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EUHR Solana intervention on Defence matters at GAERC

Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, addressed today EU Ministers of Defence on the occasion of the General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting. Highlights of his interventions are reproduced below.

ESDP 2003 - a landmark year

• We can be satisfied with the progress made in the field of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) in many ways. This year witnessed remarkable progress, in particular as regards the planning and implementation of three operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUPM), the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia ("Concordia") and the Democratic Republic of Congo ("Artemis"). The development in the near future of a fourth operation in fYROM (Police Mission "Proxima") further illustrates our positive progress in the ESDP field.
  
  
• The relationship between the European Union and NATO has also been one of our main achievements in this area, with decisions on permanent arrangements ("Berlin Plus").
  
  
• The European Council has already indicated the Union's willingness to lead a military operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina following the mandate of the NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR), based on "Berlin Plus" arrangements with NATO.
  
  
• The signature of the European Union - United Nations joint declaration on co-operation in crisis management is also one of the achievements that I would like to highlight. Furthermore, our co-operation with the UN will certainly be reinforced by the successful outcome of operation "Artemis" in Congo.

Military capabilities development

• I see with satisfaction that we are now close to the "Helsinki Headline Goals" set in 1999, in quantitative terms. Of course, we need to make further efforts to fill remaining shortfalls in our military capabilities. We are all aware that more attention needs to be given to the qualitative aspects of our goals, particularly as regards the higher risk we would need to take when deploying our military forces to crisis areas. Concrete commitments by Member States, including timelines for implementation, are crucial.
  
  
• I agree with the timeframe 2010 as discussed in Rome at the informal meeting of Ministers of Defence on 3-4 October this year. It will reflect the enlargement process and the outcome of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC), as well as our collective efforts in the field of strategic capabilities and allow for better co-ordination with existing armaments' schedules and for the definition of capability requirements in the light of the European Security Strategy (ESS).

European Security Strategy (ESS)

• A new draft of the European Security Strategy, based on the first draft presented at the Thessaloniki European Council in June 2003, will be adopted at the European Council on 12-13 December. The new text tries to reflect the result of the discussions held in the three international workshops held since then and draws on the input given by Member States.
  
  
• Responding efficiently to the threats identified in our ESS paper will require us to be more capable and will require the transformation of our military into a more flexible and mobile force. Of course, the development of our capability should take into account both the military and civilian aspects of crisis management.

Defence Agency

• I am particularly pleased with the decision to create the Defence Agency. I would like to thank Ministers of Defence for their most constructive input. Their presence in the Defence Agency's Steering Board will certainly contribute to give continued impetus to its future work.
  
  
• As future Head of the Defence Agency, I am strongly committed to seeing that the "Agency Establishment Team" can start its work in January 2004. The team will, under my authority, report on its work to the Member States, including the Group of Personal Representatives of Defence Ministers.
  
  
• I hope that we can all keep the momentum going and concentrate our efforts in making sure that the Agency can start operating before the Summer of 2004. I will do my best to give the Agency a strong profile in terms of efficiency, competence and results of its work.
  
  
• Delivering capabilities means developing capabilities, but also looking downstream at procurement and armaments and upstream at requirements and research. It is essential to keep this type of balance when developing the Agency.

Background information:
Annex on the aims and institutional aspects of the Defence Agency.

_____________

ANNEX I

AGENCY IN THE FIELD OF DEFENCE CAPABILITIES DEVELOPMENT, RESEARCH, ACQUISITION AND ARMAMENTS

- Background information -


17 November 2003: the Council agrees to create an Agency in the field of Defence capabilities development, research, acquisition and armaments. It tasks a Team (the Agency Establishment Team) to take work forward on the financial, legal and administrative aspects of the setting up of the Agency and its internal organisation, as well as on its establishment in particular regarding its missions in the field of defence capabilities development, research, acquisition and armaments. The Agency Establishment Team will submit proposals by the end of April 2004 with a view to the adoption of the necessary decisions by the Council by June 2004.
(Note:

• Tasking by Thessaloniki European Council
  
  
• Agency also mentioned in draft Constitution currently before the IGC.)

Aims

Overall aim of the Agency: support Member States in their effort to improve European defence capabilities in support of European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP).

Main specific aims:

• Developing defence capabilities in the field of crisis management by:
  • 
    
  • identifying, in association with Council bodies, the EU's future capability requirements
    
    
  • assessing the capability commitments given by Member States through the ECAP (European Capability Action Plan ) process, and using the CDM (Capability Development Mechanism);
    
    
  • promoting harmonisation of military equipments, identifying collaborative activities in the operational domain and providing appraisals on financial priorities for capabilities development and acquisition.
  
  
• Promoting and enhancing European armaments cooperation by:
  • 
    
  • proposing multilateral projects to meet ESDP capabilities requirements
    
    
  • striving for coordination of programmes implemented by Member States and for the management of specific cooperation programmes.
  
  
• The identification and implementation of policies and measures aimed at strengthening the European defence industrial and technological base; supporting the creation, in liaison with the Commission, as appropriate, of an internationally competitive European defence equipment market.
  
  
• Promoting - in liaison with Community research activities where appropriate - research aimed at fulfilling future defence and security capabilities requirements.

Institutional aspects

The Agency is:

• to be subject to the Council's authority, within the single institutional framework of the EU; Defence ministers within the Council will have responsibility for the Agency.
  
  
• to be set up by a Council Joint Action, which will i.a. specify the decision-making procedures within the Agency.

Council decisions relating to the Agency are to be taken by the Council (GAERC) meeting in Defence ministers composition.

The EU's Political and Security Committee is to receive reports and provide guidelines. The Agency is to draw on the competence and expertise of the EU Military Committee, as well as EU National Armaments Directors on issues of their competence

Structure of the Agency:

• A Steering Board will be the Agency's governing body (Defence Ministers of the participating EU Member States - or their representatives - authorised to commit their governments, and a representative of the Commission . It meets at the level of the Ministers of Defence or their representatives)
  
  
• The Head of the Agency will be the Secretary General/High Representative, who will chair SB meetings
  
  
• A Chief Executive will be appointed.

Budgetary arrangements will be worked out during the establishment phase of the Agency.

Participation

The Agency will be open to participation by all Member States. The Commission will be fully associated to the work of the Agency.

External working relations

The Agency should establish working relations with the relevant elements of existing organisations, arrangements and groupings such as OCCAR, L.o.I., and WEAG/WEAO, with a view to incorporating them or to assimilating their principles and practices.

Reciprocal transparency and coherent development will be ensured between the Agency and relevant NATO bodies within their respective competencies and the established framework of cooperation and consultation.

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