Paris, 19 June 2006 – Karel de Gucht, the Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs, on Monday proposed setting up a “system of EU liaison groups” on specific questions to increase the efficiency of CFSP working practices.

Addressing the WEU Assembly, as Belgium takes over the WEU Presidency, Mr de Gucht said that groups of this kind could be formed of the High Representative (for the CFSP), the European Commission, the Presidency and groups of member states “willing and able” to join forces on a specific European foreign policy questions.

The Minister noted that, through a “committed alliance” of this nature, the common interests of the Union in its entirety could be upheld and that it would also help “reduce the lack of transparency resulting from the increasing use of ad hoc arrangements”. He added that this gradualist approach would also increase the effectiveness and appeal of the EU's foreign policy, which in many respects was still able to offer little more than declarations in support of peace, democracy and human rights.

During his speech, Mr de Gucht congratulated the WEU Assembly as an “important interparliamentary forum”, describing it as a “bridge between national parliaments”. When asked about the need for interparliamentary scrutiny of the CFSP, he replied that it was a case of knowing at what level such scrutiny should take place. The difficulty lay in having a system of interparliamentary scrutiny that could genuinely influence decision-making, he observed, recalling that the European Parliament only had the right to “discuss” CFSP matters. The Minister invited the European Parliament, the WEU Assembly and national parliaments to work hand in hand on this subject.