Brussels, 01/08/2000 (Agence Europe) - At the end of July, EU work in view of developing the European Security and Defence Policy gained speed, with the adoption of an initial version of the catalogue of forces that will be required to constitute the "Headline Goal", the rapid reaction force of some 60,000 troops that the EU intends setting up (see EUROPE of 29 July, p.3), and with the first meetings of three of the four working groups created to allow for consultation of non-EU European NATO countries, as well as with the candidate countries, over the development of the Esdp.
Indeed, the French Presidency of the EU Council took the initiative of convening the first EU/NATO working groups, this summer already, these are: - the ad hoc group on security issues (24 July); - the one on EU access to NATO assets and capabilities (26 July); - the one on capabilities (28 July). The group responsible for permanent EU/NATO arrangements will meet early September. In addition, the Presidency has proposed a first meeting mid-September between the EU's interim Political and Security Committee (Cops) and the North Atlantic Council (NAC).
In addition, on 27 July the first meeting of the "15+15" took place (the EU fifteen and candidate countries for EU accession and European members of NATO that have not requested EU membership). This meeting enabled the European Union to explain directly to its interlocutors how it intends pursuing its work in this field, and provide them with indications of the timetable the French Presidency intends proposing for consultations with them. Thus, the Presidency has proposed a meeting to these countries with the EU's Defence Ministers, for 21 November in Brussels, after the ministerial session of 20 November devoted to the "Headline Goal" (see below), so that they may indicate what contribution they would like to make to the EU's rapid reaction force. This ministerial-level meeting will be preceded, end-September, by talks between military experts of these countries and their EU counterparts.
French Presidency sources say that these initiatives have been well received in the countries concerned, whereas a certain amount of suspicion had been manifest since the Feira Summit as to the willingness of this Presidency to adequately consult third countries. In particular, Turkey, which had reacted negatively to the arrangements provided for by the Feira Summit, has not blocked the work of the ad hoc groups, even though it remains firm as to substance.
As for the Headline Goal, as we stated, the EU military has drawn up a catalogue which, setting out from an examination of the different scenarios, describes the capabilities required to achieve it (in terms of human resources, equipment, etc.). Between now and September, the capitals will have to provide initial indications of the assets they could place at disposal for EU operations, which will be examined by the EU's military bodies. The latter will polish the first version of the catalogue, taking account of indications provided by NATO (which the EU has begun consulting, within the "Helsinki Headline Task Force +", strengthened by a certain number of experts from the Atlantic Alliance) and of the examination of scenarios, so that, at the Forces Generation Conference (at EU Defence Ministers level) there will be a precise idea of requirements, contributions to expect from the different countries and possible shortcomings and ways of meeting these.
Another goal of the French Presidency is the setting up of the permanent bodies of the Esdp which (according to the Feira Conclusions, as soon as possible after the Nice Summit, thus early 2001) will have to replace the interim bodies, which are the interim Political and Security Committee, the interim Military Committee and the military personnel that foreshadows the future European Staff Headquarters. It is in particular a question of defining the articulation between the Cops and the High Representative for Cfsp (you may recall that France and Germany have proposed that Javier Solana should chair the Cops, at least in periods of crises, but that most Member States place emphasis on the Presidency-in-Office of the EU Council at least co-chairing the Committee), relations between the Cops and the military bodies, relations between the bodies of the Esdp and the Foreign Affairs Council (one problem that arises is that of a possible transfer of the decision-making power, in case of crisis, from the EU Council to the Cops: such a transfer would demand an amendment to the treaty that a majority of Member States would rather avoid for now, whereas it is desired by Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and now Austria, which are, however, not making this a precondition).
Regarding the institutional problems, the Cops also had an initial exchange of views over the future of WEU, and French Presidency sources say that they are now waiting from the latter a proposal on the integration into the EU of the Western European Union's Institute of Security Studies (which has its seat in Paris) and of the Satellite Centre of Torrejon (Spain), whereas a residual structure would remain at the WEU Secretariat, and that the WEU Council would continue to meet (but doubtless in a "lighter" formation), as would the WEU Assembly.
Finally, within this semester the problems of the civilian aspects of crisis management will need settling, and in particular acting on the decision to create a capability of 5000 police officers able to be integrated in peacekeeping operations, 1000 of whom deployable very rapidly.