At a ceremony on the sidelines of the Foreign Affairs (Defence) Council on Monday 13 November, the member states wishing to join the permanent structured cooperation on defence (PESCO) will jointly sign the notification letter addressed to the Council and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini.
This 11-page letter results from a joint proposal by France, Germany, Italy and Spain. According to a European source, it contains 20 commitments, divided into the five proposed criteria areas (investment; identification of needs; availability, inter-operability, flexibility and deployment capability; cooperation to address gaps; and development of joint major equipment programmes) in Protocol 10 of the treaty of the EU.
Although, as a result of national procedures, not all willing member states will be able to sign the letter on Monday, ultimately around 20 countries are expected to be involved between now and the decision establishing the PESCO. The United Kingdom and Denmark will not, however, take part.
Within three months, the Council must adopt a decision establishing the PESCO. This could happen at the Foreign Affairs Council on 11 December, as a number of sources have indicated. In the meantime, the states will have to prepare implementation plans which need to be ready before the launch. Annual assessment by the High Representative will ascertain whether the member states are fulfilling all of their commitments. According to a European source, the goal is to meet the 20 commitments by 2025.
At the same time, the member states have begun to discuss the projects that will be implemented. A European source said that some 50 projects had been presented individually by the member states. The projects selected will have to address the capacity gaps and needs, another source indicated.
Sanctions against Venezuela. Before the signing ceremony, the foreign affairs ministers will meet in the foreign affairs Council and are expected to adopt sanctions against Venezuela (see EUROPE 11898).
These measures are expected to involve an arms embargo, a ban on the export of equipment that could be used against the people and surveillance equipment. The council is also likely to adopt the legal basis that will allow sanctions against individuals, if necessary.
Ministers will also adopt conclusions on a political crisis in the country. These are expected to restate that only constructive dialogue and negotiation will break the current deadlock and meet the basic needs of the people of Venezuela.
The Council will also re-assess the situation in Burma, in particular, that of the Rohingya, following the adoption of the presidential declaration by the United Nations Security Council on 6 November and ahead of the forthcoming meeting of ASEM foreign ministers in Burma on 20 and 21 November.
The High Representative will update ministers on her meetings in Washington on the Iran nuclear agreement (see EUROPE 11900).
EU-Africa summit. Ministers will have a further exchange of views on preparations for the fifth EU-Africa summit (now known as the EU-African Union summit) to be held in Abidjan on 29 and 30 November to strengthen all dimensions of the strategic partnership that has linked the two continents since 2007, with the emphasis being placed on youth.
This will be the third ministerial discussion in preparation for the biennial bilateral summit (see EUROPE 11812 and 11788). Young people from the two continents met recently in Addis Ababa, where the AU is headquartered, to discuss the priorities of the agenda for youth which they will submit to African and European leaders (see EUROPE 11894).
The Sahrawi Democratic Republic, as a member of the African Union, has been invited by the AU to attend the summit. Morocco, backed by France, is threatening to boycott the summit which is seen by some as an unwelcome diversion to summit preparations.
Tackling disinformation. Following the letter from eight member states – Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Sweden and United Kingdom – on the strengthening the capacities of the three task forces tackling disinformation, EU StratCom (eastern neighbourhood, southern neighbourhood and Balkans) (see EUROPE 11889), the Council will discuss the work of the schemes. In their letter, the above states express concern at the lack of financial and human resources for of these task forces. Ministers may discuss enhancing the links with the strategic communications division of the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the relevant themes within the member states.
Defence package. Over lunch, which will follow the signing ceremony of the PESCO notification letter, foreign affairs and defence ministers will discuss of the defence package within the context of implementation of the global strategy. They are expected to adopt conclusions on security and defence, relating notably to the PESCO, the European defence fund, the coordinated annual review on defence (CARD), improving military mobility and joint financing of CSDP missions and operations and cyber-defence.
EU-NATO cooperation. In the afternoon, defence ministers will discuss progress in cooperation between the EU and NATO with Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Lastly, following the Council, ministers will take part in the European Defence Agency steering board. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with Aminata Niang)