DOCUMENTI IAI - A PRELIMINARY NOTE ON SETTING "CONVERGENCE CRITERIA" FOR EU SECURITY AND DEFENCE POLICY

A new environment for a common European defence policy In the light of the present, unexpected acceleration of the debate on a Common Defence Policy, some factors of news have to be stressed: a) the first important element of news is that current proposals tend to place European Defence inside the legal borders of the European Union. [...] - a full autonomy of WEU, just with a reinforced partnership with the EU; - a closer link between the EU and the WEU to allow the Union to direct the WEU for Petersberg tasks; - incorporation of Petersberg tasks into the CFSP (as it was in fact realised); - a gradual integration of the WEU into the EU. [...] Point 5 of the heads of governments June Declaration states that “..the General Affairs Council (has the task) to prepare the conditions and the measures necessary to achieve these objectives, including the definition of the modalities for the inclusions of those functions of the WEU which will be necessary for the EU to fulfil its new responsibilities in the area of Petersberg tasks...... [...] 2 Finally, NATO's 'Allied Force' Operation in former Yugoslavia has dramatically displayed the unbalance in strategic assets between the US and the European allies (and among the Europeans themselves): almost three quarters of the aircraft , more than four fifths of the ordinance delivered and most of the intelligence have been provided by the US. [...] It would, for example, be wise - and entirely in line with the Treaties - to envisage a clearer role for the European Commission in the implementation of the economic defence convergence criteria, like in the field of industrial cooperation or the R & D dimension.