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EU Defence Policy

Volume 503: debated on Wednesday 6 January 2010

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether his Department plans to increase the number of its (a) military personnel and (b) civilian staff attached to (i) the EU military staff and (ii) the European Defence Agency; (304355)

(2) how many UK (a) military personnel and (b) civilian staff were attached to (i) EU military staff, (ii) the European Defence Agency, (iii) the EU Military Committee and (iv) other EU institutions in each month since May 2008.

The numbers of military personnel and MOD civilians attached to the EU Military Staff, the European Defence Agency, the EU Military Committee, and other EU institutions since May 2008 are shown in the following tables:

European Defence Agency

Civilian

Military

May 2008

3

2

June 2008

3

2

July 2008

3

2

August 2008

4

2

September 2008

4

2

October 2008

4

3

November 2008

4

3

December 2008

4

3

January 2009

4

3

February 2009

4

3

March 2009

4

3

April 2009

4

3

May 2009

4

3

June 2009

3

3

July 2009

3

3

August 2009

3

3

September 2009

3

2

October 2009

3

2

November 2009

3

2

December 2009

3

2

EU Military Staff

Military

May 2008

18

June 2008

18

July 2008

18

August 2008

18

September 2008

18

October 2008

18

November 2008

18

December 2008

18

January 2009

19

February 2009

19

March 2009

19

April 2009

19

May 2009

19

June 2009

19

July 2009

20

August 2009

20

September 2009

20

October 2009

20

November 2009

20

December 2009

20

No MOD civilian staff have been seconded to the EU Military Staff in any month since May 2008. We have no plans to increase the number of military personnel or civilian staff attached to either of these institutions.

The European Military Committee is a regular meeting of the Chiefs of Defence Staff or their representatives from the EU member states, not a standing EU structure. There has been one British military officer seconded as the Military Adviser to the permanent Chairman of the EU Military Committee in every month since May 2008.

In every month since May 2008 there has been one MOD civilian seconded to the European Council General Secretariat, one MOD civilian seconded to the European Commission, and one MOD civilian seconded to the European Global Navigation Satellite System Supervisory Authority.