Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Third Report of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Session 2007-08, on Foreign Policy Aspects of the Lisbon Treaty HC120, paragraph 22, what reports on the development of the European External Action Service have been made to Parliament since 20 January 2008; and what steps he plans to take to inform Parliament of progress in discussions on the service.
Answer
[holding answer 13 June 2008]: My hon. Friend the Minister for Europe, Jim Murphy, wrote to the European Scrutiny Committee on 22 April about Treaty Implementation and I gave oral evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 11 June. In light of the Irish referendum result, the planned discussions on the External Action Service at the EU General Affairs Council and the European Council were cancelled. That was the right response to the outcome of the referendum in Ireland. No further work will be carried out, and the work has stopped in the UK until such a time as there is a new suggestion from the French Presidency or a way forward suggested by the Irish Government.