Today's Date:

- I -

In 1963, France and Germany embarked on the path of security and defence cooperation of unequalled strength, the first step towards a common European policy in this sphere. The Elysée Treaty was expanded to include the creation of the Franco-German Defence and Security Council in 1988, whose 15th anniversary is today.

A very dense network of relations between the two armies enabled the creation of the Franco-German brigade in 1988 and the European Corps in 1993, which proved themselves in crisis-management operations in the Balkans. The growing harmonization of doctrines led, inter alia, to the 1996 “Franco-German common security and defence concept”, which testifies to our convergence of views.

In the new strategic context born of the end of the Cold War, characterized not only by new threats but also new opportunities, France and Germany supported the strengthening of the European Union’s ability to act through development of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). Our two countries are keen for the ESDP to be transformed into a European Security and Defence Union (ESDU), so that the European Union can play its full role in the international arena.

-II -

Convinced of the need to ensure the common security of the Union's member States and to reflect the solidarity uniting them, France and Germany have presented the following common proposals to the Convention on the Future of Europe in the field of external security and defence.

France and Germany propose the transformation of the ESDP into a European Security and Defence Union (ESDU), which must also contribute to strengthening the Alliance's European pillar.

Their common objective, with a view to efficient crisis prevention and management, is to enable the Union to use the whole range of capabilities it has available to ensure the security of its territory and peoples, and contribute to the stability of its strategic environment.

To achieve this objective, France and Germany wish to promote;

- a comprehensive vision of the European Union's security. France and Germany propose introducing a passage on "solidarity and common security" in the new version of the Treaty (values) and appending to the Treaty a political declaration with the same title to identify every kind of risk, including in particular that of terrorism, and the means to confront them.

- greater flexibility within the Union, by extending and adapting the enhanced cooperation mechanism to the ESDP, which would be open to the rest of the member States and even the Union as a whole.

- the strengthening of military capabilities, which presupposes a better allocation of resources, stepping up the equipment effort of our armed forces, and developing new forms of cooperation, particularly by harmonizing the planning of needs, pooling resources and capabilities and, eventually, sharing out tasks.

- better coordination of cooperation on armaments and strengthening the defence technological and industrial base (DTIB), which requires the definition of a European armaments policy including the creation of a European Armaments Agency. This agency could be based on OCCAR (Organization for Joint Cooperation in Armaments), which could be progressively enlarged.

In the face of the risks of every kind, including that of terrorism, France and Germany pledge, right now, paying due regard to their respective internal legislation, together to use all their available capabilities to provide relief and assistance. They invite their European Union partners to join them.

France and Germany actively support the European Union's commitment on the ground to serve peace: since 1 January the Union has already been committed in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where our two countries are supplying the largest contingents of the Police Mission (EUPM); the first European Union military mission could begin in March in FYROM, where our two countries will remain committed. France and Germany also fully support the European Union's plan to take over militarily from NATO in Bosnia, possibly at the beginning of 2004.

France and Germany both consider that the balanced, concurrent development of military and civilian capabilities is a particular strength of the CSDP. They are intent on continuing to champion the strengthening of the European Union's civilian crisis-management capabilities and establishment, at the Council Secretariat, of planning and operational support capabilities.

- III - Looking ahead to the constitution of an ESDU, France and Germany are determined to develop:

1/ The European Union's rapid reaction capability. France and Germany will consider, between now and the next summit, ways to strengthen the European Union's command capabilities based on the existing capabilities and also taking into account the "Berlin Plus" arrangements. France and Germany will also study the creation of a joint staff at forces command level, in order to use resources and capabilities efficiently.

France and Germany wish to be able to use the Franco-German Brigade as a very rapidly available element of the European Union's rapid reaction capability. To this end our two countries are resolved to continue increasing:

- the subordination of the Brigade to the European Corps, under terms and conditions to be defined in agreement with our partners.

- the integration and readiness of the Brigade's units;

- the Brigade's initial deployment capability for rapid reaction; and

- harmonization of the Brigade's operational and statutory rules of deployment.

Moreover, both our countries reiterate the high quality of the cooperation between their naval forces, which was reflected in 1992 by the creation of the Franco-German Naval Force. France and Germany are continuing to pursue the goal of a rapid transformation of the European Air Transport Coordination Cell into a European air transport command. They intend to go on developing the structures and capabilities of the European Air transport Coordination Cell and use them in their crisis-management operations.

2/ pooling their capabilities

The A-400M programme is of fundamental importance, it is the concrete manifestation of the desire for European cooperation and an important means of strengthening the ESDP. France and Germany intend playing a pioneering role in the field of training, exercises, commitment and logistics.
In this context, France and Germany also intend eventually to form a joint air transport squadron.

France and Germany will embark on pooling their capabilities for supporting forces deployed in crisis-prevention and management operations. This particularly involves NRBC [nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical] protection, services de santé [equivalents: UK – Royal Medical Corps; US – Medical Department] and command forces and support capabilities, and airborne strategic and tactical reconnaissance systems.

3/ common analysis of the threat

France and Germany reaffirm that the European Union must have a common analysis of the risks hanging over its member States. To this end, our two countries are preparing an analysis of the threat constituted by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their means of delivery. This document will be proposed to our European Union partners in the Political and Security Committee (PSC). Concurrently, France and Germany agree to explore the possibilities of coordinating their efforts to draw up projects for consideration in the framework of the G8 world partnership against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Our two countries support the proposal for a meeting of United Nations Security Council heads of State and government in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly to give, in the light of recent crises, a new boost to the non-proliferation policy.

4/ preventing and fighting terrorism International terrorism is a threat to our security to which we must respond by mobilizing all appropriate means with the aim of ensuring comprehensive preventive security. France and Germany are today considering the contribution which the ESDP can make to preventing and fighting terrorism. They will present joint proposals on this subject to their European Union partners.

France and Germany pledge to follow up the ministerial meeting of the Security Council on the fight against terrorism held on 20 January. The two countries are resolved inter alia to continue cooperating closely in the fight against the financing of terrorism.

5/ a common policy on cooperation on armaments France and Germany intend to promote a common policy on exports and common rules based on free trade between our two countries on the basis of the European Union Code of Conduct and provisions of the Letter of Intent (LoI) on exports to third countries. An adequate policy and new regulations will facilitate exchanges in the framework of cooperation programmes on armaments.

6/ joint personnel training They are proposing to their European Union partners the creation of a “European Security and Defence College”, designed to promote a common culture for senior civilian officials and military officers of the European Union member States in this sphere.

France and Germany stress the high quality of the cooperation between their forces in combat search and rescue (CSAR). They invite their European Union partners to join their common initiative with a view to creating a European Union centre in this sphere.

France and Germany are determined to develop joint officer training schemes in order to encourage the formulation of common concepts.

France and Germany have decided to step up exchanges of fully integrated personnel between their Foreign and Defence Ministries. They will continue to strengthen their dialogue on security and defence issues within the European Union./.