Brussels, 07/11/2008 (Agence Europe) - The EU's civil and military capabilities will be the focus of the meeting of EU defence ministers on Monday 10 November within the framework of the General Affairs/External Relations Council. The Council is also expected to adopt a joint action to launch the first EU aeronaval operation aimed at combating piracy off the Somali coast. Known as ATALANTA and commanded by British Vice Admiral Philip Jones, the operation should begin in early December before the expiry, on 2 December, of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1816 on combating piracy.
The Council session will be preceded by the meeting of the European Defence Agency (EDA) Steering Board chaired by EU High Representative Javier Solana. During the meeting, the EDA should approve the launch of a series of projects aimed at improving European capabilities especially in the fields of: - aeromobility (roadmap for helicopter pilot training; a Czech draft initiative for a centre of excellence for the upgrading of helicopters from the former Soviet fleet, and a Franco-German project for development of heavy helicopters); - strategic transport: a project for the European airlift fleet that would allow certain transport capacities to be centralised; - and possibly military space observation: in principle six states (France, Belgium, Greece, Spain, Germany and Italy) should entrust development of the ground segment for the new generation of observation satellites (MUSIS) to the EDA; - and maritime mine clearance that will allow obsolete capabilities in this sector to be replaced by 2018. Then, from 10.00am on, ministers will meet on their own under the chairmanship of their French counterpart, Hervé Morin. First of all, they will no doubt confirm the consensus reached earlier on the subject of the EDA budget for the year 2009. Its functional chapter should amount to €22 million and its operational chapter to €7 million. An additional one million euro is to be released for a working programme on air navigability. On the subject of capabilities, defence ministers should adopt a declaration on the commitment to develop military capabilities. The text recalls initiatives undertaken to date in the field of ESDP (European Security Defence Policy), reiterates the full support of the EDA and draws up preferential avenues for the development of capabilities, especially a greater research and development effort, opening of national defence markets and strengthened security of supply and supply chains. Progress will be assessed during the next meeting in May 2009. Ministers are also expected to approve the launch of a non-binding programme for the exchange of young military officers (military “Erasmus”) and continue the work on coordination of air and naval means at EU level. Before going to lunch, which will be devoted to the EU-led operation in Chad and the Central African Republic (EUFOR Tchad/RCA) and to Somalia, defence minsters are expected to adopt a declaration calling for better synergy between the EDA and OCCAR (joint organisation for armaments cooperation) entrusted with the management of the armaments programme. They should also examine ways to coordinate military action during evacuation operations for EU nationals. In this case, the debate should result in developing the concept of a consular pilot state in each geographical region entrusted with steering evacuation action in the area.
After lunch, the defence ministers will go back to join the foreign affairs ministers. During this joint session, Council will adopt conclusions on ESDP to take stock of capabilities, operations and strategic partnerships of the EU. The Council should thus subscribe to a commitment to develop civilian capabilities under the New Headline Goal 2010, which defines objectives up till 2010. In addition to improving the capability for planning and conduct of civilian operations, they should approve priorities for 2009 including strengthened capacity for launching simultaneous missions and rapid deployment, after the fashion of the operation in Georgia which allowed the EU civil operation to be strengthened by military planning. At the level of operations, conclusions adopted by ministers should: - allow the operation ATALANTA to be launched against piracy; - confirm that EUFOR Tchad/RCA will come to an end on 15 March 2009; - extend until 30 June 2009 the EUSEC mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, calling for accelerated deployment (as it is behind schedule) of a police detachment in the east of the country; - and call for the level of engagement to be maintained in Guinea-Bissau where the EU is currently conducting a security sector reform mission, as well as that for the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM Georgia) in Georgia, and to launch preparatory work for the reconfiguration of Operation Althea in Bosnia-Herzegovina and extend the mandate of the police mission in the country (EUPM) until 2009. The Council will no doubt also hope that the rule of law mission, EULEX Kosovo, will reach its initial operational capacity right at the beginning of December with 1,300 men on the ground. (A.By./transl.jl)