On 14 September 2021, Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, attended a plenary session of the European Parliament (EP) in Strasbourg, France, dedicated on the situation in Afghanistan.

Taliban forces took control of Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul on 15 August 2021 during a military offensive against the Afghan government that had begun in May 2021. The capture took place hours after Ashraf Ghani, President of Afghanistan fled the country. Most of the provincial capitals of Afghanistan had fallen in succession in the midst of a US troop withdrawal under a February 2020 US–Taliban agreement that is projected to be completed by 31 August 2021.

This video shows an opening statement given by Josep Borrell Fontelles on this occasion.