Council Decision of 22 January 2001 setting up the Political and Security Committee
Date: 2001-01-22
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU agriculture committee, common foreign and security policy, foreign policy, international security, the EU's international role

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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(Acts adopted pursuant to Title V of the Treaty on European Union)

COUNCIL DECISION

of 22 January 2001

setting up the Political and Security Committee

(2001/78/CFSP)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union and in partic-
ular Article 28(1),

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community and in particular Article 207 thereof,

Article 1

(hereinafter the
A Political and Security Committee (PSC)
Committee) shall be established as the standing formation of
the Committee referred to in Article 25 of the Treaty.

Recalling Article 25 of the Treaty on European Union,

Article 2

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

The European Council in Helsinki agreed in principle to
set up a Political and Security Committee and, on the
these conclusions, an interim Political and
basis of
Security Committee was set up by Council Decision
2000/143/CFSP (1).

in Nice of 7 to 11 December
The European Council
2000 reached agreement on the establishment of the
permanent Political and Security Committee, setting out
its role, modalities and functions.

Following the guidelines of the Nice European Council,
this Committee should be made ready to start its work.

The principle of single representation of Member States
to the Union should be fully respected,

the Committee are
The role, modalities and functions of
defined in the Annex, which reproduces Annex III
to the
Presidency's report approved by the Nice European Council.

Article 3

This Decision shall take effect from the date of its adoption.

This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal.

Article 4

Done at Brussels, 22 January 2001.

For the Council

The President

A. LINDH

(1) Council Decision 2000/143/CFSP of 14 February 2000 setting up
the Interim Political and Security Committee (OJ L 49, 22.2.2000,
p. 1).

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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ANNEX

POLITICAL AND SECURITY COMMITTEE

The approach adopted at Helsinki makes the PSC the linchpin of the European security and defence policy (ESDP) and of
the common foreign and security policy (CFSP): ‘The PSC will deal with all aspects of the CFSP, including the CESDP...’.
Without prejudice to Article 207 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, the PSC has a central role to play
in the definition of and follow-up to the EU's response to a crisis.

The PSC will deal with all the tasks defined in Article 25 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). It may convene in
Political Director formation.

After consulting the Presidency and without prejudice to Article 18 of the TEU, the Secretary-General/High Representative
for the CFSP may chair the PSC, especially in the event of a crisis.

1. In particular the PSC will:

(a) keep track of the international situation in the areas falling within the common foreign and security policy, help
define policies by drawing up ‘opinions’ for the Council, either at the request of the Council or on its own
initiative, and monitor implementation of agreed policies, all of this without prejudice to Article 207 of the Treaty
establishing the European Community and to the powers of the Presidency and of the Commission;

(b) examine the areas of GAC draft conclusions in which it is involved;

(c) provide guidelines for other Committees on matters falling within the CFSP;

(d) maintain a privileged link with the Secretary-General/High Representative (SG/HR) and the special representatives;

(e) send guidelines to the Military Committee; receive the opinions and recommendations of the Military Committee.
The Chairman of the Military Committee (EUMC), who liaises with the European Union Military Staff (EUMS),
takes part, where necessary,

in PSC meetings;

(f) receive information, recommendations and opinions from the Committee for Civilian Aspects of Crisis Manage-

ment and send it guidelines on matters falling within the CFSP;

(g) coordinate, supervise and monitor discussions on CFSP issues in various Working Parties, to which it may send

guidelines and whose reports it must examine;

(h) lead the political dialogue in its own capacity and in the forms laid down in the Treaty;

(i) provide a privileged forum for dialogue on the ESDP with the fifteen and the six as well as with NATO in

accordance with arrangements set out in the relevant documents;

(j) under the auspices of the Council, take responsibility for the political direction of the development of military
capabilities, taking into account the type of crisis to which the Union wishes to respond. As part of the
development of military capabilities, the PSC will receive the opinion of the Military Committee assisted by the
European Military Staff.

2. Furthermore, in the event of a crisis the PSC is the Council body which deals with crisis situations and examines all the
options that might be considered as the Union's response within the single institutional framework and without
prejudice to the decision-making and implementation procedures of each pillar. Thus the Council, whose preparatory
work is carried out by Coreper, and the Commission alone have powers, each within their own areas of competence
and in accordance with procedures laid down by the Treaties, to take legally-binding decisions. The Commission
exercises its responsibility, including its power of initiative under the Treaties. Coreper exercises the role conferred on
it by Article 207 of the Treaty establishing the European Community and by Article 19 of the Council's Rules of
Procedure. To that end,

it will be informed in good time by the PSC.

In a crisis situation, close coordination between these bodies is especially necessary and will be ensured in particular
by:

(a) the participation, where necessary, of the Chairman of the PSC in Coreper meetings;

(b) the role of the Foreign Relations Counsellors whose task it is to maintain effective permanent coordination
between CFSP discussions and those conducted in other pillars (Annex to the Council conclusions of 11 May
1992).

To prepare the EU's response to a crisis, it is for the PSC to propose to the Council the political objectives to be
pursued by the Union and to recommend a cohesive set of options aimed at contributing to the settlement of the
crisis. In particular it may draw up an opinion recommending to the Council that it adopt a joint action. Without
prejudice to the role of the Commission, it supervises the implementation of the measures adopted and assesses their
effects. The Commission informs the PSC of the measures it has adopted or is envisaging. The Member States inform
the PSC of the measures they have adopted or are envisaging at the national

level.

The PSC exercises ‘political control and strategic direction’ of the EU's military response to the crisis. To that end, on
the basis of the opinions and recommendations of the Military Committee, it evaluates in particular the essential
elements (strategic military options including the chain of command, operation concept, operation plan) to be
submitted to the Council.

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The PSC plays a major role in enhancing consultations, in particular with NATO and the third States involved.

On the basis of the proceedings of the PSC, the Secretary-General/High Representative directs the activities of the
Situation Centre. The latter supports the PSC and provides it with intelligence in conditions appropriate to crisis
management.

The following arrangements will be put in place to enable the PSC to ensure full ‘political control and strategic
direction’ of a military crisis-management operation:

(a) with a view to launching an operation the PSC sends the Council a recommendation based on the opinions of the
Military Committee in accordance with the usual Council preparation procedures. On that basis the Council
decides to launch the operation within the framework of a joint action;

(b) in accordance with Articles 18 and 26 of the TEU, the joint action will determine, in particular, the role of the
Secretary-General/High Representative in the implementation of the measures falling within the ‘political control
and strategic direction’ exercised by the PSC. For such measures the Secretary-General/High Representative acts
with the PSC's assent. Should a new Council decision be deemed appropriate, the simplified written procedure
could be used (Article 12(4) of the Council's Rules of Procedure);

(c) during the operation, the Council will be kept informed through PSC reports presented by the Secretary-General/

High Representative in his capacity as Chairman of the PSC.