Brussels, 18/10/2004 (Agence Europe) - Fifty years ago, the Federal Republic of Germany entered the Western European Union (WEU) just as the Parliamentary Assembly, which was to give national parliaments a voice in security and defence matters, was being born. These two major changes, with others, were part of the agreements modifying the 1948 Brussels Treaty - agreements signed in Paris on 23 October 1954 and whose 50th anniversary is now being celebrated at the WEU Assembly.
Celebrations will begin with a solemn ceremony at the Belgian Senate, on Wednesday 20 October in Brussels, followed by a debate on the theme: "From collective to common defence? European security and defence in the age of international terrorism". After a reception on Thursday evening at the Foreign Ministry in Paris, another conference on Friday 22 October at the French Senate will be devoted to European Security and Defence Policy. A memorial ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe will bring events to a close on Friday evening.
Commemoration of the signing of the Paris agreements comes just a few days before the official signing, on 29 October in Rome, of the new constitutional treaty of the European Union - two such events that did not fail to make the Assembly raise the question of security policy fifty years after the signing of the modified Brussels Treaty. In a draft report that he is preparing for the Assembly's political committee, Antonio Nazaré Pereira (Portugal, Federated Group) stresses that European ambitions are today far higher but that, at the same time, most governments seem convinced it is no longer necessary to sign up to a mutual assistance obligation that is as binding as that under Article V of the modified Brussels Treaty. The fact is that, today, the political will of some member states to develop a binding common defence link in Europe is hampered by the long-term, non-aligned stance adopted by a significant number of other EU Member States that are not prepared to accept a commitment as binding as that of Article V of the modified Brussels Treaty. Speaking of the "widespread view" that the "modified Brussels Treaty will become obsolete once the EU Constitutional Treaty enters into force", the draft report stresses: "What is dangerous about that approach is that it signals a willingness to give up a solid guarantee of protection against unforeseeable risks which, while they may appear non-existent at present, could reappear in the future. Moreover, it is not reassuring to see that a minority of EU states that are not prepared to participate in a genuine collective defence are the ones to impose their position on the others, thereby weakening the basis for European security".
Mr Nazaré Pereira's report is included on the agenda of the next plenary session of the Assembly, from 29 November to 1 December in Paris. During this session, the Assembly will examine other reports such as that by Greek national, Elsa Papdimitriou (Federated Group), on the new security challenges facing transatlantic cooperation, that by Belgian Liberal Philippe Monfils on transatlantic cooperation in the field of defence technology, and that by British Labour member, Edward O'Hara, on cooperation on defence systems procurement in Europe.
It is noteworthy that the WEU Council has decided, by tacit procedure, to extend Javier Solana's mandate as WEU Secretary General for three years from 25 November 2004. This decision also provides for Mr Solana's tenure to be subject to renewal every two years upon a Council decision.