Copenhagen, 13/12/2002 (Agence Europe) - In the conclusions adopted on Friday in Copenhagen, Member States were clear in demonstrating their aim to fully play a role in the Balkans, including a military role. The text asserted that the European Council had indicated that it was prepared to carry out a military operation in Bosnia following that of SFOR. Javier Solana informed the press that no date had been mentioned so far and there was only a possibility that the EU would begin thinking about it in more detail. In order for the EU to take over from SFOR in Bosnia, the European Council has called on Mr Solana and the future Greek Presidency to begin consultation with the Bosnia authorities, the EU High Representative in Bosnia, Lord Ashdown, NATO and other international actors and submit their report to the Council in February. The relevant EU bodies are also called on to present proposals on an overall approach, including the legal framework on the same date.
EUROPE WILL RETURN TO THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE WOK OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL IN ITS SPECIAL EDITION OF SUNDAY, DATED 15 DECEMBER 2002.
This new step forward in task-sharing between the United States and the European Union in the region has been made possible thanks to the lifting of the Greek and Turkish reservations over the "Berlin plus" agreement on EU access to NATO assets for European peacekeeping operations. The Heads of State and Government took note of a Council declaration that stipulates that the so-called "Berlin plus" arrangements and their implementation will only be applicable with Member States of the enlarged EU that are at the same time either members of NATO or parties to the "Partnership for Peace" offered by the Alliance to European countries and which, therefore, have bilateral agreements with the Alliance. Thus, these arrangements will apply to 23 EU Member States of the enlarged EU, that is to say the 25 minus Cyprus and Malta. Thus except for specific provisions in the treaty or annexed protocols (Denmark's case), all EU Member States will take a full part in the definition and implementation of the common foreign and security policy (Cfsp), which includes the gradual definition of a common defence policy. The fact that Cyprus and Malta will not take par in EU-led military operations with the assistance of NATO assets does not harm the right of their representatives to participate and vote in EU institutions and bodies, including the Political and Security Committee, for decisions that do not concern implementation of such operations. Likewise, their right to receive EU classified information is not affected, as long as the information contains no classified NATO data or reference to such information. The North Atlantic Council, meeting Friday afternoon at ambassadorial level, took note of a letter from Javier Solana on that agreement, secured Thursday evening by the foreign ministers of the Fifteen. The ambassadors of NATO member States will inform their capitals, and the agreement will then be formalised by an exchange of letters between Javier Solana and Alliance Secretary General Lord Robertson.
Furthermore, in its conclusions, the European Council confirms that it is prepared "as soon as possible" to take over the Atlantic Alliance's military operation in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM); in consultation with NATO (you may recall that operation "Amber Fox" will be replaced on 16 December by a new mission called "Allied Harmony" and that the situation will be reviewed in February 2003).
Finally, Europe recalls that the activities of the EU police mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina will begin on 1 January 2003, thereby taking over from the United Nations International Police Group