Brussels, 24/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - The EU Council does not rule out the possibility of convening an extraordinary session at ministerial level to allow member states to state their intentions with regard to the launching of new initiatives for cooperation in the context of pooling and sharing of military capabilities, according to the conclusions adopted on Monday 23 May by the Foreign Affairs Council enlarged to include defence ministers. At their meeting on Monday evening, EU defence ministers called for a “structured and long-term approach to pooling and sharing”, in a wide array of capability areas. They also agreed that pooling and sharing of capabilities “on a systematic and sustainable basis”, promoting multilateral cooperation, would be a “key method to preserve and develop military capabilities in Europe”. They encouraged the European Defence Agency (EDA) to “continue to contribute to this work by further supporting participating member states (Ed: EU27 minus Denmark) in identifying opportunities for pooling and sharing”.
It was during their informal meeting in Ghent last September that the EU27 agreed that strengthening cooperation in the military field would provide the most appropriate answer to offset the drastic cuts in Europe's defence budgets further to the financial crisis (see EUROPE 10222). Discussion held on Monday on the basis of recommendations by the Military Committee and of a preliminary report by the high representative on the military aspects of common security and defence policy, is no more than the continuation of the process. Speaking at the European Parliament upstream of the Council meeting, Bogdan Klich, Defence Minister of Poland, had said that the Council hoped to finalise a list of projects identified for cooperation at the end of the term of office of the Hungarian presidency of the EU Council, i.e. end of June. Poland, which is to take presidency over from Hungary as of 1 July, could thus continue discussion on these initiatives and draft a final report on pooling and sharing at the end of the year. Member states would have until mid-2012 to launch new projects or extend cooperation on projects that already exist such as European air transport command, Belgian-Dutch cooperation between naval forces or cooperation in the defence of the northern countries or between Baltic states. “The Council will examine progress and achievements on a regular basis, first in the autumn of 2011, including on the basis of the high representative's forthcoming report on CSDP and of inputs by member states”, the conclusions state. (A.By./transl.jl)