Brussels, 15/06/2005 (Agence Europe) - During a meeting with the press, the Deputy Director General for ESDP at the EU Council, Pieter Feith, pointed out that the EUJUST LEX mission will take effect as of 1 July 2005. Costing EUR 10 million for one year, the mission should allow around 770 senior officials of the Iraqi police, justice and penitentiary to undergo four-week training courses. For security reasons, such training will take place outside Iraq. Twenty EU Member States have offered to contribute to the project either by hosting the training or by providing instructors. In future, training may be organised in Iraq, if possible, but for now it is a matter of ensuring the “safety and security of trainers and trainees”, the person in charge of the mission, Stephen White from Britain, said. Why is this being done at this point in time? “Because we must engage in Iraq. It is a country close to Europe (…). We can't just leave them with their hands up waiting”, Pieter Feith replied. Although both officials recognise that the mission will not change the way people think overnight, they stressed the impact that it can have on reform of the judiciary and police systems by providing senior officials with new experiences. The mission is a first contribution by the EU with a view to the international conference on Iraq scheduled to be held at ministerial level on 21 and 22 June in Brussels.