Western European Union
Not to be confused with the European Union (EU), the Western European Union (WEU) is a partially dormant European defence and security organization composed of those states who were members of both NATO and the EU (except Denmark) before the latter expanded in June 2004.
The Brussels Treaty was the forerunner of the WEU. It was signed by the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands on March 17, 1948. It was a mutual intergovernmental self defence treaty which also promoted economic, cultural and social collaboration. As a result of the failure of the European Defence Community on October 23, 1954 the WEU was established with the incorporation of the then West Germany and Italy. It's 2 stated aims were:
- to afford assistance to each other in resisting any policy of aggression
- to promote unity and to encourage the progressive integration of Europe
Most of its functions are in the process of being merged into the EU. The Parliamentary Assembly of the WEU is composed of the delegations of the member states to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which, fearful for its future existence with the winding up of the WEU, has been lobbying for itself to be recognised as the "European Security and Defence Assembly".
Some of the moves that have taken place and indicate the partial merger of the WEU into the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the EU have been the following:
- On November 20, 1999, Javier Solana, who is the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) of the EU, was also appointed Secretary-General of the WEU. His being head of both organisations permits him to oversee the ongoing transfer of functions from the WEU to the EU.
- The Petersberg tasks, declared by the WEU in 1992, were incorporated in 1997 into the treaty of Amsterdam of the EU, forming the basis of the European Security and Defence Policy which frames a common policy to deal with humanitarian and rescue, peacekeeping and tasks of combat forces in crisis management, including peacemaking.
- The European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) and European Union Satellite Centre (EUSC), both established to function under the EU's CFSP pillar, are replacements to the Western European Union Institute for Security Studies and the Western Union Satellite Centre which had been established to function in connection to the WEU.
Supposedly full merger was to occur in 2000; however, as of 2004 the WEU is still alive and much European military planning takes place within its constituent cells. New York University's book, Defending Europe, paints the situation as a "revival of the WEU" rather than a shutting down of it. On June 14, 2001, Solana stated that there was no forseeable reason to change the status of the non member countries in the organisation.
President
The WEU has a rotating 6 month presidency. When the President of the Council of the EU belongs to a country that is also a member of the EU then that member is also the President of the WEU, and when a non member heads the EU a different member state takes over the presidency. Until July 1 Luxembourg is President when he will hand over to the UK. Unusually the UK will continue as President for a second term on January 1, 2006 when non-member Austria takes over the EU presidency.
Participating States
The Western European Union has 10 member countries, 6 associate member countries, 5 observer countries and 7 associate partner countries. They are as follows:
Member countries: (modified Brussels Treaty – 1954)
All of them being members of both NATO and the European Union. These are the only nations that have full voting rights.
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- United Kingdom
- Belgium
- Netherlands
- Luxembourg
- Portugal (March 27, 1990)
- Spain (March 27, 1990)
- Greece (1995)
Associate member countries: (Rome – 1992)
Associate membership was created to include the European countries that were members of NATO but not of the European Union. Since then, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary have also joined the EU.
Observer countries: (Rome – 1992)
Most obverver countries are members of the European Union, but not of NATO. Denmark is an exception, being member of both.
Associate partner countries: (Kirchberg – 1994)
Countries that were part of neither NATO nor of the EU. Since then most of the following countries have joined both, with the exception of Bulgaria and Romania who have so far only joined NATO, but will become members of the EU as of January 1, 2007.
External links
Categories: International organizations | Military alliances