24 april 2012

The European Union Military Committee convened under the chairmanship of General Håkan Syrén, with the participation of the Chiefs of Defence of the 27 European Union Member States.

The dialogue covered a broad range of CSDP issues, from capability development to operations. Particular emphasis was given on the EU conflict prevention - from early warning to early action. Significant speakers contributed to the debate, together with the Executive Secretary General, Pierre Vimont, representing the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, who gave an overview of the HR's priorities for CFSP and CSDP and also made a foreword to the conflict prevention agenda item.

The meeting started with a discussion on Pooling and Sharing, a core issue of the EU capability development. The Chiefs of Defence reviewed the progress made so far and assessed the way ahead. The Single European Sky programme was also discussed in the capabilities session, in order to better identify the main fields where the efforts should be focused.

Regarding the operations session, the Committee was briefed by the Operation Commander of EUFOR Althea, on the way ahead in order to support the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the areas of capacity-building and training. The Operation Commander of EUNAVFOR Atalanta referred to its successful contribution to the maritime security off the coast of Somalia and in the Indian Ocean. The Mission Commander of the EU Training Mission Somalia presented his assessment on the continuation of the Somali security forces training. Additionally and following the main theme from the last Chiefs of Defence meeting, the EU special Representative for the Horn of Africa contributed to the deliberations on the EU's Strategic Framework for the Horn of Africa.

In the afternoon session, an assessment and a revision of the Committee's Strategic Priorities were discussed and agreed, reflecting the Chiefs of Defence expectations for the coming period.

Chairman EUMC