Brussels, 04/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - The Assembly of WEU, adopting a report by the French socialist Jean-Marie Le Guen, has asked the Council of Ministers of WEU to “decide whether a terrorist attack against a member state using weapons of mass destruction constitutes an armed attack in the sense of Article V of the Brussels Treaty” (concerning mutual assistance obligations). It also wants the European Union to clarify the role of the CFSP in combating chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) terrorism, and to apply the solidarity clause proposed in the draft Constitution in an anticipatory manner.
When questioned by MEPs, the German Defence Minister Peter Struck said that the modified Brussels Treaty could only be denounced once the European Constitution is ratified, otherwise there would be a security vacuum. Mr Struck also indicated that during recent talks with the future Dutch Presidency of the Council, it had been agreed that the Assembly of WEU should continue its activities for as long as was necessary to ratify the EU Constitution: in his view, governments will continue to work with it for three or four years.