Brussels, 20/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - EU defence ministers expect the working session on Monday 23 May in Brussels within the framework of the enlarged Foreign Affairs Council (see other news) to be very brief. The sitting devoted to common security and defence policy (CSDP) is not expected to take more than two hours. Early that evening, the Council meeting will be followed up by the meeting of the Steering Board of the European Defence Agency (EDA), which brings together 26 members of the agency (EU27 except Denmark).
Operations. Defence ministers will first of all meet in the presence of NATO Deputy Secretary General Claudio Bisognerio, in a session devoted to EU operations. Although no conclusions are expected, ministers are expected to open the debate on possibly extending the Somali security force training mission (EUTM) conducted by the EU in Uganda. The option currently on the table and which could be confirmed at the Foreign Affairs Council in June provides for a third training cycle for Somali military to be organised in addition to the two training cycles foreseen in the mission's current mandate (see EUROPE 10354). A number of member states (in particular Sweden and Germany) nonetheless make extension of the operation subject to implementation of the process for the integration of Somali military, and the capacity of the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to successfully carry out the country's process of democratisation. Ministers will also discuss the EU-led naval force off the coast of Somalia (EU NAVFOR Atalanta), which has been given a more robust operations mandate, allowing it to become more involved in the fight against Somali pirates.
Capabilities. During the second working session, ministers are expected to carry out a first examination of the preliminary report on CSDP as requested in the Council's conclusions of 31 January. The report would only be on the military aspects of this policy, including on the initiatives raised in the letter from the Weimar Group last December (strengthened operations planning and conduct capabilities, EU-NATO cooperation). Ministers will also examine recommendations made by the EU Military Committee for the sharing and pooling of certain EU military capabilities.
EDA. The EDA Steering Group is to launch work in the field of air transport, with 17 member states signing an agreement on the European air transport fleet. Eight member states are expected to sign an agreement allowing a mobile laboratory on improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to be deployed in Afghanistan. (A.By./transl.jl)