Meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs, Development and Defence Ministers in Brussels
Government Communications Unit
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Defence
Press release 356/2005
18 November 2005
The EU General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) will meet on 21 and 22 November in Brussels. The Civilian Capabilities Conference will also be organised in connection with the Council meeting. Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Mari Kiviniemi and Minister of Defence Seppo Kääriäinen will represent Finland at the meetings.
The Foreign Ministers will discuss the draft agenda of the European Council meeting that will take place on 15 and 16 December. The main theme of the European Council is the aim of reaching a political agreement on the EU's Financial Framework for the period of 2007-2013. Other issues include Africa, immigration, counter-terrorism, growth and employment issues related to the Lisbon Strategy, development of the internal market, sustainable development, climate change and key issues related to external relations.
The ministers will now have a ministerial discussion on the Financial Framework for the second time during the UK Presidency. The debate will focus on the structure of expenses in the budget, the clause on the updating of the budget and the EU income arrangements. The ministers will also discuss the proposals made to found a globalisation adjustment fund and a technology fund targeted to the poorer countries. Finland has emphasised the need to obtain from the Presidency a comprehensive proposal concerning the Financial Framework with which each Member State could evaluate their position.
The foreign ministers are to decide on the EU's participation in the border control mission in Rafah. On 15 November, Israel and the Palestinian National Authority agreed on opening the Rafah border crossing and the EU has been invited to participate in the monitoring of the crossing and to serve as advisers. The EU prepares a rapid launch of the operation and will provide training with regard to border and customs issues. Finland is prepared to provide expertise and financial support.
Other issues related to external affairs will include the state of WTO talks, the situation in Iran and Iraq and immigration issues.
The development ministers will finalise a new declaration on development policy which is to replace the earlier Community Declaration on Development Policy adopted in 2000. Finland considers it important that the principles and objectives jointly adopted by the EU be included in the declaration, such as the commitments of the Millennium Declaration, the final document of the UN World Summit of autumn 2005 and the objectives related to the efficiency and coherence of development cooperation. Decreasing poverty must be the main objective of the EU development policy.
The Council will also prepare the EU Strategy for Africa to be adopted by the European Council in December. For the first time, the strategy pulls together all the EU policies concerning Africa. In addition, a development and trade initiative will be discussed. The aim is that the EU Member States commit themselves to significant increases in trade-related aid to development countries by 2010.
The meeting of the EU defence ministers held in connection with the Council meeting will discuss the European Security and Defence Policy. The ministers will discuss the EU's work in the field of military capabilities, the European Defence Agency, tightening of the civilian and military coordination and the EU's ongoing Althea operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the context of the Union's capabilities, the Council is to adopt a list of requirements relating to the development of military crisis management capabilities as outlined by the European Council.
The need for tighter civilian and military coordination has been highlighted this autumn. The EU has a high variety of measures to apply in a crisis situation but improving the coordination is a challenge. The UK, Austria and Finland aim jointly to promote this theme during their presidencies. The UK has emphasised the importance of development of comprehensive operation planning and EU support for reforming the security sector.
The steering board of the European Defence Agency will have a defence minister-level meeting in connection with the Council meeting. The meeting aims to decide on practical rules for European defence acquisitions. The rules are drafted to agree together with the participating countries on more open practices for defence equipment acquisitions in Europe. In addition, topics of the meeting will include the budget, operational programme and long-term planning of the Agency.
Further information: Jari Luoto, State Under-Secretary for EU Affairs, Government Secretariat for EU Affairs, tel. +358 9 1602 2182, Anne Huhtamäki, Counsellor, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 6097, Anne Ahonen, Counsellor, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 6282, on the meeting of defence ministers Olli-Pekka Jalonen, Defence Counsellor, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 9 1608 8154, and on the European Defence Agency Jouko Tuloisela, Senior Government Secretary, tel. +358 9 1608 8126, Ministry of Defence