Anglo-French Summit: Declaration Delivers `A Capacity for Action'

The heads of state and government of France and the United Kingdom are agreed that:

"The European Union needs to be in a position to play its full role on the international stage ... To this end, the union must have the capacity for autonomous action, backed up by credible military forces, the means to decide to use them, and a readiness to do so, in order to respond to international crises...

"In strengthening the solidarity between the member states of the European Union ... while acting in conformity with our respective obligations in Nato, we are contributing to the vitality of a modernised Atlantic Alliance, which is the foundation of the collective defence of its members.

"Europeans will operate within the institutional framework of the European Union (European Council, General Affairs Council and meetings of defence ministers) ... The Union must be given appropriate structures and a capacity for analysis of situations, sources of intelligence and a capability for relevant strategic planning ... taking account of the existing assets of the WEU and the evolution of its relations with the EU."