Brussels, 17/05/2004 (Agence Europe) - Monday's External Relations council approved the European Union's new objectives for military capability up to 2010. In this context, the Council gave its agreement to provide the European Union with "battle groups" by 2005. It also continued the work to set up the European Weapons Agency and confirmed its ambition to set it set up by the second half of 2004. It took note of the progress for setting up military and civilian planning operations for the European Union by the end of the year. A the end of the EU defence ministers' meeting, which prepared the work ratified by the Council, the French defence minister Michèle Alliot-Marie declared to the press that for two ear defence was the area where Europe had progressed the most.
The Council agreed to the European Union's new objectives on military capability, approving the Headline Goal 2010 document prepared by its Secretary General. The objective is to enable the European Union to react to crises as rapidly as possible by taking five days for a decision to send ground troops, which would be deployed ten days following the decision. Headline Goal 2010 list the new objectives for 2004-10 and aims to gradually provide the European Union with military capability for acting rapidly in crises (EUROPE 13 May p 4). Headline Goal 2010 will be submitted for European Council approval in June and will become the reference document for developing EU military capability.
The setting up of battle groups is an essential component of the EU's new objectives in military capability. In its conclusions, the Council reckons that the work of the concept of battle groups has to be prioritised and finished under the Irish presidency. Providing the EU with a complete battle groups mechanism (around 7-9)) by 2007. Meanwhile, certain Member States will be committed to provide some units of this kind at the beginning of 2005 (France, Germany, the United Kingdom), the three countries which are behind the "battle groups" (EUROPE 7 April). To make these forces operational and inter-operable, the Council is insisting on the need to define common standards and training. Their deployment on the ground will require a rapid planning and decision making process and Javier Solana, EU High Representative for CFSP is being called on to present proposals in the second half of 2004. In his speech to defence ministers, Solana underlined the need to make the decision making process flexible while maintaining the Member States' political control and avoiding a heavy committee procedures system which prevented rapid decision making.
The Council continued work preparing for the setting up of a European Weapons Agency. By taking note of the report by Nick Witney from the United Kingdom, the Council has ratified the main recommendations of the team on the agency (EUROPE 13 May). Even if there are still details to finalise, (notably for the decision making process at the management committee at the agency), the Council considers that there is now a good basis for common action by the Council in June to enable the agency begin work in the second half of 2004. Ms Alliot-Marie particularly welcomed the discussions on the agency. The minister explained that it was a "political project" and had to be "efficient and supple" and therefore able to function with some other Member States on certain projects, as well as for certain projects for welcoming third countries. Solana insisted on the need to ensure a sufficient degree of autonomy for the agency "which must not be seen as another working group of the Council".
The Council also examined the progress for implementing the planning units for European Union military and civilian operations. Solana insisted that this was set up as quickly as possible in the second half of the year.
The Council finally noted the progress carried out in preparations for the EU mission in Bosnia, which is due to take-over NATO command of SFOR in the field and noted the need to ensure close co-operation with NATO and ratify consultations with the Bosnian authorities. Ms Alliot-Marie said that they had work to do, making the European Union work in Bosnia. Mr Solana insisted that Member States provide "sufficient and appropriate forces" for this mission and that the EU "had the authority" for getting results.