WRITTEN QUESTION E-1288/00

by Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca (PPE-DE) to the Council

(27 April 2000)

Subject: The new European defence policy

According to an official report drawn up by the Commission mission which visited the US in January, substantial reservations exist within the US defence-related organs the National Security Council, the Pentagon, the State Department and the relevant committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate with respect to the European Security and Defence Identity (ESDI).

These reservations, as expressed to the participants in that mission by their US partners, include:

(a) insufficient budgetary efforts by the EU Member States under the heading of defence;

(b) the risk that the ESDI will weaken unified analysis and decision-making within NATO;

(c) concern at the possibility of the EU undertaking, unilaterally and without prior coordination within the NATO structure, crisis resolution and management actions;

(d) scepticism concerning the effective capacity of the ESDI, which, rather than being an operationally useful structure, could become a bureaucratic apparatus which would slow down NATO's response speed and impair the smooth running of the decision-making mechanisms.

What is the position of the High Representative for the common foreign and security policy on each of the above concerns expressed by the US authorities in their contacts with the mission sent by the Commission to the US in January to discuss defence matters?

Reply

(23 October 2000)

1. The reinforcement of the European pillar in the North Atlantic Alliance goes in parallel with the development of a European security and defence policy. This will enhance the European security and defence policy. This will enhance the European capacity to respond to crises both through contribution to actions led by NATO and on the other hand, international organisations (UN, OSCE) and through autonomous actions.

2. This can only be seen as a positive development. There is no risk of slowing down or impairing NATO's decision-making process or of the EU undertaking unilaterally and without prior coordination with NATO, crisis management operations. Indeed, the European Council agreed in Helsinki that modalities will be developed for full consultation, cooperation and transparency between the EU and NATO. The work to establish the abovementioned modalities is well in progress in the appropriate EU instances and the Portuguese Presidency reported to the European Council in Feira on the progress made, including proposals on principles for consultations with NATO on military issues and recommendations

on developing modalities for EU/NATO relations to permit cooperation on the appropriate military response to a crisis, as set out in Washington and Cologne.

3. As to the budgetary implications, it has to be stressed that any duplication will be avoided, therefore the efforts by those Member States which contribute within NATO to the Defence Capabilities Initiative will also benefit from the achievement of the headline goal set in Helsinki. It is for Member States to see whether the capabilities goals can be achieved through the simple reallocation of resources or need additional budgetary efforts. In any case the Capabilities Pledging Conference which will be held at EU level before the end of the year will no doubt prove the seriousness of the EU Member States in the fulfilment of their new commitments.