Brussels, 24/05/2000 (Agence Europe) - The EP's Foreign Affairs Committee Chaired by Elmar Brok (EPP, Germany) adopted by a large majority the resolution on the development of European Security and Defence Policy presented by Catherine Lalumiére (Socialist group, France) for the European Council in Feira. This text will be voted through in plenary in Strasbourg one week before the Summit.
The Foreign Affairs Committee hopes that the EU will prioritise the management of non-military crisis, but also underlines the need for the EU to have a military capacity capable of ensuring all types of responses (thus including military and police interventions). Furthermore, it will vote on the setting of broad joint objectives in the field of civil protection and the establishment of a European public security force. On the institutional level, the Commission, in particular, calls for: - The EU and WEU High Representative/Secretary General, Javier Solana, chair of the interim Political and Security Committee; - the parliamentary dimension of ESDP be ensured, thanks to the full involvement of the EP at all stages of its development and the establishment of a European interparliamentary body made up of MEPs and members of national parliaments.