European Union

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of the European Union

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European Union
This article is part of the series: Foreign relations of the European Union
Foreign policy High Representative Javier Solana ER Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner European Parliament AFET Committee Economic Relations Diplomatic Missions Eurosphere
Security policy Defence Initiative Synch. Armed Forces Europe Defence Procurement Petersberg tasks Helsinki Headline Goal Structures Political and Security Committee Military Committee Military Staff Operations Centre Security & Defence College Defence Agency Institute for Security Studies Satellite Centre Military forces Eurofor Battlegroup Gendarmerie Eurocorps Deployments
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Near abroad EFTA/EEA Iceland Liechtenstein Norway Switzerland Neighbourhood Policy Eastern Partnership Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Georgia Moldova Ukraine Mediterranean Union Israel Morocco European microstates
Other relations G8 Canada Cape Verde Malaysia People's Republic of China Russia United States Transatlantic Economic Council NATO ACP countries Brazil Overseas territories Greenland
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The General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) is one of the oldest configurations of the Council of the European Union. It holds separate meetings on General Affairs and on External Relations respectively. It meets once a month, more frequent that most other configurations.

Meetings bring together the Foreign Ministers of the Member States. Ministers responsible for European Affairs, Defence, Development or Trade also participate depending on the items on agenda.

Contents 1 General Affairs 2 External Relations 3 Changes 4 External links

[edit] General Affairs

At its sessions on General Affairs, the Council deals with dossiers that affect more than one of the Union's policies, such as negotiations on EU enlargement, preparation of the Union's multi–annual budgetary perspective or institutional and administrative issues. It co–ordinates preparation for and follow-up to meetings of the European Council. It also exercises a role in co–ordinating work on different policy areas carried out by the Council's other configurations, and handles any dossier entrusted to it by the European Council.

[edit] External Relations

At its sessions on External Relations, the Council deals with the whole of the Union's external action, including Common Foreign and Security Policy, European Security and Defence Policy, foreign trade and development cooperation. A priority in recent years for the Council, in cooperation with the European Commission, has been to ensure coherence in the EU's external action across the range of instruments at the Union's disposal.

[edit] Changes

Under the Treaty of Lisbon, the external relations configuration are separate from general affairs and are headed by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy rather than operate under the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

[edit] External links

• About the General Affairs & External Relations Council, Europa (web portal)
• General Affairs and External Relations (English) - 2007, Press releases from Council meetings - Council of the European Union

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