Menu
UK Parliament
Subsidiarity and Proportionality, Restrictive measures Syria, Investment plan Europe,

European Scrutiny Committee Meeting Summary: 25 February 2015

26 January 2015

Image of UK Parliament portcullis

European Scrutiny Committee met on Wednesday 25 February 2015

The Committee took oral evidence from Mr David Gauke, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, on EU financial matters, including the EU Budget and the Investment Plan for Europe.

The Committee considered the following documents:

EU Strategy in Afghanistan 2014-16

This week we revisit a Joint Communication outlining the key elements for EU strategy in Afghanistan for 2014-16. It focuses on four key areas: promoting peace and security; reinforcing democracy; encouraging economic and human development; and fostering the rule of law and respect for human rights.  The Minister now provides further information, particularly on the outcome of the 24-25 November 2014 London Conference on Afghanistan, which the UK co-chaired alongside the Afghan Government. When we first considered this Joint Communication, we noted that there was nothing controversial in it per se, but did indicate that we were minded to recommend it for debate in due course because of the role that, in one way or another, the EU would be undertaking (with EU taxpayers’ money) in post-2014 Afghanistan and the uncertainties surrounding the essentials for the strategy’s successful implementation. We now recommend this document for debate in European Committee B.

The EU and Bosnia and Herzegovina: Stabilisation and Association Agreement

It has been a long standing goal for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to enter the EU. Before being able to do so, BiH must deliver five objectives revolving around creating a sustainable, multi-ethnic, democratic, law-based state; and fulfil two conditions, including the signing of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA). Delivery or fulfilment of these "Five Objectives and Two Conditions" has proved elusive. The SAA has been ratified by all Member States, but ratification by the EU has been held up by the failure of local political leaders to deliver their side of the bargain. Last November, the British and German foreign ministers met their eight western Balkan counterparts, and proposed a new joint initiative, saying that that if BiH implements the necessary reforms, they would "work to achieve progress on the country’s path towards Europe." This week we consider a proposal for the EU to put itself in a position to swiftly conclude the SAA before the end of March. We conclude that the "conditionality" question, which is supposedly at the heart of the accession process, is epitomised in the BiH story so far. It is not clear to us whether the accession process is being "massaged" once again, for wider political reasons. The Minister does not provide evidence to support this "re-sequencing" which would effectively award the crucial step forward of an SAA without addressing the underlying problems. We ask the Minister for further information, including on what position the Government will be taking in Council on this proposal, and more generally, on the extent to which the "Five Objectives and Two Conditions" have been fulfilled. We also consider issues relating to competence, and the applicability of the UK opt-in to this proposal. The Minister asserts that the opt-in engaged; we do not agree.

Other documents


We are also reporting on documents relating to:

  • Business, Innovation and Skills: European Competitiveness Report 2014;
  • Culture, Media and Sport: The Telecommunications Single Market;
  • Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:  Conservation of sea bass;
  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office: The EU and Central Asia; EU Pre-accession Assistance to Serbia; Free movement and public documents; Partnership and Co-operation Agreements: Philippines and Vietnam; EU Special Representative for Human Rights; EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia and wider issues; EU Special Representative for the Sahel and wider issues; EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa and wider issues; EU Special Representative for Afghanistan and wider issues; EU military mission to contribute to the training of Somali security forces;
  • Home Office: European Public Prosecutor’s Office; 
  • Office for National Statistics: Statistics;
  • Transport: Carbon dioxide emissions from maritime transport;
  • Treasury: European Globalisation Adjustment Fund; Value added taxation;
  • Work and Pensions: European aid to the most deprived; Cooperation within the European Economic Area.

The Committee’s 33rd Report of Session 2014-15 was published on 20 February, covering: Ports; Integrating labour markets; Transparent pricing of medicines; Public and International Procurement; A Statute for a European Foundation; International Organisation for Vine and Wine; EU Military Advisory Mission in the Central African Republic; Partnership and Co-operation Agreements: Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore; Ukraine: EU restrictive measures; EU humanitarian assistance; Inland waterways: freight.

Further information