Brussels, 25/11/2004 (Agence Europe) - On Monday the General Affairs and External Relations Council adopted conclusions on European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) in which it approved the declaration adopted at the end of the EU Military Capabilities Conference. The Council took note of a progress report on EU military capabilities (which provides a balance sheet of the progress accomplished) and adopted the work programme and budget for the European Defence Agency for 2005 (EUROPE 23 November p 5). The Council also formally approved the launch of the EU's ALTHEA operation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which takes over from NATO's SFOR mission on 2 December.
In its conclusions, the Council calls on the EU's relevant bodies to implement the declaration adopted at the end of the EU Military Capabilities Conference and that Member States reaffirm their commitment to developing EU military capability in the framework of "Headline Goal 2010, which sets out new qualitative objectives until 2010. In this context, Member States made a commitment to provide the EU with thirteen battle groups by 2007, to help it carry out to military mission from this date on (see mentioned bulletin p 4). The declaration explains that Member States will be working to elaborate criteria these units should use as a basis for standards involving availability, speed, flexibility and inter-operability.
The Council also approved a conceptual framework for helping ESDP fight terrorism. This highlights the need to coordinate the ESDP's civil and military defence resources in four different spheres of action: prevention, protection, managing consequences, support for third countries in the fight against terrorism. This document will be sent to the European Council of 16-17 December.