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Mr. Chairman,

I would like to take this opportunity to brief you on the progress made by the EU regarding the development of the common European Security and Defence.

This policy involves a dimension for dialogue and co-operation with non-EU countries, which reflects the same concern for transparency, inclusiveness and co-operation that also informs this council.

The EU's aim is to improve its own military and civil capabilities for crisis management, Atlantic Alliance remaining at the core of our collective security and defence tasks.

Last March, the new interim structures started functioning and are now working to full speed.

In the European Council in Feira, we expect to approve the work in progress regarding the improvement of our military capabilities. The headline goal constitutes one of our main priorities. Before the end of the year we will have a pledging capabilities conference. This will be real forces for peacekeeping, not rhetoric inventories for conceptual exercise.

The EU is also committed to establish a fruitful, strong and coherent relation with NATO. The negotiation of a document on EU-NATO relations is now finished. It foresees the establishment of four thematic working groups, on subjects of immediate interest for both organisations: Security, European military capabilities, Berlin plus and the definition of the permanent arrangement for EU-NATO relations.
The modalities for the relation between the EU and third countries were also finalised. I am sure that they accommodate the expectations of all countries concerned. There will be a single and inclusive structure that in routine time foresees meetings between all third countries and meetings with non-EU European allies including at ministerial level. In the pre-operational phase, these consultations will be strengthened. During a EU-led Operation contributing countries will participate in an Ad-Hoc committee of contributors and will be considered as equal regarding decision-making.

The Portuguese presidency has meanwhile organised a meeting with all third countries and also a meeting between the EU and the non-EU European Allies.

Mr. Chairman,

As experience has repeatedly shown us, civil instruments for crisis management are utmost importance. During our presidency we have made progress in improving European civil capabilities. The European Union has at his disposal a large number of civil instruments, which need to be reinforced, and we are now working very hard on civil concrete targets, as well as another on how to improve our civil police capabilities.

A committee for civil crisis management has already been approved and certain new EU structures, such as the situation centre and the coordination mechanism are in place in the policy unit/council secretariat.

Our final aim is to have a joint military and civil capacity to face all phases of a crisis and, whenever possible, to make use of all "soft security" instruments that can prevent a potential crisis situation.

Through the EU-NATO platform this exercise will also benefit from PfP experience and its contribution to shared objectives. Common European security and defence policy should be regarded as a challenge for all of us. We all share the same values and principles and our final aim is a common one: to promote stability and peace in the Euro-Atlantic area, around it and around the entire world.