Dan Boyle
Question:26 Mr. Boyle asked the Minister for Defence if he will report on the establishment of the new EU armaments agency approved at the recent meeting of EU defence ministers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29498/03]
Written Answers. - EU Summits.
Dan Boyle
Question:43 Mr. Boyle asked the Minister for Defence if he will report on the meeting of EU defence ministers in Brussels in November 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29497/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 26 and 43 together.
I welcome the opportunity to report to the House on the discussions which took place at the recent EU defence ministerial meeting on the margins of the General Affairs and External Relations Council, GAERC, which was held in Brussels on 17 November last.
Key issues discussed were current and possible future EU-led peace support operations including the proposed EU takeover of the UN mandated NATO-led stabilisation operation, SFOR, in Bosnia Herzegovina, capabilities shortfalls and capabilities development post-2003, EU-NATO relations, common training, the protection of civilian populations against the treat of terrorism and the Mediterranean dimension of European security and defence policy.
Following the European Council at Thessaloniki in June 2003, it was decided by heads of state to task the appropriate bodies of the Council to undertake the necessary actions towards creating, in the course of 2004, an intergovernmental agency in the field of defence capabilities development, research, acquisition and armaments. At the meeting of 17 November as part of the discussion on capabilities and capabilities development it was decided to bring forward this work.
This agency, which will be subject to the Council's authority and open to participation by all member states, will aim at developing defence capabilities in the field of crisis management, promoting and enhancing European armaments co-operation, strengthening the European defence industrial and technological base and creating a competitive European defence equipment market, as well as promoting, in liaison with the Community's research activities where appropriate, research aimed at leadership in strategic technologies for future defence and security capabilities, thereby strengthening Europe's industrial potential in this domain.
In this context, the meeting endorsed the report presented on the proposed agency as the basis for carrying this work forward and adopted a decision to create an agency establishment team. The Council invited the Secretary General-High Representative to implement that decision as soon as possible, with a view to the team starting work in January 2004.
The agency establishment team will submit proposals to the council, with a view to launching the agency in the course of 2004.