Nine EU Member States - Germany, Belgium, Spain, Finland, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Slovenia - launched the ‘Group of Friends to foster Qualified Majority Voting (QMV)’ under the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) on Thursday 4 May.
According to a joint statement by the Foreign Ministries of these countries, the aim of the Group - which is open to other Member States wishing to make progress in CFSP decision-making - is “to improve effectiveness and speed of our foreign-policy decision-making”.
In the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the growing international challenges facing the EU, they argue, “EU foreign policy needs adapted processes and procedures in order to strengthen the EU as a foreign policy actor”.
“Improved decision-making is also key to making the EU fit for the future”, the Ministries add.
They state that the Group aims to progress improved decision-making with regard to the CFSP “in a pragmatic way, focussing on concrete practical steps and building on provisions already provided for in the Treaty on European Union”.
The members of the ‘Group’ will regularly take stock and wish to work closely with all EU Member States, with whom they will share the results of their deliberations “transparently”. They also intend to coordinate with the EU institutions. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)