Council Joint Action 2005/575/CFSP of 18 July 2005 establishing a European Security and Defence College (ESDC)
Date: 2005-07-18
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU office or agency, European school, European security, common security and defence policy, operation of the Institutions, vocational training

26.7.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 194/15

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

COUNCIL JOINT ACTION 2005/575/CFSP

of 18 July 2005

establishing a European Security and Defence College (ESDC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in
particular Article 14 thereof,

The ESDC shall be organised as a network between
2.
national
institutes, colleges, academies and institutions within
the EU dealing with security and defence policy issues and
the European Union Institute for Security Studies (hereinafter
referred to as institutes).

Whereas:

3.

It shall establish close links with the EU institutions.

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

On 19 and 20 June 2003, at its meeting in Thessaloniki,
the European Council endorsed the development of a
coordinated EU Training Policy in the field of
the
European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), encom-
passing both civilian and military dimensions.

On 17 November 2003, the Council approved the EU
Training Policy in ESDP and subsequently on 13
September 2004 approved the EU Training Concept in
ESDP, which included the definition of the principles for
the establishment of the European Security and Defence
College (ESDC).

On 16 and 17 December 2004, the European Council
endorsed the
initiation of work on defining the
modalities for the functioning of the ESDC.

On 31 May 2005, the Political and Security Committee
endorsed the modalities for the functioning of the ESDC,
including the setting up of a Steering Committee, an
Executive Academic Board and a permanent Secretariat,
which should carry out their tasks in accordance with
those modalities.

The ESDC should be a key training actor providing
training in the field of ESDP with a special focus on
ESDP training courses at strategic level. As such,
it
should be an active partner in the overall EU training
management,

HAS ADOPTED THIS JOINT ACTION:

Article 1

Establishment

Article 2

Mission

The ESDC shall provide training in the field of the European
Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) at the strategic level in order
to develop and promote a common understanding of ESDP
among civilian and military personnel, and to identify and
disseminate,
through its training activities, best practice in
relation to various ESDP issues.

Article 3

Objectives

The objectives of ESDC shall be the following:

(a)

to further enhance the European security culture within
ESDP;

(b) to promote a better understanding of ESDP as an essential
part of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP);

(c)

to provide EU instances with knowledgeable personnel able
to work efficiently on all ESDP matters;

(d) to provide Member States' administrations and staff with
insti-

familiar with EU policies,

knowledgeable personnel
tutions and procedures; and

A European Security and Defence College (ESDC)

1.
hereby established.

is

(e)

to help promote professional relations and contacts among
training participants.

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Official Journal of the European Union

26.7.2005

Article 4

Tasks of the ESDC

(c) a permanent Secretariat for the ESDC (hereinafter referred to
the

as
Steering Committee and the Executive Academic Board.

the Secretariat) which shall

in particular assist

The main tasks of the ESDC are in accordance with its
training

to organise and conduct

1.
mission and objectives
activities in the field of ESDP.

ESDC training activities shall consist of

2.
training activities:

two types of

(a)

the ESDP High Level Course; and

(b) the ESDP Orientation Course.

Other training activities shall be undertaken, as decided by the
Steering Committee referred to in Article 5.

3.

In addition, the ESDC shall in particular:

(a) support the relations to be established between national

institutes;

(b) install

and run an Internet-Based Advanced Distance
the ESDC training

Learning (IDL) System to support
activities;

(c) develop and produce training material for EU Training in

ESDP;

(d) provide contributions to the annual EU Training Programme

in ESDP; and

(e) establish an Alumni Network between former training parti-

cipants.

The ESDC training activities shall be conducted through

4.
the institutes forming the ESDC network.

As part of

the ESDC network,

5.
the European Union
Institute for Security Studies (EU ISS) shall support the ESDC
training activities, in particular through EU ISS publications and
by providing lectures given by EU ISS researchers as well as by
making available its web site within and for the Internet-Based
Advanced Distance Learning (IDL) System.

Article 5

Organisation

2.
The Steering Committee, the Executive Academic Board
and the Secretariat shall carry out the tasks set out in Articles
6, 7 and 8 respectively.

Article 6

The Steering Committee

The Steering Committee shall be composed of one repre-
1.
sentative appointed by each Member State. Each member of the
Committee may be represented or accompanied by an alternate.
Letters of appointment, duly authorised by the Member State,
shall be directed to the Secretary-General/High Representative
(SG/HR).

Representatives from acceding States may attend its meetings as
active observers.

2.
The Committee shall be chaired by the representative of
the Member State holding the Council Presidency and shall meet
at least once a year.

Representatives of

3.
shall be invited to attend the meetings of the Committee.

the SG/HR and of

the Commission

4.

The tasks of the Committee shall be to:

(a) establish the annual academic programme of the ESDC;

(b) select

the Member State(s) hosting the ESDC training

activities and the institutes conducting them;

(c) develop and agree the annual academic programme and the

outline curricula for all ESDC training activities;

(d) adopt evaluation reports and a general annual report on
ESDC training activities, to be forwarded to the relevant
Council bodies; and

(e) appoint

for each academic year the Chairperson of

the

Executive Academic Board.

1.

The following bodies shall be set up under the ESDC:

5.

The Committee shall adopt its Rules of Procedure.

(a) a Steering Committee which shall be responsible for the
overall coordination and direction of the training activities
of the ESDC;

(b) an Executive Academic Board which shall ensure the quality

and coherence of the training activities;

Decisions of the Committee shall be taken by qualified
6.
majority. The votes of the Member States shall be weighted in
accordance with Article 205(2) of the Treaty establishing the
European Community. For
shall
require the number of votes provided in Article 23(2), third
subparagraph of the Treaty on European Union.

their adoption, decisions

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Article 7

The Executive Academic Board

The
3.
Commission.

Secretariat

shall

closely

cooperate with

the

1.
The Executive Academic Board shall be composed of
senior representatives from those institutes which are active in
the relevant academic year.

The Chairperson of the Board shall be appointed by the

2.
Steering Committee among the members of the Board.

Each institute forming the ESDC network shall designate a point
of contact with the Secretariat to deal with the organisational
and administrative issues connected with the organisation of the
ESDC training activities.

Article 9

3.
Representatives from institutes involved in ESDC training
activities in the preceding and following academic year as well
as representatives from the SG/HR and of the Commission shall
be invited to attend the meetings of
the Board. Academic
experts and senior officials from national and European insti-
tutions may be invited to attend its meetings.

Participation in the ESDC training activities

All ESDC training activities shall be open to participation
1.
by nationals of all Member States and acceding States. The
organising and conducting institutes shall ensure that
this
principle applies without any exception.

4.

The tasks of the Board shall be to:

(a)

implement,
network, the agreed annual academic programme;

through the

institutes

forming the ESDC

The ESDC training activities shall in principle be open to parti-
cipation of nationals of candidate countries and, as appropriate,
of third States.

(b) oversee the Internet Based Advanced Distanced Learning

(IDL) System;

Participants shall be civilian and military personnel dealing

2.
with strategic aspects in the field of ESDP.

(c) develop detailed curricula for all ESDC training activities

building on the agreed outline curricula;

(d) ensure general coordination of ESDC training activities

among all institutes;

(e) review standards of the training activities undertaken in the

previous academic year;

(f)

submit to the Steering Committee proposals for training
activities in the next academic year; and

(g) prepare draft evaluation reports on each ESDC training
course and a draft general annual report on ESDC activities
to be forwarded to the Steering Committee.

The Rules of Procedure of the Board shall be adopted by

5.
the Steering Committee.

inter alia, non-governmental organisations,
Representatives of,
academic institutions and the media, as well as members of
the business community, may be invited to participate in
ESDC training activities.

3.
A certificate signed by the SG/HR shall be awarded to a
participant who has completed an ESDC course. The modalities
of the certificate shall be decided by the Steering Committee.
The certificate shall be recognised by the Member States and by
the EU institutions.

Article 10

Cooperation

The ESDC shall cooperate with and draw on the expertise of
international organisations and other relevant actors, such as
national training institutes of third States.

Article 8

The Secretariat

Article 11

Financing

The General Secretariat of the Council shall act as the

1.
Secretariat of the ESDC.

Staff shall be provided by the General Secretariat of the Council,
Member States and the institutes forming the ESDC network.

1.
Each Member State, EU institution, EU agency and
institute forming the ESDC network shall bear all costs related
to its participation in ESDC, including salaries, allowances, travel
expenses and costs related to organisational and administrative
support of the ESDC training activities.

2.
The Secretariat shall assist the Steering Committee and the
Executive Academic Board, carry out administrative tasks in
support of their activities, and provide support for the organi-
sation of the ESDC training activities that take place in Brussels.

2. Member States and the institutes
forming the ESDC
network shall each bear the costs related to the personnel
they provide to the Secretariat,
including salaries, allowances
and travel expenses.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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The General Secretariat of the Council shall bear all costs
3.
arising from and related to its tasks as set out in Article 8,
including the personnel it provides.

Article 13

Review

Each participant in ESDC training activities shall bear all

4.
costs related to his/her participation.

setting up and running of

For financing specific activities,

in particular the devel-
5.
information system
opment,
networks or applications for
the ESDC, as referred to in
Article 4(3), voluntary contributions by Member States, EU
forming the ESDC
institutions, EU agencies and institutes
network shall be managed by the General Secretariat of the
Council as earmarked revenue.

The Steering Committee, acting by qualified majority, shall
adopt and submit to the Council no later than 31 December
2007 a report on the activities and perspectives of the ESDC,
including on the financial modalities and with regard to the
Secretariat with a view to a revision of this Joint Action.

Article 14

Entry into force

This Joint Action shall enter into force on the day of
adoption.

its

Article 15

Publication

Practical arrangements for the contributions referred to in

6.
paragraph 5 shall be decided by the Steering Committee.

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

Article 12

Security regulations

Done at Brussels, 18 July 2005.

The Council’s security regulations set out in Council Decision
2001/264/EC of 19 March 2001 adopting the Council’s security
regulations (1) shall apply to the ESDC activities.

For the Council
The President

J. STRAW

(1) OJ L 101, 11.4.2001, p. 1. Decision as amended by Decision

2004/194/EC (OJ L 63, 28.2.2004, p. 48).