Brussels, 04/12/2000 (Agence Europe) - The General Affairs Council approved the report by the French Presidency on European Security and Defence Policy intended for the European Council of Nice, with its annexes: - military capabilities engagement declaration; - strengthening of EU capabilities for civilian aspects of crisis management; - Political and Security Committee; - EU Military Committee; - organisation of staff headquarters; - arrangements concerning NATO European States not members of the EU and other candidate countries for accession; - permanent arrangements on EU/NATO cooperation. The Council also approved the joint report by Solana and Patten on conflict prevention and recommendations for global and coherent crisis management (see next page).
At a press conference, Mr. Solana praised the work of the French Presidency that had allowed for "extraordinary progress on the difficult issue of defence". Mr. Vedrine said that this work had demonstrated the EU's political will and the will to gather all the military and civilian capabilities necessary to ensure the credibility of the defence policy. "Defence Europe is an exercise open to the outside", he added, while placing emphasis on the need for autonomy in decision-taking that the European Union must be able to preserve in relation to its partners.