How will the UK work with the EU on foreign and security policy after Brexit? Lords EU committee to find out

The Committee will hear, at 10.05am, from:

• Professor Richard Whitman, Head of School, Professor of Politics and International Relations and Director of the Global Europe Centre, University of Kent
• Professor Karen Smith, Professor of International Relations and Director of the European Foreign Policy Unit, London School of Economics.

Questions the Committee is likely to ask include:

• What are the advantages and disadvantages to the UK of being part of the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)?
• The EU has outlined plans to increase security and defence co-operation between the EU-27 after Brexit. What impact will this have on the UK's ability to co-operate with the EU on its Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) after Brexit?
• Could the UK pick and choose what it co-operates with the EU on, such as on sanctions and civilian CSDP missions, but not military missions?
• Would it be in the UK's interest to sign an Administrative Arrangement with the European Defence Agency after Brexit, such as Norway, Switzerland, and other countries have done?
• Which EU Member States should the UK reinforce bilateral foreign policy and security cooperation with?

This evidence session will take place at 10.05am on Thursday 6 April 2017 in Committee Room 1 of the House of Lords.

The House of Lords EU External Affairs Sub-Committee will be carrying out a short inquiry into UK sanctions policy after Brexit. It is expecting to report on this before the summer recess. It will follow this up with a short inquiry, Brexit: Common Security and Defence Policy. This is expected to report in the autumn.