Date of release : 20-05-2005

Policy area : General Affairs and External Relations

Event : General Affairs and External Relations Council

09h00-10h30

1. Military Capabilities

The Ministers could discuss the requirements catalogue which lists the results of the technical work realized up to this stage as well as the elements resulting from the first stages of the iterative process between the EUMC and the PSC (considerations related to the strategic hypothesis of planification, illustrative scenarios, initial list of capacities required to satisfy the ambitions set up in the Headline Goal 2010).

The Ministers may wish to comment also on the Single Progress Report on military capability development and on the related Capability Improvement Chart.

The Ministers could finally have a discussion on the evaluation of the European Capabilities Action Plan (ECAP/PAEC) which allows to reorientate the work of the ECAP Project Groups in the light of the Headline Goal 2010.

Following a Spanish initiative, the Ministers could have an exchange of views on the maritime dimension of the Headline Goal 2010 on the basis of a food-for-thought paper issued by the Presidency.

2. Rapid Response

The Ministers could make comments on the first Battle Group Co-ordination Conference that took place on May 11th in the perspective of the Full Operational Capacity that will be reached in 2007.

The Ministers could have an exchange views on the acceleration of the decision-making and planning process for the rapid response operations of the EU on the basis of the recommendations identified according to the general approach laid down in the report of the SG/HR of March 15th and taken into account the advice of the EUMC on this subject.

Finally, under this item, the Ministers could draw up an assessment of the achieved progress in the implementation of the Battle Group Concept, in particular in the definition of standards and criteria for the Battle Groups. The Ministers could also have a debate on the work still to be done in the area of the Battle Groups and of rapid response in general.

3. European Defence Agency

The SG/HR, as the Head of the European Defence Agency, will report to the Ministers on the activities of the Agency since its creation 10 months ago. The Ministers could comment on this report, if they so desire.

4. A.O.B.

11h00-12h30

Steering Board of the European Defence Agency in the configuration of the Ministers of Defence (pour mémoire)

13h00-14h30

Working Lunch of the Ministers of Defence

On the basis of a SG/HR report, the Ministers could have a discussion on the EU operations: the operation ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the advice and assistant mission in the area of Security Sector Reform in Democratic Republic of Congo, “EUSEC RD Congo and the support to the mission of the African Union in Soudan/Darfur. Ministers could also tackle questions related to currents events.

15h00-16h00

Troika Meeting +4 (HR, IS, NO, TR)