Historiek

D-IQ: Delegation for relations with Iraq

The European Parliament established a permanent Delegation for relations with Iraq (D-IQ) on 6 May 2009. The delegation held its constitutive meeting on 30 September 2009.

A first, ad hoc delegation

Before the permanent delegation was created, an ad hoc Delegation for relations with Iraq had worked to establish a regular dialogue between the European Parliament and the Iraqi Council of Representatives (CoR). This ad hoc delegation was launched in February 2008.

The ad hoc delegation participated in two inter-parliamentary meetings (IPMs) with the Iraqi Council of Representatives: in September 2008 in Brussels, and in April 2009 in Strasbourg.

These two meetings significantly contributed to reinforcing cooperation between the two parliaments, creating the necessary framework for open debates on priority issues, such as the situation of women in the country, security and regional issues, refugees, and EU cooperation assistance.

The standing delegation's first inter-parliamentary meetings (IPMs)

The standing Delegation for relations with Iraq visited Iraq for the first time from 26 to 29 April 2011.

A Working Group of the Delegation held high-level meetings in Baghdad - including with President Jalal Talabani and the Speaker of the Council of Representatives Osama Nujaifi. Travelling to Erbil, MEPs also met the President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (KRG), Massoud Barzani, and the Speaker of the Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament, Kemal Kerkuki.

Issues discussed included: the situation of the region after the Arab spring, the respect of human rights, women's rights, the situation of ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq, the security situation, economic growth opportunities, and parliamentary democracy in the country.

A Joint Declaration adopted after the meeting called for the swift ratification of the EU-Iraq Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which had been initialled in 2010.

In 2012, a second inter-parliamentary meeting was held in Brussels. Delegates addressed stability and the security situation in Iraq, the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, energy, industry and research cooperation, economic and trade links, and human rights.

In the eighth legislature (since 2014)

Meeting again in Brussels in 2014, the European Parliament and the Council of Representatives focused on the fight against the so-called Islamic State terrorism. Other important issues on the agenda included the revenue-sharing agreement between the Iraqi Central Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government, the inclusiveness of the new Iraqi Government, and national dialogue.

The latest IPM took place in Brussels in 2015. MEPs and representatives from the Council of Representatives addressed legal reforms in Iraq (such as the National Guard reform), the fight against the so-called Islamic State, human rights, international humanitarian law, the humanitarian situation of internally displaced people and refugees.

The Delegation for relations with Iraq was set to carry out its second visit to Iraq in September 2016, but the mission did not take place. In October 2016, Iraq launched its final major military battle to liberate Iraqi territory from ISIS/Daesh-control, with the push to free Mosul, Iraq's second city, and the capital of the self-declared ISIS-caliphate.

The last IPM took place in Iraq in March 2023.(ee section on Interparliamentary meetings for more information).