11th May 2012 London, UK
Yesterday Lord Howell introduced the European Union (Approval of Treaty Amendment Decision) Bill to Parliament, as outlined in Her Majesty’s Speech earlier this week. The purpose of the Bill is very straightforward. It simply provides for Parliamentary approval of a Treaty change which makes explicit the ability of eurozone countries to set up a European […]
25th April 2012 London, UK
On Monday EU Foreign Ministers decided to suspend all EU sanctions against Burma, apart from the arms embargo. This extraordinary decision is very welcome. The British Government has worked tirelessly to build a solid and coherent EU foreign policy towards Burma. We believe that when a nation, like Burma, reacts to international pressure and begins […]
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11th April 2012 London, UK
Last Wednesday, the Foreign Affairs Select Committee published its report into UK-Turkey relations and Turkey’s regional role. Select Committee reports are very important for the Government and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as they provide external scrutiny by parliamentarians that allows us to identify whether or not our policy is working and highlight opportunities for […]
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28th March 2012 London, UK
I was struck by the European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) recent report that highlights how well Member States implement EU legislation that they have signed up to. I was pleased to see how the UK fares. From time to time the ECJ faces criticism in the UK that it looks to interpret EU competence too […]
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20th March 2012 London, UK
The UK represents 12% of the EU’s population yet it currently only makes up 4.8% of the EU’s Civil Service workforce. In 2011 British applicants accounted for only 2.6% of all applicants, lower than any other EU Member State. I believe that a shortage of British staff undermines our influence in the EU. The EU […]
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16th March 2012 London, UK
I recently made my first visit to Estonia and Latvia as Europe Minister. During the visits I was pleased to meet the Foreign Ministers of both countries and discuss a wide range of bilateral issues and international interests, on many of which we share similar views. In Estonia I met Members of Parliament, opinion formers […]
5th March 2012 London, UK
On Friday, European leaders agreed to Serbia being a candidate for future EU membership. The significance of this achievement, and the difficult steps Serbia had to take to get here, should not be overlooked. Serbia has come a long way in the last 20 years. Her EU aspirations have meant coming to terms with the role […]
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28th February 2012 London, UK
I gave a speech yesterday in Brussels at a summit on unleashing growth and jobs which was organised by the Lisbon Council, a think tank. There is no doubt that Europe faces a major crisis. The current difficulties in the Eurozone are having a chilling effect on all our economies. However, I would argue that […]
27th February 2012 London, UK
The situation in Syria continues to shock and appal all those who see the images on our televisions or hear and read the testimonies of those affected by the Assad regime’s brutal repression of the Syrian people. Over 6,000 people people have died in the 11 months since the uprising in Syria began and it […]
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8th February 2012 London, UK
It is unbelievable that in a 21st century Europe there are still barriers to online transactions between EU Member States. Over 40% of Europeans buy goods online but less than 1 in 10 of us have bought something online from a trader in another EU country. It astounds me to see that there are still […]