Vol. 536 No. 2
115 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Defence the matters discussed and conclusions reached at the meeting of EU Defence Ministers in Brussels on 1 April 2001; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13777/01]
At the invitation of the Swedish Minister for Defence I attended an informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers in Brussels on 6 April 2001. The meeting, an informal event, was not a decision making forum. Matters discussed centred on European security and defence policy – ESDP – in general and in particular on progress made to date on making the EU crisis management capability operational in order to fulfil the Helsinki headline goal by 2003.
Other issues discussed included: the development of a capabilities review mechanism which will allow full transparency and coherence between the EU and NATO processes, while at the same time ensuring the EU's autonomous decision making; the ongoing involvement of non-EU European NATO members as well as countries that are candidates for accession to the EU in the development of European crisis management capabilities and continued dialogue with Russia on the evolving European security architecture so as to benefit from the constructive Russian attitude to ESDP. In this regard the Swedish Presidency is to arrange an ad hoc meeting with the Russian Defence Minister to facilitate an informal exchange of views early this summer.
Question No. 116 answered with Question No. 104.
