Committee responsible for the promotion, implementation and monitoring of the Union’s foreign policy as regards:

1.   the common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and the common security and defence policy (CSDP); in this context the committee is assisted by a subcommittee on security and defence;

2.   relations with other Union institutions and bodies, the UNO and other international organisations and interparliamentary assemblies for matters falling under its responsibility;

3.   oversight of the European External Action Service;

4.   the strengthening of political relations with third countries by means of comprehensive cooperation and assistance programmes or international agreements such as association and partnership agreements;

5.   the opening, monitoring and concluding of negotiations concerning the accession of European States to the Union;

6.   all legislation, programming and scrutiny of actions carried out under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights, the European Neighbourhood Instrument, the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace and the Partnership Instrument for cooperation with third countries, and the policies underpinning them;

7.   the monitoring and follow-up of, inter alia, the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), in particular with regard to ENP Annual Progress Reports;

8.   issues concerning democracy, the rule of law, human rights, including the rights of minorities, in third countries and the principles of international law; in this context the committee is assisted by a subcommittee on human rights, which should ensure coherence between all the Union’s external policies and its human rights policy; without prejudice to the relevant rules, members from other committees and bodies with responsibilities in this field shall be invited to attend the meetings of the subcommittee.

9.   Parliament’s involvement in election observation missions, where appropriate in cooperation with other relevant committees and delegations.

The committee provides political oversight to, and coordinates the work of, joint parliamentary committees and parliamentary cooperation committees as well as that of the interparliamentary delegations and ad hoc delegations falling within its remit.