STRENGTHENING THE COMMON EUROPEAN POLICY
ON SECURITY AND DEFENCE
(20699)
—
|
Presidency Report on strengthening of the Common European Policy on Security and Defence: first measures on the military instruments of crisis management and guidance for further work.
|
| Legal base:
| — |
| |
| Department: |
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
|
| Basis of consideration:
| Opinion of the Defence Committee
|
| Previous Committee Report:
| HC 23-ii (1999-2000), paragraph 5 (1 December 1999)
|
| Discussed in Council:
| Helsinki European Council on 10 December 1999
|
| Committee's assessment:
| Politically important |
| Committee's decision:
| Cleared |
5.1 The Cologne European Council in June
1999 issued a Declaration in which guiding principles were set
out for future arrangements for the European Union to undertake
EU-led military operations in response to international crises
and in support of conflict prevention.
5.2 On 24 November 1999 the Finnish Presidency
submitted a Progress Report to the Helsinki European Council which
included a number of proposals on which the agreement of the Council
was later given. These related to:
(1) setting of "a
common European headline goal" on readily deployable military
capabilities for carrying out the full range of Petersberg tasks
for conflict prevention and crisis management[11];
(2) the setting up of new political and military
bodies within the Council to facilitate political control and
strategic direction of EU-led Petersberg operations;
(3) agreement on the principles for co-operation
with non-EU European NATO members[12],
without prejudice to the EU's decision-making autonomy; and
(4) agreement on the need to ensure transparency
between the EU and NATO.
5.3 We considered that the document covered
issues of major importance and decided to ask the Defence Committee
formally for its opinion.
5.4 On 19 April the Defence Committee published
its opinion as its Eight Report of this Session[13].
5.5 We note in particular the Defence Committee's
conclusion, which we reproduce at the Annex to this paragraph.
Conclusion
5.6 This progress report was the first
European Union document on which we sought the opinion of another
Select Committee. The Defence Committee gave the document its
full and serious consideration and we are impressed with the informative
Report which it has produced.
5.7 The Defence Committee has clearly
set out the difficulties faced by the EU in implementing the CESDP.
We consider that Committee's Opinion to be a useful and thoughtful
contribution in a controversial policy area. We now clear the
document, but recommend it as relevant to the debate on European
Affairs on the Floor of the House on 15 June.
11 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
12 Czech
Republic, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Poland and Turkey. Back
13 European
Security and Defence: Eighth
Report from the Defence Committee, HC 264 (1999-2000). Back
| 
