RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND ARMED FORCES The Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces is one of the seven permanent Committees of the Senate. Unlike the National Assembly, in which there are two separate Committees, the Senate decided upon a single Committee to privilege a global view on foreign policy and defence issues. COMPOSITION AND FUNCTION Meeting of 6 october 2011 Composition Function The Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and The Committee usually meets twice or three times a Armed Forces consists of 57 senators appointed so week. The agenda depends on the current as to represent proportionally all of the Senate’s international situation and the legislative calendar. political groups. It is chaired by M. Jean-Louis Carrère (Soc. - Landes). Vice-Chairmen : Secretaries : M. Didier BOULAUD Mme Leila AÏCHI M. Christian CAMBON Mme Hélène CONWAY MOURET Chairman : M. Jean-Pierre CHEVÈNEMENT Mme Joëlle GARRIAUD-MAYLAM M. Jean-Louis M. Robert del PICCHIA M. Gilbert ROGER CARRÈRE Mme Josette DURRIEU M. André TRILLARD M. Jacques GAUTIER M. Robert HUE M. Xavier PINTAT M. Yves POZZO di BORGO M. Daniel REINER Members : MM. Pierre ANDRÉ, Bertrand AUBAN, Jean-Michel BAYLET, René BEAUMONT, Pierre BERNARD-REYMOND, Jacques BERTHOU, Jean BESSON, Michel BILLOUT, Jean-Marie BOCKEL, Michel BOUTANT, Jean-Pierre CANTEGRIT, Pierre CHARON, Marcel-Pierre CLÉACH, Raymond COUDERC, Jean-Pierre DEMERLIAT, Mme Michelle DEMESSINE, MM. André DULAIT, Hubert FALCO, Jean-Paul FOURNIER, Pierre FROGIER, Jacques GILLOT, Mme Nathalie GOULET, MM. Alain GOURNAC, Jean-Noël GUÉRINI, Joël GUERRIAU, Gérard LARCHER, Robert LAUFOAULU, Jeanny LORGEOUX, Rachel MAZUIR, Christian NAMY, Alain NÉRI, Jean-Marc PASTOR, Philippe PAUL, Jean-Claude PEYRONNET, Bernard PIRAS, Christian PONCELET, Roland POVINELLI, Jean-Pierre RAFFARIN, Jean-Claude REQUIER, Richard TUHEIAVA and André VALLINI. THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND ARMED FORCES DUTIES ► LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY The legislative work of the Committee is centred around three types of text : ▪ Bills authorising the ▪ Bills or private members’ ▪ Participation in budget ratification of international bills concerning foreign reviews and votes treaties and agreements policy or defence The Committee is responsible for Although few in number, these Whilst the Finances Committee examining all bills authorising the are nonetheless very important. examines the annual finances bill, ratification of international treaties During the 2010-2011 session, each year the Committee on or agreements, with the exception the Committee was required, inter Foreign Affairs, Defence and of fiscal agreements, which are alia, to review a bill transposing Armed Forces submits referred to the Finances the European texts into the 11 budgetary opinions within its Committee. Every year, the “Defence Package” and a bill remit. Examination of the finances Committee examines some 40 concerning the fight against bill for 2012 resulted in texts of varying importance. piracy, as well as a private 17 hearings before the member’s bill on the Reserve Committee. Forces. Budget Rapporteurs for the Opinions of the Committee EXTERNAL STATE ACTION DEFENCE IMMIGRATION, ASYLUM . Means of International Action AND DEVELOPMENT Mme Leila Aïchi . Environment and the Outlook M. Pierre Bernard-Reymond M. Didier Boulaud . Immigration and Asylum . Cultural and Influential Diplomacy M. André Trillard M. Alain Néri M. Jean Besson M. Jeanny Lorgeoux M. Raymond Couderc M. René Beaumont . Preparation and Employment of the . French Citizens Living Abroad Armed Forces MEDIA Mme Hélène Conway Mouret M. Gilbert Roger . External Audiovisual Action M. Robert del Picchia M. André Dulait M. Yves Rome . Support of the Armed Forces Mme Joëlle Garriaud-Maylam STATE AID FOR DEVELOPMENT Mme Michelle Demessine . Economic and Financial Aid M. Jean-Marie Bockel SECURITY M. Jean-Claude Peyronnet . Equipment . Gendarmerie M. Christian Cambon M. Xavier Pintat M. Michel Boutant . Solidarity M. Daniel Reiner M. Gérard Larcher M. Jean-Claude Peyronnet M. Jacques Gautier M. Christian Cambon ► INFORMATION AND CONTROL Hearings Duties Information Reports The Committee organises The Committee’s remit often The Committee compiles numerous hearings, particularly requires it to travel both in France numerous reports on a wide of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and abroad. Traditionally, the variety of subjects. During the last and Defence. During the 2010- Committee visits a number of session, twelve reports were 2011 sessions, there were 54 theatres of operations in which published. hearings before the Committee, French troops are engaged, the usually accompanied by Balkans, Africa and Afghanistan. memoranda drawn up by the Once a year, it also travels to the secretariat. United Nations for the General Assembly. THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND ARMED FORCES Information Reports published during the 2010-2011 Session x Anti-ballistic Missile Defence : Military Shield or Strategic x The FDA, the Spearhead of French Cooperation Challenge? x The Security of strategic supplies for France x Kosovo Three Years after Independence x France’s African Policy x Brazil : The Emergence of a Global Power x Guyana : A Global Approach to Security x For a Special Strategic Partnership between the European x For a National Security Reserve Force Union and Russia x The Preconditions for France’s Engagement in NATO’s Anti- x Croatia, the 28th Member of the European Union Ballistic Missile Defence x The Strategic Anticipation Function : Stronger since the White Book ? Particular Forms of Control Quarterly Review of the Execution of the Debate and Vote on the Intervention of the Defence Budget Armed Forces Abroad Every quarter, the special rapporteurs and the Following the revision of 23 July 2008, Article 35 of rapporteurs for the opinions of the National the Constitution requires the Government to inform Assembly and the Senate meet at the Ministry of Parliament of any decision it takes to have the Defence to review the execution of the Finances Act armed forces intervene abroad no later than three and any other question regarding the defence days after the commencement of the intervention. budget. This enables the rapporteurs concerned Should it last longer than four months, the regularly to monitor developments in respect of the Government must request Parliament to authorise budgetary resources allocated to defence and to extension of the intervention. evaluate the effectiveness of military expenditure. To date, this procedure has been applied in the following cases : The Parliamentary Intelligence Committee 12 July 2011: Libya The Chairman of the Committee is an ex officio 28 July 2009 : Ivory Coast, Kosovo, Lebanon, member of the Parliamentary Intelligence Republic of Chad and Central African Republic, Committee, which monitors the activities of the Afghanistan intelligence services. 22 September 2008 : Afghanistan ► OTHER ACTIVITIES Interparliamentary Relations The Committee frequently receives representatives To monitor the implementation of Franco-British of international organisations and foreign defence and bilateral cooperation agreements, a governments or parliaments. It maintains regular joint working party was set up, consisting of relations with the sister Committees of other representatives of the defence Committees of the parliaments and with the European Parliament, British House of Commons and House of Lords and notably at meetings of the chairmen of Committees the French National Assembly and the Senate. The of foreign affairs and defence of national parliaments Joint Working Party meets every six months, in the European Union ; these are normally held alternating between France and the United every six months. Kingdom. Lastly, the Secretariat of the Committee is also the Secretariat of the Senate’s Delegation to NATOS’ Parliamentary Assembly. External Activities The Committee appoints various of its members to Every year, and jointly with the Defence Committee sit on different boards, for example the Board of of the National Assembly, the Committee organises the French Institute, the Board of the French “summer defence universities” attended by Development Agency and the Board of the Agency members of Parliament, military personnel and for Teaching French Abroad. manufacturers interested in defence issues. THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND ARMED FORCES FOR ALL INQUIRIES, CONTACT THE RELEVANT DEPARTMENT OF THE COMMITTEE : 46 rue de Vaugirard 75006 PARIS M. Olivier DELAMARE-DEBOUTTEVILLE, Senior Adviser, Head of Department (00 33) (0) 1 42 34 23 64 General Organisation and Coordination of the Work of the Committee [email protected] France’s Foreign Policy. General Problems of National Defence. UNO Latin America Mlle Dominique-Alice ROBERT, Adviser (00 33) (0) 1 42 34 23 03 Treaties and Conventions. [email protected] M. Jean-Marc VIRIEUX, Adviser (00 33) (0) 1 42 34 35 06 External State Action : Cultural and Influential Diplomacy [email protected] Media : External Audiovisual Action. Defence : General Administration and Assistance North America M. Frédéric MAURO, Adviser (00 33) (0) 1 42 34 46 53 Defence : Equipment of the Armed Forces – Research and Technology [email protected] Funding and Control of Defence Policy Strategic Questions, Disarmament, Proliferation Near and Middle East M. Sébastien MOSNERON DUPIN, Junior Adviser (00 33) (0) 1 42 34 23 02 State Aid for Development : Economic and Financial Aid [email protected]