Date of release : 23-05-2005

Policy area : General Affairs and External Relations

Event : General Affairs and External Relations Council

At the end of the part of the General Affairs and External Relations Council dedicated to defence issues, Luc Frieden discussed behaviour standards applicable to all personnel involved in European Union operations:

"Soldiers from the European Union in the world are in a way our 'business card'. The work they do is extremely difficult, and contributes to our security. These standards affect important areas such as relations with local populations and the moral cohesion of the operation, such as reports to be filed on all breaches of human rights, the observance of ethnic, religious and cultural diversity of the local population, and the banning of sexual and drug abuse. This generic code, of which we took note today, is based on policies already in effect for existing EU operations. It was developed so that our soldiers would be representatives worthy of the European Union in difficult missions throughout the world."