Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/653Show full title

Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/653

of 26 April 2018

on the establishment of a warehouse capability for civilian crisis-management missions

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Articles 42(4) and 43(2) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,

Whereas:

(1) For the purpose of the Union's civilian crisis-management operations it is necessary to ensure that rapid deployment needs and operational requirements are met.

(2) On 13 November 2012 the Council adopted Decision 2012/698/CFSP(1), establishing a warehouse for civilian crisis-management missions. Pursuant to Article 6 of that Decision, a review of the utility, effectiveness and cost-efficiency of the warehouse has been conducted by the European External Action Service (EEAS). The outcome of that review was discussed with the relevant Council preparatory bodies in the first half of 2016.

(3) On 3 May 2016 the Political and Security Committee reaffirmed that the establishment of a warehouse capability is a useful measure that would support the rapid deployment of missions under the common security and defence policy (CSDP). It agreed that a new warehouse capability should be operated by a public law body or a body governed by private law with a public service mission of the Member States as provided for in point (c) of Article 58(1) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council(2), and requested the EEAS to conduct the selection procedure. The terms of reference for the selection procedure have been endorsed by the relevant Council preparatory bodies.

(4) Following the report by the EEAS, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (‘the High Representative’) made a recommendation to the Council to select the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (Myndigheten för samhällsskydd och beredskap — MSB) as the warehouse capability operator for the implementation of the warehouse capability.

(5) The warehouse capability should acquire, store, maintain and replenish a strategic stock of key equipment and assets needed for the rapid deployment of civilian CSDP missions. It should also acquire, store, maintain and make available new and used items of such equipment and assets, as well as provide support services, for civilian CSDP missions. It should also be possible for it to acquire, store and make available any other items of used equipment and assets recovered from such missions.

(6) It should also be possible for the warehouse capability to provide, as a secondary task, the same support for other operational action of the Union under Article 28 of the Treaty and for European Union Special Representatives (EUSRs).

(7) The warehouse capability should be implemented for a period of three years, with a possible extension of a further year,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

(1)

Council Decision 2012/698/CFSP of 13 November 2012 on the establishment of a warehouse for civilian crisis management missions (OJ L 314, 14.11.2012, p. 25).

(2)

Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 (OJ L 298, 26.10.2012, p. 1).