§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the UK contribution to staffing(a) the Political and Security Committee, (b) the Military Committee of the European Union and (c) the Military Staff of the European Union. [158323]
§ Mr. HoonThe Political and Security Committee (PSC) of the EU is composed of national representatives of senior/ambassadorial level dealing with all aspects of the Common Foreign and Security Policy, including the Common European Security and Defence Policy (CESDP). Each of the EU member states (including the UK) has a representative.
The EU Military Committee is composed of the EU member states' Chiefs of Defence, represented on a day-to-day basis by a national military representative, based in Brussels. It gives military advice and makes recommendations to the PSC, and provides military direction to the Military Staff.
The EU Military Staff will provide military expertise and support to the CESDP. The Military Staff posts are still in the process of being filled. The UK will hold 13 of the 135 posts, including the Deputy Director General of the EUMS.