Brussels, 16/12/2002 (Agence Europe) - The Kangaroo Group chaired by CDU member Karl von Wogau MEP has presented a contribution to the European Convention on the Future of Europe, which it handed to Michel Barinier, chair of the Convention's "defence" working group (which will present its final report to the plenary on 20 December). "Our paper presents a two-stage defence plan adjusted to the legislative periods of the Union", stresses von Wogau in a press release. The plan places emphasis on a closer link, in future, between civil ad military crisis management. According to experts, it is highly likely that the EU will not be able to achieve Helsinki's "Headline Goal" by 2003 of a European force of 50,000 troops deployable within two months and available for at least a year for missions covering the whole range of Petersberg Missions, notes the Kangaroo Group, thus considering that the situation needs clarifying and more specific decisions taken. It calls on the EU to ensure: (1) by 2004 at the latest it has 5,000 troops available 24 hours a day for humanitarian and rescue missions (thus, less ambitious Petersberg missions: Ed.; (2) by 2009 it has the capability to conduct operations of the extent and intensity of the Kosovo conflict (with the Americans or autonomously, should NATO not wish to participate); (3) it has set up, on the basis of these two objectives, the necessary structures of command and the adequate equipment.
At institutional level, the Group considers that: (1) a mutual assistance clause should be enshrined in the Constitutional Treaty, with the possibility of an opt out for countries not wanting to subscribe to it. According to the Kangaroo Group, they should take on board Article V of the modified Brussels Treaty (Western European Union), which is "stronger" than Article 5 of the Washington Treaty (North Atlantic); (2) combating terrorism should be added to the Petersberg missions.; (3) the positions of High Representative and Commissioner for External Relations should be merged; (4) EU military operations should be funded from the Community budget; (5) a European Security and Defence Agency responsible for weapons procurement, research and technology should be set up, from the experience gained by the Western European Armaments Group (to the WEU) and OCCAR; (6) a common defence market should be set up, notably by abolishing obstacles to trade between Member states in weapons; (7) a standardisation of equipment and procedures should be assured, to increase interoperability between different military structures. ("In this field we can rely on the experience of European Standardisation bodies in the field of dual-use products"; (8) in a common defence market, calls for tenders should have to be published Europe-wide, except for rare exceptions.