§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is the Government's policy to support defence research and development expenditure by the European Commission. [149639]
§ Mr. MacShaneThe UK supports a European Security and Defence Policy, where the responsibility for decisions relating to defence, including research and development, rests primarily with Member States (Articles 13 and 17 of the Treaty on European Union). The Government recognises the need to consider the scope for co-operation with the Community's civil research programmes. The Community's programmes, under Article 163 of the Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC), cover "promoting all the research activities deemed necessary by virtue of other chapters of this Treaty [the TEC]". In this context, in November 2003, the General Affairs and External Relations Council agreed to create an Agency, under the authority of the Council, whose responsibilities would include -promoting, in liaison with the Community's research activities where appropriate, research aimed at fulfilling future defence and security capabilities requirements".