On the role of the European Parliament and its parliamentary diplomacy in the EU’s foreign and security policy

(2023/2105(INI))

The European Parliament,

–having regard to Articles 14(1) and 36 of the Treaty on European Union,

–having regard to the Declaration on Political Accountability of 20 July 2010 by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR),

–having regard to the Council conclusions of 28 June 2016 adopting the report entitled ‘Shared Vision, Common Action: a stronger Europe – A Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy’,

–having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 25 March 2020 entitled ‘EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024’ (JOIN(2020)0005),

–having regard to the EU Strategic Compass for Security and Defence – For a European Union that protects its citizens, values and interests and contributes to international peace and security, adopted on 21 March 2022,

–having regard to Council Decision 2010/427/EU of 26 July 2010 establishing the organisation and functioning of the European External Action Service,

–having regard to its recommendation of 15 March 2023 to the Council and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy taking stock of the functioning of the EEAS and for a stronger EU in the world,

–having regard to its resolution of 12 March 2019 on building EU capacity on conflict prevention and mediation,

–having regard to its decision of 13 September 2023 on amendments to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure with a view to strengthening integrity, independence and accountability,

–having regard to Rule 54 of its Rules of Procedure,

–having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A9-0000/2023),

A.whereas Article 36 of the Treaty on European Union requires the VP/HR to consult Parliament regularly on the principal aspects of and choices made under the common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and to inform Parliament of policy evolutions;

B.whereas Parliament scrutinises and discusses the conduct of EU external affairs, in particular through the work of its Committee on Foreign Affairs and its two subcommittees on Human Rights and on Security and Defence, as well as through its Committees on International Trade and on Development;

C.whereas parliamentary diplomacy can contribute to the achievement of EU objectives and to the promotion of EU values and policies, thereby bringing added value by promoting more coherent and cohesive EU external action;

D.whereas Parliament engages with elected officials and diplomats, as well as civil society representatives and other stakeholders from non-EU countries and multilateral institutions on a continuous basis, in particular through the work of its delegations and committees, including through holding hearings and country visits;

E.whereas the European Parliament has Liaison Offices (EPLOs) outside the EU, in New York, Addis Ababa and Jakarta, in addition to London and Washington;

An emerging parliamentary diplomacy

1.Welcomes Parliament’s growing role in the EU’s external action, gradually evolving from a somewhat marginal to a substantial one, combining its legislative, budgetary and scrutiny powers with multiple forms of engagement with countries and societies from outside the EU;

2.Highlights the distinct role and value of parliamentary diplomacy in complementing and reinforcing the visibility and impact of EU foreign and security policy, alongside the European External Action Service (EEAS), the Commission and the diplomatic services of the Member States;

3.Regrets the fact that despite its distinctive contribution to the achievement of EU foreign policy goals, Parliament has yet to be fully recognised by the Commission, the Council and the EEAS as an integral player within the ‘Team Europe’ approach;

4.Believes, therefore, that great untapped potential exists for Parliament to further develop its diplomatic role and contribution to the achievement of EU foreign policy objectives;

Tools, means and values of parliamentary diplomacy

5.Highlights Parliament’s specific, dynamic and public contribution to the EU’s foreign and security policy through the work of its committees working on external affairs, which contribute to relations with non-EU countries and international organisations;

6.Notes that, under the overall oversight of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, standing delegations complement the work of the committees by establishing a regular and sustained forum for political dialogue with non-EU countries, including through joint parliamentary bodies and multilateral assemblies;

7.Highlights that the standing delegations play a key role as a relay between Parliament and its partners around the world, facilitating interaction, debating positions and policies of common interest, and also listening to partners and conveying their views to the competent bodies within Parliament;

8.Considers that Parliament’s official missions outside the EU form an integral part of EU external policy, which must therefore enjoy the full support of the EU delegations;

9.Believes that the political dialogue carried out by Parliament with governmental, parliamentary and civil society actors across the world contributes to promoting EU views and values on global standards in areas such as climate and energy diplomacy, connectivity, artificial intelligence and digital and technological policies;

10.Stresses the consistent dedication of Parliament to placing human rights and democracy at the heart of EU external action and providing a key forum in which to hear and amplify the voice of civil society and democratic actors from around the world;

11.Underlines the importance and unique nature of Parliament’s democracy support programmes;

Parliament’s contribution to the EU’s foreign and security policy

12.Believes that the next parliamentary term and the establishment of the future Commission should be an opportunity to strengthen the framework of interinstitutional relations between Parliament, the EEAS and the Commission, including EU delegations, in order to enhance parliamentary diplomacy and strengthen the EU’s toolbox for external action;

13.Calls, in particular, for Parliament’s oversight over the work under the EU foreign and security policy activities to be reinforced by enhancing the level of accountability and the transparency of the EEAS and the Commission’s external services;

14.Calls on the Commission, the Council and the Member States to genuinely involve Parliament in the implementation and scrutiny of matters of strategic relevance in EU foreign affairs, as well as in the scrutiny of external financing instruments;

15.Insists on Parliament’s right to information on CFSP matters under Article 36 TEU; in this respect, stresses the importance of finalising, as soon as possible, the update of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 November 2002 between the European Parliament and the Council concerning access by the European Parliament to sensitive information of the Council in the field of security and defence policy;

16.Stresses that Parliament’s oversight function and power to monitor the negotiation and implementation of international agreements grants it a critical role in shaping the Union’s engagement with third countries and its overall action in the international arena;

17.Insists that all key strategic policy documents adopted by the Commission and the Council in relation to the conduct of EU external policy should integrate the role of Parliament therein;

18.Calls for a further strengthening of Parliament’s relations with the Member States’ national parliaments, which are well-placed bodies to act as a relay towards Member States’ executive branches;

19.Considers that Parliament has a unique role to play in bringing EU foreign policy closer to European citizens, in particular by engaging with sub-state entities such as regional governments and parliaments;

20.Takes the view that, in the context of backsliding in terms of respect for human rights and democracy worldwide, Parliament has a specific role to play in helping democratically elected parliaments globally to consolidate their institutional role and internal working methods;

21.Highlights the specific role of Parliament in helping partner countries and, in particular, enlargement countries to strengthen their role in the EU accession process;

22.Reiterates its call to enhance the EU’s institutional capacities for conflict prevention and mediation, and believes that Parliament can provide expertise and a substantial contribution through its bodies and actions in this area;

23.Stresses that the wide interparliamentary network which Parliament has developed through its standing delegations offers a prime vehicle to discuss and coordinate positions with international partners in multilateral forums, for example in relation to UN resolutions, climate diplomacy or positions at the G20, as well as to clarify the intentions of the EU to partners and promote its actions;

Team Europe: Parliament as a foreign policy partner

24.Considers that while Parliament should maintain its full autonomy in carrying out its external policy agenda, joint ad hoc visits and statements by Parliament alongside Commission and Council representatives in relation to key developments in non-EU countries offer a promising area for enacting the Team Europe approach;

25.Highlights election observation as an area where cooperation between Parliament and the EEAS is the most structured, with both institutions conducting election observation activities that are well integrated with each other in several ways;

26.Reiterates its call for more strategic coordination between EU institutions in relation to urgent individual human rights defenders (HRD) cases; is convinced that parliamentary diplomacy may prove an effective and complementary mechanism for engaging with non-EU countries on such cases;

27.Urges each EU delegation to publicise Parliament’s work relevant to its host country, including in the local language on its website, and to follow up with local authorities and civil society groups;

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28.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.