Luxembourg, 17/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - As announced in our edition on Saturday, the Council reached an agreement, on Monday, on a general framework covering the financing of EU military and defence operations. This framework, based on a Presidency compromise, establishes a list of two categories of costs: so-called "joint" costs and individual costs. Joint costs are those which are not allocated to States that are taking part in military operations on an individual basis. They cover the costs of headquarters for EU-led operations (transport, administration, communication, public information, locally employed staff, etc.) and are intended for forces as a whole (medical costs, additional equipment, infrastructure). All the other costs are those allocated individually to each State that takes part in military operations ("costs lie where they fall"). In addition, the Council will decide whether some costs, such as transport and accommodation of forces, could possibly, on a case by case and situation by situation basis, be financed on a joint basis. Review of the agreement is foreseen after a first operation has been conducted or in June 2004 (earlier if necessary) bearing in mind lessons drawn from these operations.