The incoming Swedish presidency of the EU was yesterday asked by EU leaders to negotiate the details of the new EUNATO relationship.
The summit also backed a report on security and defence which makes permanent a series of interim committees within the EU structures through which the Union will develop its military dimension, specifically its rapid reaction force.
These include a political and security committee, at ambassadorial level, and a military committee to provide it with advice from the small military staff of the Union.
Dutch concerns that such changes require a new treaty article are likely to result in a declaration acknowledging the possibility of unfinished business and a willingness to look at the issue again in the future.
To try and agree new treaty language, several states fear, is likely to be divisive and, in Ireland's case, could make a referendum necessary - a prospect particularly unpalatable to the Government if it centred on a defence issue.
The leaders' summit declaration was cut back to no more than a couple of sentences after the British announced they had political problems with the draft.
As he began to propose amendments, Mr Tony Blair was forestalled by President Chirac, who was anxious to move the meeting on as fast as possible. He simply proposed cutting out the offending pages.
Responding to British media reports that suggested the EU was creating an alternative to NATO and would be duplicating its planning functions, officials stressed it has already been agreed that when the scale of an operation is significant, the EU will avail of NATO planning.
For small operations, such as an electoral monitoring mission, the EU would use its own staff. The details of how the two organisations would interact is still subject to negotiations, which will now be led by the Swedes.
The leaders confirmed the budget provisions of €4.65 billion and €5.35 billion for aid to the Balkans and Mediterranean respectively for the 2000-2006 period.
It ratified the conclusions of the recent Balkans conference and the EU's willingness to develop stability and association agreements with the five Balkan countries and "a clear prospect of accession, indissolubly linked to progress in regional co-operation".
A Middle East declaration insisted on the immediate implementation of the Sharm-al-Sheikh and Gaza accords and called for concrete measures from both Israelis and Palestinians, specifically for the former on the issue of settlements. On development policy, the summit backed a statement prioritising the fight against communicable diseases, primarily HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
The declaration calls for a resumption of work "without delay" on global warming and regretted the failure of the Hague conference last week.
The target is to make it possible for the resumed conference in October next to ratify fully the Kyoto protocol so it can enter into force in 2002.
An Irish Army general has nominated by the Government to a senior position on the future European Union Military Staff (EUMS) in Brussels.
Brig Gen Sean Brennan, currently assistant chief of staff (support), has been nominated as head of the Communications Information Services Division on the staff of the Director General of the EUMS. He will be one of five brigadier generals heading key military staff branches.
The European Council proposes to constitute the EUMS as soon as possible after the Nice Summit.
Brig Gen Brennan, of Naas, Co Kildare, has served in the European Community Monitoring Mission Yugoslavia. In his 38 years of service, he has served with the United Nations in Cyprus, Lebanon, Israel, Syria, the Sinai, Iran and Iraq.
