Brussels, 06/11/2003 (Agence Europe) - The year 2003 is a "decisive" year for European Defence Policy (EDP) as it has allowed many goals to be achieved and new objectives to be set for the future, Javier Solana, High Representative for CFSP, said on Wednesday during a meeting of EU Chiefs of Defence and an Informal Seminar on the Defence Industry in Europe, organised in Brussels by the Italian Presidency.
The year 2003 marks the achievement of the Helsinki Headline Goal, signing of agreements with NATO, launching of several EU operations throughout the world, the beginning of work on the European Armaments Agency and the "European security strategy". Mr Solana stressed that the Headline Goal was not an end in itself but a continuous process and that the European military capabilities should continue to be improved, which involves constant review of the definition of EU goals. In this context, the European security strategy, which is to be adopted at the end of this year (EUROPE of 20 June, p.4), and the results of the IGC on Defence, will serve as references for a "first significant review of the 1999 Helsinki objectives". This review will in turn have an effect on EU security strategy as the new objectives with regards capabilities should reflect the threats facing the EU and the EU's commitments set out in this strategy. Mr Solana finds the ambition to reach these "new objectives" by 2010 - as proposed at the last informal defence Council (EUROPE of 3 October, p;5) - appropriate.
Mr Solana also welcomed the consensus reached within the IGC on the solidarity clause between Member States, extension of the Petersberg missions and the establishment of a European Armaments Agency. He trusts the IGC will also reach consensus on "structured cooperation" on which opinions still differ (for discussions in this connection during the last European Council see EUROPE of 18 October, p.5). The idea is not new, he explained, noting that the Schengen system and single currency are examples of close cooperation between Member States. In addition to these essentially political issues, there is also a "capability" dimension, he said, since "structured cooperation" could be an ideal framework for systematic use of means placed in common and shared, thus leading to greater integration in the field of European defence.