Brussels, 13/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - The EU Political and Security Committee (COPS) and the NATO Council (at ambassadorial level) are to hold, on 19 September, a joint meeting that will allow them to take stock of progress made by the four joint EU/NATO working groups created by the de Feira Summit on: security issues, the EU's military capabilities, EU access to NATO means, and definitive arrangements to be concluded between the EU and NATO (see on this subject EUROPE of 2 August, pages 2 and 3). Last week in Reykjavik, NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson had commented on the holding of this meeting, saying: "Who would have predicted this even at the beginning of this year?"
Furthermore, Agence Belga points out that the ESDP bodies (COPS, Military Committee, future EU Military Staff) will be taking up presence early 2001 in a building located 150, Avenue de Cortenbergh, not far from the other European institutions. We recall that the High Representative for CFSP, Javier Solana, had expressed the wish that these bodies should be housed in a building that is more protected than that of the Council of the Union.