ENHANCED CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN
UNION AND THE WESTERN EUROPEAN UNION
(20325)
7367/1/99
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Council Decision of 10 May 1999 concerning the arrangements for enhanced co-operation between the European Union and the Western European Union (1999/404/CFSP).
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| Legal base: |
Article 17 EU; unanimity |
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| Department: |
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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| Basis of consideration:
| Minister's letter of 27 November 1999
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| Previous Committee Report:
| HC 34-xxx (1998-99), paragraph 9 (3 November 1999)
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| Discussed in Council:
| Adopted on 10 May 1999
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| Committee's assessment:
| Politically important |
| Committee's decision:
| Cleared (decision reported on 3 November 1999)
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Background
12.1 When we considered this Decision on
3 November, we asked the Minister of State at the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office (Mr Vaz), to put it into context by providing
us with an update on what has occurred since its adoption. He
has now done so in a letter in which he refers to two Explanatory
Memoranda on unofficial texts, which we also consider in this
report[53].
They cover follow-up action by the Finnish Presidency on the Declaration
at the Cologne European Council in June on strengthening the Common
European Security and Defence Policy (CESDP)(see paragraph 12.3
below).
The Minister's letter
12.2 In a letter dated 29 November, the
Minister says that the Decision of 10 May was essentially a fulfilment
of the commitments entered into at the time of the negotiation
of the Treaty of Amsterdam, for Member States to draw up arrangements
for enhanced co-operation between the EU and the Western European
Union (WEU), and for these to be in place within one year from
the entry into force of the Treaty of Amsterdam. He then says:
"However, as your Committee
pointed out, the debate on defence arrangements in Europe has
moved on since the negotiation of the Amsterdam Treaty. The initiative
which the Prime Minister launched at the informal summit of EU
Heads of Government at Pörtschach in Austria in October last
year has already overtaken the arrangements foreseen by the Amsterdam
Treaty, and put in place [with] the 10 May Decision."
12.3 The Minister goes on to outline the
initiative launched by the Prime Minister which led to the Cologne
Declaration on CEDSP. This was a statement of intent by the EU
Heads of Government that new arrangements needed to be put in
place which would allow the EU to take direct decisions on the
deployment of military forces in support of the Petersberg tasks
of crisis management and conflict prevention[54].
12.4 The Declaration foresaw that new structures
would be needed within the EU to enable the Council to take informed
decisions on the need for EU-led military operations. These structures
would include a permanent committee to consider Common Foreign
and Security Policy issues based in Brussels. This Committee would
be supported by a military committee. The Minister comments:
"Of course, all these
arrangements would have to work coherently with NATO structures,
and we anticipate there will be transparency between the two organisations.
The Declaration also foresees that, once these arrangements are
in place, the WEU as an organisation will have completed its purpose."
12.5 The Minister goes on to describe steps
taken by the Government to urge the other Member States to focus
on the need to improve military capabilities in Europe. At the
General Affairs Council on 15 November the UK put forward proposals35
for "an ambitious but realistic" target for the deployment
of forces in response to a crisis management.
12.6 The Minister points out that all of
these proposals are essentially statements of political intent
at this stage. Any amendments to the Treaty on European Union
that may be needed will emerge in the course of the forthcoming
Inter-Governmental Conference and be submitted to the Committee
for scrutiny.
12.7 Commenting on the GAC's agreement that
the Secretary General of the Council and High Representative for
the Common Foreign and Security Policy should be able to take
up the additional appointment of Secretary General of the WEU,
the Minister says that this will help to ensure coherence between
the work of the EU and the WEU.
Conclusion
12.8 We thank the Minister for putting
the Decision into context for us and look forward to being kept
informed in future, in a timely fashion, of any further proposals
for EU legislation in this area of activity.
53 (20699) - ; see paragraph 5 above; and (20700) -
; see paragraph 20 below. Back
54 Article
17.2 of the TEU spells these out as including "humanitarian
and rescue tasks, peace-keeping tasks and tasks of combat forces
in crisis management, including peacemaking". Back
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