Conclusions of EU External Relations Council - 2005 ESDP conclusions

2005 ESDP conclusions

Military capabilities

Requirements Catalogue

1. In the context of implementation of the 2010 Headline Goal, the Council approved a Requirements Catalogue incorporating the results of the technical work done to date and elements of the iterative process between the EU Military Committee and the Political and Security Committee. The Catalogue will be the basis for future work. It contains considerations regarding strategic planning hypotheses, the five illustrative scenarios and an initial list of the capabilities required to meet the aims set in the 2010 Headline Goal. The Council will approve the final 2005 Requirements Catalogue once the operational analysis has been applied and its results have been approved.

Single Progress Report

2. The Council noted the Single Progress Report on military capabilities, drawn up in line with the EU Capability Development Mechanism. The Council welcomed the Capability Improvement Chart, which is an integral part of the Single Progress Report and makes it possible to keep track of the progress made under the European Capability Action Plan (ECAP). An overview of the chart will keep the public and the media informed. In this context, the Council considered that further progress will be necessary in the development of military capabilities to remedy the current shortfalls, taking advantage of the impetus given by the establishment of the European Defence Agency and taking account of the evaluation of the EPAC.

ECAP evaluation

3. The Council approved the ECAP evaluation report drawn up by the EU Military Committee and the European Defence Agency. The report contains a detailed review of the Project Groups set up under the ECAP, thereby enabling their work to be refocused in the light of the new 2010 Headline Goal. Consequently, most of the Project Groups will migrate to a new, more integrated process associated with the functions and tasks of the European Defence Agency as defined in the Joint Action of 12 July 2004 on the establishment of the Agency, which include coordinating the implementation of the (ECAP) and any successor plan. The Council asked the European Defence Agency and the relevant Council bodies to implement the report's recommendations and conclusions without delay.

Rapid response

4. The Council noted the encouraging outcome of the Battlegroups Coordination Conference on 11 May 2005. The Council noted that the first two years of full operational capability, 2007 and 2008, will be covered by battlegroups formed by Member States, along with one third State, in accordance with the Council conclusions of 22 November 2004, except in the second half of 2007, for which one of the two contributions required is still awaited. The Council encouraged the Member States to make good this deficiency at a future Battlegroups Coordination conference so that, as from January 2007, the EU will be fully capable of running two concomitant rapid response operations involving a battlegroup, and of launching the two operations almost simultaneously. The Council also noted that initial offers had been announced for the period beyond 2008.

5. The Council welcomed the SG/HR's report on an accelerated decision making and planning process for EU rapid response operations, submitted in March 2005. The Council approved the recommendations made on that basis by the Political and Security Committee, taking into account the advice of the EU Military Committee. These recommendations are designed to ensure that the EU decision-making and planning process can be completed in five days, from approval of the crisis management concept by the Council to the decision to launch an operation, in particular for operations involving battlegroups. The Council asked its relevant subsidiary bodies to implement these recommendations without delay.

6. The Council welcomed the progress made by its subsidiary bodies in implementing the battlegroups concept, and particularly in defining standards and criteria for battlegroups.

7. The Council noted that the EU-NATO Capability Group had continued to address issues of coherent and mutually reinforcing development of military capabilities in the EU and NATO where requirements overlap, including on EU Battlegroups-NATO Response Force. All EU Member States were informed of these issues.

8. The Council welcomed the adoption of the Model Agreement on the status of the forces for EU military crisis management operations. It asked its competent bodies to continue work on providing the EU with the means of improving its rapid reaction capabilities still further.

European Defence Agency

9. The Council welcomed the first report on the activities of the European Defence Agency, presented to it by the Head of the Agency, the SG/HR for the CFSP. The Council encouraged the Agency to continue implementing its 2005 work programme and stressed the importance of the four flagship projects launched by the Agency in its four areas of operation. These projects concern command, control and communications (C3), drones, combat armoured vehicles and the European defence equipment market.

10. The Council received with satisfaction the action plan adopted by the Steering Board of the Agency on the creation of a European defence equipment market. It asked the Agency to implement the plan swiftly, in particular as regards the voluntary arms acquisition regime.

11. The Council also welcomed the progress made regarding resumption of the relevant activities of the Western European Armaments Group and the Western European Armaments Organisation and encouraged the Agency to complete this task within the planned timeframe.

12. The Council stressed the importance of the first three-year financial framework for the Agency, which would be submitted to it for approval in the autumn and would set the level of ambition for the Agency up to the end of 2008.

Operation ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina

13. The Council welcomed the action taken under Operation ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is part of the EU's comprehensive approach in the country and helps achieve the EU's long-term objective: a stable, viable, peaceful and multi-ethnic Bosnia and Herzegovina, cooperating peacefully with its neighbours and remaining irreversibly on track in its European perspective. The Council welcomes the fact that Operation ALTHEA has proven to be effective since it was launched on 2 December 2004, which constitutes a sound basis for the first six-monthly review of the Operation.

Launch of the EUSEC RD Congo Mission

14. Further to the invitation letter of 26 April 2005 from the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Council decided to launch a European Union Mission to provide advice and assistance for security sector reform in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the EUSEC RD Congo on 8 June 2005. This Decision was taken in accordance with Joint Action 2005/355/CFSP of 2 May 2005 on the EUSEC RD Congo Mission.

15. In close cooperation and coordination with the other actors in the international community, this Mission aims to provide practical support for the DRC's competent authorities in the field of security in their efforts to integrate the Congolese army, while taking care to promote policies compatible with human rights and international humanitarian law, democratic standards and the principles of good governance, transparency and respect for the rule of law.

16. This Mission, which is the first of its kind, is a tangible example of the action plan in practice providing support through the ESDP for peace and security in Africa and, on a larger scale, is an example of European security strategy in action. This Mission bolsters the EUPOL Kinshasa police mission and boosts the efforts already being made by the Commission and the Member States in the area of security sector reform in the DRC. The European Union and its Member States confirm that they are ready to consider support on a more operational level for the integration of the Congolese army, particularly on the basis of feedback from the EUSEC RD Congo Mission.

Generic Standards of Behaviour for ESDP Operations

17. The Council noted the generic document on standards of behaviour to be adhered to by all categories of personnel, whether military or civilian, involved in ESDP operations. This document is based on provisions already in force and applied to ESDP operations under way, and it could be adapted, in particular, according to the lessons drawn from ESDP operations and in the light of work currently being conducted by the United Nations and in other international organisations. This "living" document will be used in planning forthcoming ESDP operations in order to ensure that the personnel involved in ESDP operations comply with the highest standards of behaviour.

18. The Council considers that these standards of behaviour should also be applied, as appropriate, to personnel involved in other types of EU presence in areas of operations, in order to ensure consistency in the EU's approach. The Council would also encourage its relevant bodies to carry out further work in areas related to standards of behaviour and in the implementation of other specific aspects of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security.

Fight against terrorism

19. The Council endorsed the Report on the implementation of the Conceptual Framework of the ESDP dimension in the fight against terrorism. This is a "living" document that should be updated regularly, in particular so as to ensure coherence and synergy between the actions undertaken in the field of ESDP to support the fight against terrorism. The report makes concrete recommendations to be implemented as soon as possible for each action point in the Conceptual Framework.

See also: Capability Improvement Chart

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• EU Presidency Report on EU Security and Defense Policy (16/12/2005)
• Remarks by EUHR Solana at Ministers of Defence Meeting  (21/11/2005)
• Speech by EU Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner - Role of Crisis Response in External Relations  (14/11/2005)
• Speech by Crisis Management Initiative Chair Ahtisaari - From Needs to Solutions: Enhancing Civilian Crisis Response Capacity of the EU (14/11/2005)