26.7.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 194/15

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COUNCIL JOINT ACTION 2005/575/CFSP

of 18 July 2005

establishing a European Security and Defence College (ESDC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 14 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)	On 19 and 20 June 2003, at its meeting in Thessaloniki, the European Council endorsed the development of a coordinated EU Training Policy in the field of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), encompassing both civilian and military dimensions.

(2)	On 17 November 2003, the Council approved the EU Training Policy in ESDP and subsequently on 13 September 2004 approved the EU Training Concept in ESDP, which included the definition of the principles for the establishment of the European Security and Defence College (ESDC).

(3)	On 16 and 17 December 2004, the European Council endorsed the initiation of work on defining the modalities for the functioning of the ESDC.

(4)	On 31 May 2005, the Political and Security Committee endorsed the modalities for the functioning of the ESDC, including the setting up of a Steering Committee, an Executive Academic Board and a permanent Secretariat, which should carry out their tasks in accordance with those modalities.

(5)	The ESDC should be a key training actor providing training in the field of ESDP with a special focus on ESDP training courses at strategic level. As such, it should be an active partner in the overall EU training management,

HAS ADOPTED THIS JOINT ACTION:

Article 1

Establishment

1.   A European Security and Defence College (ESDC) is hereby established.

2.   The ESDC shall be organised as a network between national institutes, colleges, academies and institutions within the EU dealing with security and defence policy issues and the European Union Institute for Security Studies (hereinafter referred to as institutes).

3.   It shall establish close links with the EU institutions.

Article 2

Mission

The ESDC shall provide training in the field of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) at the strategic level in order to develop and promote a common understanding of ESDP among civilian and military personnel, and to identify and disseminate, through its training activities, best practice in relation to various ESDP issues.

Article 3

Objectives

The objectives of ESDC shall be the following:

(a)	to further enhance the European security culture within ESDP;

(b)	to promote a better understanding of ESDP as an essential part of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP);

(c)	to provide EU instances with knowledgeable personnel able to work efficiently on all ESDP matters;

(d)	to provide Member States' administrations and staff with knowledgeable personnel familiar with EU policies, institutions and procedures; and

(e)	to help promote professional relations and contacts among training participants.

Article 4

Tasks of the ESDC

1.   The main tasks of the ESDC are in accordance with its mission and objectives to organise and conduct training activities in the field of ESDP.

2.   ESDC training activities shall consist of two types of training activities:

(a)	the ESDP High Level Course; and

(b)	the ESDP Orientation Course.

Other training activities shall be undertaken, as decided by the Steering Committee referred to in Article 5.

3.   In addition, the ESDC shall in particular:

(a)	support the relations to be established between national institutes;

(b)	install and run an Internet-Based Advanced Distance Learning (IDL) System to support the ESDC training activities;

(c)	develop and produce training material for EU Training in ESDP;

(d)	provide contributions to the annual EU Training Programme in ESDP; and

(e)	establish an Alumni Network between former training participants.

4.   The ESDC training activities shall be conducted through the institutes forming the ESDC network.

5.   As part of the ESDC network, the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EU ISS) shall support the ESDC training activities, in particular through EU ISS publications and by providing lectures given by EU ISS researchers as well as by making available its web site within and for the Internet-Based Advanced Distance Learning (IDL) System.

Article 5

Organisation

1.   The following bodies shall be set up under the ESDC:

(a)	a Steering Committee which shall be responsible for the overall coordination and direction of the training activities of the ESDC;

(b)	an Executive Academic Board which shall ensure the quality and coherence of the training activities;

(c)	a permanent Secretariat for the ESDC (hereinafter referred to as the Secretariat) which shall in particular assist the Steering Committee and the Executive Academic Board.

2.   The Steering Committee, the Executive Academic Board and the Secretariat shall carry out the tasks set out in Articles 6, 7 and 8 respectively.

Article 6

The Steering Committee

1.   The Steering Committee shall be composed of one representative appointed by each Member State. Each member of the Committee may be represented or accompanied by an alternate. Letters of appointment, duly authorised by the Member State, shall be directed to the Secretary-General/High Representative (SG/HR).

Representatives from acceding States may attend its meetings as active observers.

2.   The Committee shall be chaired by the representative of the Member State holding the Council Presidency and shall meet at least once a year.

3.   Representatives of the SG/HR and of the Commission shall be invited to attend the meetings of the Committee.

4.   The tasks of the Committee shall be to:

(a)	establish the annual academic programme of the ESDC;

(b)	select the Member State(s) hosting the ESDC training activities and the institutes conducting them;

(c)	develop and agree the annual academic programme and the outline curricula for all ESDC training activities;

(d)	adopt evaluation reports and a general annual report on ESDC training activities, to be forwarded to the relevant Council bodies; and

(e)	appoint for each academic year the Chairperson of the Executive Academic Board.

5.   The Committee shall adopt its Rules of Procedure.

6.   Decisions of the Committee shall be taken by qualified majority. The votes of the Member States shall be weighted in accordance with Article 205(2) of the Treaty establishing the European Community. For their adoption, decisions shall require the number of votes provided in Article 23(2), third subparagraph of the Treaty on European Union.

Article 7

The Executive Academic Board

1.   The Executive Academic Board shall be composed of senior representatives from those institutes which are active in the relevant academic year.

2.   The Chairperson of the Board shall be appointed by the Steering Committee among the members of the Board.

3.   Representatives from institutes involved in ESDC training activities in the preceding and following academic year as well as representatives from the SG/HR and of the Commission shall be invited to attend the meetings of the Board. Academic experts and senior officials from national and European institutions may be invited to attend its meetings.

4.   The tasks of the Board shall be to:

(a)	implement, through the institutes forming the ESDC network, the agreed annual academic programme;

(b)	oversee the Internet Based Advanced Distanced Learning (IDL) System;

(c)	develop detailed curricula for all ESDC training activities building on the agreed outline curricula;

(d)	ensure general coordination of ESDC training activities among all institutes;

(e)	review standards of the training activities undertaken in the previous academic year;

(f)	submit to the Steering Committee proposals for training activities in the next academic year; and

(g)	prepare draft evaluation reports on each ESDC training course and a draft general annual report on ESDC activities to be forwarded to the Steering Committee.

5.   The Rules of Procedure of the Board shall be adopted by the Steering Committee.

Article 8

The Secretariat

1.   The General Secretariat of the Council shall act as the Secretariat of the ESDC.

Staff shall be provided by the General Secretariat of the Council, Member States and the institutes forming the ESDC network.

2.   The Secretariat shall assist the Steering Committee and the Executive Academic Board, carry out administrative tasks in support of their activities, and provide support for the organisation of the ESDC training activities that take place in Brussels.

3.   The Secretariat shall closely cooperate with the Commission.

Each institute forming the ESDC network shall designate a point of contact with the Secretariat to deal with the organisational and administrative issues connected with the organisation of the ESDC training activities.

Article 9

Participation in the ESDC training activities

1.   All ESDC training activities shall be open to participation by nationals of all Member States and acceding States. The organising and conducting institutes shall ensure that this principle applies without any exception.

The ESDC training activities shall in principle be open to participation of nationals of candidate countries and, as appropriate, of third States.

2.   Participants shall be civilian and military personnel dealing with strategic aspects in the field of ESDP.

Representatives of, inter alia, non-governmental organisations, academic institutions and the media, as well as members of the business community, may be invited to participate in ESDC training activities.

3.   A certificate signed by the SG/HR shall be awarded to a participant who has completed an ESDC course. The modalities of the certificate shall be decided by the Steering Committee. The certificate shall be recognised by the Member States and by the EU institutions.

Article 10

Cooperation

The ESDC shall cooperate with and draw on the expertise of international organisations and other relevant actors, such as national training institutes of third States.

Article 11

Financing

1.   Each Member State, EU institution, EU agency and institute forming the ESDC network shall bear all costs related to its participation in ESDC, including salaries, allowances, travel expenses and costs related to organisational and administrative support of the ESDC training activities.

2.   Member States and the institutes forming the ESDC network shall each bear the costs related to the personnel they provide to the Secretariat, including salaries, allowances and travel expenses.

3.   The General Secretariat of the Council shall bear all costs arising from and related to its tasks as set out in Article 8, including the personnel it provides.

4.   Each participant in ESDC training activities shall bear all costs related to his/her participation.

5.   For financing specific activities, in particular the development, setting up and running of information system networks or applications for the ESDC, as referred to in Article 4(3), voluntary contributions by Member States, EU institutions, EU agencies and institutes forming the ESDC network shall be managed by the General Secretariat of the Council as earmarked revenue.

6.   Practical arrangements for the contributions referred to in paragraph 5 shall be decided by the Steering Committee.

Article 12

Security regulations

The Council’s security regulations set out in Council Decision 2001/264/EC of 19 March 2001 adopting the Council’s security regulations (1) shall apply to the ESDC activities.

Article 13

Review

The Steering Committee, acting by qualified majority, shall adopt and submit to the Council no later than 31 December 2007 a report on the activities and perspectives of the ESDC, including on the financial modalities and with regard to the Secretariat with a view to a revision of this Joint Action.

Article 14

Entry into force

This Joint Action shall enter into force on the day of its adoption.

Article 15

Publication

This Joint Action shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

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(1)  OJ L 101, 11.4.2001, p. 1. Decision as amended by Decision 2004/194/EC (OJ L 63, 28.2.2004, p. 48).

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