The EU Satellite Center responsible for managing the end of WEU

(BRUSSELS2) The consequences of the dissolution of the Union for Western Europe (WEU) will be managed, from 1 July, by ... the EU Satellite Center

It is not the primary vocation of the Center to manage human resources; its vocation is more to collect and analyze satellite maps for peacekeeping missions deployed by the European Union or on behalf of the diplomatic service (if the latter so requests). But a body was needed which could manage on behalf of the ten (former) WEU Member States (Germany, Belgium, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, United Kingdom). And the Satellite Center is one of the two bodies - along with the Institute for Security Studies in Paris - which emerged from WEU before being attached to the European Union.

The Satellite Centre, located in Torrejon (Spain), is thus entrusted with certain tasks relating to WEU staff: management of the pensions of former members of staff, management of the social plan, management of disputes between WEU and the former members of its staff as well as the implementation of the decisions of the competent Appeals Board, the assistance to the ten Member States in the context of the liquidation of WEU assets. He will have to recruit the necessary staff to carry out these tasks and will benefit from an additional budget. A start-up fund of 5,3 million euros will be set up (a sum lower than the annual budget of the former organization); each of the ten Member States being requested to advance at least one fifth of its contribution before the end of June.