2005/68/CFSP:  Council Decision of 24 January 2005 amending Decision 2004/197/CFSP establishing a mechanism to administer the financing of the common costs of the European Union operations having military or defence implications (Athena)
Date: 2005-01-24
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Community body, EU financing, Member States' contribution, common foreign and security policy, military intervention

29.1.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 27/59

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

COUNCIL DECISION

of 24 January 2005

amending Decision 2004/197/CFSP establishing a mechanism to administer the financing of the
common costs of the European Union operations having military or defence implications (Athena)

(2005/68/CFSP)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

the adoption of the Joint Action to take action and the
decision to launch the operation.

Having regard to the Treaty on the European Union, and in
particular Article 13(3) and Article 28(3) thereof,

(6)

Decision 2004/197/CFSP should therefore be amended,

Whereas:

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

On 23 February 2004, the Council adopted Decision
2004/197/CFSP (1) which provides that its first review
is to take place before the end of 2004.

Article 1

Decision 2004/197/CFSP is hereby amended as follows:

The Council
confirmed the need for a rapid reaction capability,
particular for humanitarian and rescue tasks.

in its conclusions of 14 May 2003
in

1. Article 25 shall be replaced by the following:

The EU Military Committee defined in detail the concept
of EU Military Rapid Response in its Report of 3 March
2004. It further defined the EU Battle Groups concept on
14 June 2004.

‘Article 25

Early financing

In the case of an EU Military Rapid Response
1.
shall be due by contributing
operation, contributions
Member States at
the reference amount.
Without prejudice to Article 24(4), payments shall be
made as defined below.

the level of

The European Council on 17 June 2004 endorsed a
Report on ESDP which underlined that work on EU
Rapid Response capacities
should be taken forward
with a view to an initial operational capability by early
2005.

2.
For the purpose of the early financing of EU Military
Rapid Response operations, the participating Member States
shall:

In view of these developments, the early financing of EU
military operations should be improved, in particular in
view of Rapid Response operations. The new scheme for
the early financing is
therefore intended first and
foremost for Rapid Response operations; under specific
circumstances, a contribution paid in anticipation may
however be used for the early financing of a regular
operation, in particular one with a short delay between

(1) OJ L 63, 28.2.2004, p. 68.

(a) either pay contributions to Athena in anticipation;

(b) or, when the Council decides to conduct an EU Military
Rapid Response operation to the financing of which
they
to the
their
contributions
that operation within five days
common costs of
following despatch of
the
reference amount, unless the Council decides otherwise.

contribute, pay

the level of

the call at

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

L 27/60

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

For

the purpose

referred to above,

the Special
3.
Committee, composed of one representative of each of
the Member States which have chosen to pay contributions
in anticipation (hereafter anticipating Member States), shall
establish provisional appropriations in a specific title in the
budget. These provisional appropriations shall be covered
by contributions payable by the anticipating Member States
within 90 days following despatch of the call for these
contributions. However, the contributions in anticipation
due for the year 2005 shall be paid in two instalments,
payable by 30 April and 30 November 2005 respectively.

4. Without prejudice to Article 24(4), the contributions
due by an anticipating Member State for an operation, up
to the level of the contribution it has paid to the provi-
sional appropriations referred to in paragraph 3 of this
Article,
following
shall be payable within 90 days
despatch of
the call. A similar amount may be made
available to the operation commander from the contri-
butions paid in anticipation.

Notwithstanding Article 20, any provisional appro-
5.
priations referred to under paragraph 3 of
this Article
which are used for an operation shall be replenished
within 90 days following despatch of the call.

6. Without prejudice to paragraph 1, any anticipating
Member State may in specific circumstances authorize the
administrator to use its contribution paid in anticipation to
cover its contribution to an operation in which it parti-
cipates, other than a Rapid Response operation. The contri-
bution paid in anticipation shall be replenished by the

29.1.2005

following

Member
despatch of the call.

State

concerned within 90 days

Notwithstanding Article

7.
operation
commander may commit and pay the amounts made
available to him.

31(3),

the

Any Member State may reverse its option by notifying

8.
the administrator at least three months in advance.’

2. Article 24(6) shall be amended to read as follows:

‘6. Without prejudice to the other provisions in this
Decision, the contributions shall be paid within 30 days
following despatch of the relevant call for contributions.’

Article 2

This Decision shall take effect on 1 February 2005.

Article 3

This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the
European Union.

Done at Brussels, 24 January 2005.

For the Council
The President

F. BODEN