To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the presentation made to the French National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee by the French Europe Minister on 10 November, in which he stressed the need for French and German unity to drive the European External Action Service forward. [HL91]

The presentation on 10 November 2009 to the French National Assembly by French Europe Minister, Pierre Lellouche, on European issues was wide ranging. He mentioned not only working closely with Germany but also the key role of the UK.

On the European External Action Service (EEAS) it will be important that all of the EU member states work closely, together with the EU institutions, to ensure that the EEAS can fully support the High Representative in seeking to make the EU's external action more coherent and effective.