7.

With a view to providing guidance for the further implementation of PESCO in this first phase, the Council underlines that, overall, pMS: (a) have made progress in terms of the commitments related to defence budgets and joint defence investment. This should be sustained and, where necessary, further reinforced in the coming years in line with the more precise objectives; (b) have started using EU tools, initiatives and instruments in national defence planning, such as the revised Capability Development Plan (CDP), the CARD and the EDIDP, and have started preparing for the EDF in 2021-2027. The pMS are encouraged to step up their efforts to further address the more binding commitments in the respective areas, in particular by making best use of EU tools, initiatives and instruments in their national defence planning processes. In this context, the coherence of output between the CARD and the CDP on the one hand, and respective NATO processes such as the NATO Defence Planning Process (NDPP) on the other, has been and will continue to be ensured where requirements overlap, while recognising the different nature of the two organisations and their respective responsibilities; (c) are invited to make significant progress in fulfilling the more binding commitments related to bringing their respective defence apparatus into line with each others', in particular to strengthen collaborative capability development in accordance with the CDP and its relevant strategic context cases (SCCs) currently being developed, while recognising that this requires a sustained longer term effort; (d) are encouraged in line with the more binding commitments and the Council Recommendation of 15 October 2018 on the sequencing of the fulfilment of the more binding commitments and specifying more precise objectives: to continue their positive efforts to enhance interoperability and flexibility of their forces; to make further substantial efforts as regards the commitments related to strengthening the availability and deployability of forces including by more systematically filling the EU battlegroup roster in particular to overcome existing gaps, the rapid response database and the statements of requirements for common security and defence policy (CSDP) missions and operations; and to further optimise multinational structures and strive for an ambitious approach to common funding of military CSDP operations and missions; and (e) need to make significant progress to address capability shortcomings and priorities identified under the CDP, including the effective delivery of the high impact capability goals (HICGs), and in considering a collaborative approach as a priority in national planning, also with a view to fulfilling the commitments related to taking part, where appropriate, in major joint or European equipment programmes in the framework of the EDA, and making a positive impact on the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB). In this regard, pMS are further encouraged to provide the necessary elements allowing for a meaningful assessment of the fulfilment of the commitments in this area, including on how the capability development projects of the pMS strengthen the EDTIB.