On Monday 11 December, the Foreign Affairs Council adopted the decision establishing permanent structured cooperation (PSC or PESCO) – a "historic decision", according to High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini.
On the sidelines of their Council on 13 November, the 23 ministers had notified their countries' resolve to launch this cooperation (see EUROPE 11903). They have since been joined by Ireland and Portugal, which obtained the approval of their respective parliaments on 7 December.
In its decision, the Council states the list of participating countries, the list of common, "ambitious and more binding" commitments taken by these countries, the governance of PESCO ("with an overarching level maintaining the coherence and the ambition of the PESCO, complemented by specific governance procedures at projects level") and the administrative arrangements including the functions of the PESCO secretariat at project and finance levels.
An initial list of 17 projects
Alongside the Council decision, the participating states adopted a statement in which they hail the political agreement drawing up an initial list of 17 projects are due to be undertaken by PESCO. The Council says that these initial projects (some capability, others operational) cover areas such as training, capability development and operational readiness in the field of defence. They will "make PESCO begin immediately and operationally in the area of security and defence", Mogherini states. Italy and Germany have the lead on four projects each, France and Greece on two each. The project covering military mobility, led by the Netherlands, brings together 23-member states. Only Ireland is not a part of this project, and France is an observer.
The 17 projects will be formally adopted by the Council, by unanimity of the PESCO participating states, in early 2018. These states will also adopt "a common set of governance rules for projects, which could be adapted for individual projects" and "the general conditions under which third States could be invited to participate in individual projects". (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)