Committee Reports > List of Committees > Joint > 1985 > Committee on the Secondary Legislation of the European Communities (4th Committee) > Report No. 14 - European Parliament Draft Treaty Establishing the European Union

APPENDIX 3

Dooge Committee - Interim Report

(Extracts relating to Security and Defence)

“C. The search for an external identity (1)

Europe’s external identity can be achieved only gradually, within the framework of common action and political cooperation in accordance with the rules applicable to each of these. It is increasingly evident that interaction between these two frameworks is both necessary and useful. They must therefore be more closely aligned. The objective of European Political Cooperation must remain the systematic formulation and implementation of a common external policy. (2)

Similarly in the case of defence, although the aim of European Union is indeed the cohesiveness and solidarity of the countries of Europe within the larger framework of the Atlantic Alliance, it will only be possible to achieve that aim in a series of stages and by paying special attention to the differing individual situations, including the situations of the two nuclear powers which are members and of certain member countries facing specific security problems (3)”

“(b)Security and defence (1)

The aim is to encourage greater awareness on the part of the Member States of the common interests of the future European Union in matters of security.

Any discussion of this question will need to take account of:

(a)the frameworks which already exist (and of which not all partners in the European Community are members) such as the Atlantic Alliance and the WEU;

(b)the differing capacities and responsibilities and the distinctive situations of the Community Member States.

Several measures could be considered, for example:

-extending and strengthening consultations on political and economic aspects of security problems as part of Political Cooperation;

-a commitment by the Member States to design, develop and produce together the weapons systems necessary for their security and, more generally, high technology materials;

-the intensification of the efforts to define and establish common standards for materials.”

(1)Mr. Moller entered a general reserve on all of section C. He considered that, instead of structural changes, it is necessary to have a new pragmatic development of European Political Cooperation on the existing base, which has already shown itself to be effective. Particularly in relation to security, it should be confined to political and economic aspects.

(2)Reservation entered by Mr. Papantoniou.

(3)Senator Dooge did not agree to the inclusion of this paragraph.

(1)Senator Dooge did not agree to the inclusion of the above text.