Defense advice: the latest news and all the articles

(BRUSSELS2) This page will be updated as information becomes available from the Council of Defense Ministers which is being held today (March 22) and the Council of Foreign Ministers which is being held on Friday (March 23).

On the agenda of the Defense Council: review of existing operations (piracy, Althea in Bosnia, etc.), capabilities (projects pooling and sharing), partnerships and positioning in relation to the new American strategy (which will be the dish of choice for lunch).

On the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council: the Sahel (with the approval of the first political document for the launch of a CSDP operation in the Sahel, and certainly a news update on the coup d'état in Mali); Syria (with good news from New York and the approval of the first resolution of the United Nations Security Council); Belarus (with new sanctions). Sanctions should also be decided against several countries: Afghanistan, Iran (human rights), Somalia (charcoal), Transnistria (renewal). Cooperation with Turkey on various geopolitical issues (Middle East, Syria, Africa) should be the main course at the foreign ministers' lunch.

At the Council of Defense Ministers, however, a few countries were not represented by their chief minister. The German T. De Maizière in particular and the British P. Hammond are not there; replaced by their Secretary of State. The Frenchman Gérard Longuet also did not come (at the last moment). Coup d'état in Mali and internal situation oblige.

Download the “background” note written by the press service of the Council of the EU

Papers already published and in progress

On pooling and sharing projects:

• R&T military budget: the alert level has been reached (22 March)
• Pooling and sharing, it's spring... (22 March)
• Europe intends to supply itself on its own (22 March)
• A twelfth project for the European Defense Agency?
• Europe is beefing up its defence. 11 operational projects. List and details

On the extension of Eunavfor Atalanta:

• Atalanta targets pirates on land: all the explanations (well almost 🙂 (22 March)
• Some details on the territorial extension of Atalanta
• Brits want to wait for Eunavfor Atalanta extension
• Extension of Atalanta: decision approved on Friday. To attack…
• Operation Atalanta extended until 2014. Possible extension to beaches

On the OpsCenter:

• The OpsCenter, some financial details
• Agreement on OpsCenter Horn of Africa
• A Dutchman at the head of the OpsCenter?
• Duration and source of OpsCenter budget under discussion
• The OpsCenter on track: the main principles adopted on Monday. And some details...
• Agreement on the EU command center, in the snatch

On the operation in the Sahel:

• The PSDC Niger operation: 5 threats hanging over the country. Mission objectives
• The training of gendarmes in Niger, a challenge for the future EU "Sahel" mission

Foreign politic

• Charcoal trade banned with Somalia (22 March)
• Opposition spy devices banned from export to Iran (22 March)
• Bashar's family targeted by EU sanctions (22 March)
• The coup in Mali is on the agenda of the Council (22 March)
• Belarus