IMS Press Release 12 June 2001

First meeting of the NATO Military Committee and the EU Military Committee The Military Committee of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the Military Committee of the European Union met today for the first time. The meeting was held at NATO Headquarters. The meeting was convened following recent guidance provided by the North Atlantic Council and the European Council. It reflects inter alia that: The EU and NATO have undertaken to further strengthen and develop their co-operation in military crisis management on the basis of shared values, equality and in a spirit of partnership. Arrangements and modalities for the relationship between the EU and NATO will reflect the fact that each organisation will be dealing with the other on an equal footing. The autonomy of NATO and EU decision-making will be fully respected. Meetings between the NATO Military Committee and EU Military Committee may be held as required, at the request of either organisation, with at least one such meeting during each EU presidency. The Chairman of NATO's Military Committee, Admiral Guido Venturoni, and the Chairman of the EU Military Committee, General Gustav Hägglund, chaired the first meeting. The Agenda focussed on mutual information from both organisations. NATO informed about its assets and capabilities, covering the key aspects of current work on the NATO Command Structure, the future Force Structure, and the status of work on the Defense Capabilities Initiative. The EU informed about general aspects of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), its exercise policy programme and Command and Control for EU Operations. It was agreed to hold a further meeting of the Committees in Autumn 2001.