Gyminch van september als voorbereiding op Raad in december (en)
Catherine Ashton with Defence Ministers in Lithuania © EU
High Representative Catherine Ashton chaired the informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers in Vilnius on 5 and 6 September. The meeting was an opportunity to prepare for the European Council in December, which will focus on Security and Defence.
Ministers discussed an Interim Report of the High Representative in view of the European Council, which builds on the preparatory work since January and includes contributions from Member States through discussion at various levels, non-papers and seminars. It has three parts: (1) the strategic context; (2) proposals and actions to strengthen CSDP; and (3) the way forward. On the basis of the discussion of this meeting, a final report will be submitted to the President of the European Council to develop further proposals and actions to strengthen CSDP and improve the availability of the civilian and military capabilities that the EU needs.
The recent Commission Communication "Towards a more competitive and efficient defence and security sector" was also on the agenda, with the Commissioner for the Internal Market, Michel Barnier, participating. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen also attended part of the meeting.
As explained by the High Representative before the meeting, priorities include " how do we more effectively use the two hundred billion euros we spend each year on defence, how do we by collaboration get more "bang for our buck", how do we make sure that we work closely with our colleagues in NATO and make sure that our missions are as successful as possible."
For more information:
Preparing the December 2013 European Council on Security and Defence Interim Report by the High Representative, Brussels, 24 July 2013
European Commission Communication on the European Defence and Security Sector, "Towards a more competitive and efficient defence and security sector", adopted on 24 July 2013
Remarks by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on arrival at the informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers