Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Finland and Slovenia formed a “Group of Friends”. It will promote in the European Union the idea of decision-making on issues of common foreign and security policy without the right of veto. The task of the group is to increase the efficiency and speed of the EU’s foreign policy decisions. This is stated in a joint statement by the Foreign Ministers of the listed countries.
The document states that the EU’s foreign policy needs adapted processes and procedures to strengthen the EU as a foreign policy player. “Improving the decision-making process is also key to making the EU fit for the future,” the statement said. Its Thursday, May 4th, quotes TASS.
Members of the “group of friends” agreed to regularly sum up the results and stated the need for close cooperation with all countries that are members of the EU. The foreign ministers also called on other EU states to join the group.
The European Union is an economic and political association of 28 European states. The EU aims at regional integration and was legally enshrined in the Maastricht Treaty in 1992.
