Brussels, 11/05/2006 (Agence Europe) - The Chiefs of Staff of EU Member States were to approve, on Thursday afternoon, the appointment of General Henri Bentégeat as next Chairman of the European Union's Military Committee. The French Chief of Staff is thus expected to take over from Italian General Rolando Mosca Moschini whose tenure is about to expire. It is expected that the appointment will be confirmed by the ministers during the Defence Ministers' meeting in the context of the General Affairs and External Relations Council on Monday 15 May.
During the meeting, the Defence Ministers should also: - confirm battle groups for 2011 and 2012; - make their half-yearly report on progress and capability shortfalls (in this context, they are expected to welcome the fact that the SALIS programme has started up and discuss two initiatives, one British and one Franco-German, concerning strategic airlift); - approve arrangements for the future European Defence Agency research programmes (EUROPE 9187) and evoke the long term vision that the EDA has requested from the EU Institute for Security Studies; - take stock of preparations for the EUFOR-DRC mission (It is known that two meetings have already been held, on 3 and 10 May in Potsdam, in the context of the force generation conference. This process is to be continued and the next buffer date is that of the Bundestag debate on authorising Bundeswehr participation, on 1 June in Berlin. The operation should begin four to six weeks before the first round of elections scheduled for 30 July, that is, between 15 and 30 June); - evoke crisis-response coordination on the basis of the Barnier report (joint discussion of Foreign and Defence Ministers: see EUROPE 9188); - take stock of the Althea mission in Bosnia and reform of the security sector in the Balkans; - examine support to be provided to the Darfur peace mission, in its current structure under the aegis of the African Union (AU) and in the future under the UN. The need to keep the promise of sending a further 50 police personnel (at present there are only twelve) and possible strengthened training support should fuel the discussion to be held during lunch.