Elton
- Lord Hannay of Chiswick
- Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield
- Lord Howell of Guildford
- Lord Jopling
- Lord Judd
- Lord Kerr of Kinlochard
- Lord Lamont of Lerwick
- Lord Maclennan of Rogart
- Baroness Morgan of Ely
- Baroness Neville-Jones
- Lord Owen
- Earl of Oxford and Asquith (Maiden)
- Lord Radice
- Lord Risby
- Earl of Sandwich
- Lord Selsdon
- Bishop of St Albans
- Lord Trimble
- Lord Truscott
- Lord Tugendhat
- Baroness Williams of Crosby
Baroness Anelay of St Johns (Minister) will respond on behalf of the Government.
The seminar and panel discussion on the Committee's report took place on Thursday 19 March. Details are on the Committee website and the entire seminar can be viewed again at www.parliamentlive.tv.
The session will be webcast at www.parliamentlive.tv and is also open to the public. Journalists wishing to attend should go to Parliament's Cromwell Green Entrance and should allow time for security screening.
