Paris, 4 December 2000.-The WEU-ESDA Assembly Monday called for the European Union to strengthen its military capacity in command and control, intelligence and strategic lift.

Based on a report presented for the defence committee by Sydney Rapson (GB/Labour), the Assembly voted for the WEU Council of Ministers to urge EU governments to « take, as quickly as possible, such measures as may be necessary to rectify any deficiencies » identified during the Capabilities Commitment Conference in November, « particularly in the areas of command and control, intelligence and strategic lift. »

The Assembly recommended that the EU equip the WEU Satellite Centre in Torrejon with «air deployable command structures» and to « meet the deficiency » in precision-guided ordinance, » especially cruise missiles. Mr. Rapson added « European capitals should also be able to agree in coming months » to « set up an evaluation and monitoring process for the build-up and training of forces to ensure they are genuinely operational by 2003. »

The Assembly also advocated that the Council of Ministers « ensure that the permanent bodies provided for in Helsinki should, following the Nice European Council at the end of the week « rapidly succeed the interim bodies set up within the EU framework. » The bodies are the Political and Security Committee (PSC), the EU Military Committee (EMC) and the EU Military Staff (EMS). In addition, the Assembly urged the Council to ensure that the 28 countries represented in the WEU «are fully involved at the governmental and parliamentary level in EU-led crisis-management operations. »