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Lords Committee question experts on EU's foreign and security policy

10 September 2015

On Thursday 10 September the House of Lords EU External Affairs Sub-Committee will take evidence from Sir Robert Cooper, Professor Karen E Smith and Henry Wilkinson.

Witnesses

The evidence sessions will take place on Thursday 10 September in Committee Room 1, Palace of Westminster.

At 10.05am:

  • Sir Robert Cooper

At 11.05am:

  • Professor Karen E Smith, London School of Economics, and Henry Wilkinson, Risk Advisory Group

Likely areas of discussion

The Committee will discuss the changed strategic context, European strategy-making, the High Representative's report, the European Union in a changing global environment and discuss EU foreign policy priorities.

Possible questions

Questions the Committee are likely to put to the witnesses include:

  • What are the likely divergences between Member States on the substance and process of the drafting of the new foreign policy strategy?
  • The UK is about to embark on its own Strategic Defence and Security Review. Are the two processes, the national and European, complementary? What are the political and practical implications for the UK of a new EU foreign policy strategy?
  • Is it feasible for the EU to seek to act on the global stage, or should it seek to focus more narrowly on regional priorities?
  • What should be the EU's priorities in the eastern and southern neighbourhood?
  • The High Representative has been mandated by the European Council to draft a "global" foreign policy strategy. What is your assessment of this approach? Does the Union have a global role to play? Does it have the capacity and political will to do so? If not, where is it over-extended and where should it focus its foreign policy?

Further information

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