Editing Western European Union (section)

===1998–2009: Transfer of tasks to the EU===
{{Further|Common Security and Defence Policy}}
In 1998 the United Kingdom, which had traditionally opposed the introduction of European autonomous defence capacities, signed the [[Saint-Malo declaration]]. This marked a turning point as the declaration endorsed the creation of a European security and defense policy, including a European military force capable of autonomous action.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Franco–British St. Malo Declaration (4 December 1998)|date = 22 June 2015|url = http://www.cvce.eu/obj/franco_british_st_malo_declaration_4_december_1998-en-f3cd16fb-fc37-4d52-936f-c8e9bc80f24f.html|access-date = 2015-08-18}}</ref> The declaration was a response to the [[Kosovo War]] in the late 1990s, in which the EU was perceived to have failed to intervene to stop the conflict.<ref>{{Cite web|title = The Saint-Malo Declaration and its impact on ESDP after 10 years - Defence Viewpoints from UK Defence Forum|url = http://www.defenceviewpoints.co.uk/articles-and-analysis/the-saint-malo-declaration-and-its-impact-on-esdp-after-10-years|website = www.defenceviewpoints.co.uk|access-date = 2015-08-18|last = Adam}}</ref>

Concerns were voiced that an independent European security pillar could undermine NATO; In response to St. Malo, the former US-Secretary of State [[Madeleine Albright]] put forth the three famous D's: no duplication of what was done effectively under NATO, no decoupling from the US and NATO, and no discrimination against non-EU members such as Turkey.

[[File:Javier Solana 1999.jpg|upright|thumb|[[High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy|High Representative]] [[Javier Solana]] (September 1999)]]
The [[Treaty of Amsterdam]], which entered into force in 1999, transferred the WEU's Petersberg tasks to the EU, and stated that the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), replacing the WEU's ESDI, would be 'progressively framed' on the basis of these tasks.

In June 1999, the [[List of European Councils#Cologne 1999|Cologne European Council]] decided to incorporate the role of the WEU within the EU, effectively abandoning the WEU. The Cologne Council also appointed [[Javier Solana]] as the [[High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy]] to help progress both the [[CFSP]] and the CSDP. On 20 November 1999 Solana was also appointed Secretary-General of the WEU. His being head of both organisations permits him to oversee the ongoing transfer of functions from the WEU to the EU.

In 2002 the Berlin agreement from 1996 was amended with the so-called [[Berlin Plus agreement]], which allowed the EU to also draw on some of NATO's assets in its own peacekeeping operations.

Originally, under the [[Amsterdam Treaty]], the WEU was given an integral role in giving the EU an independent defence capability, playing a major role in the [[Petersberg tasks]]; however that situation is changing. On 13 November 2000, WEU Ministers met in [[Marseille]] and agreed to begin transferring the organisation's capabilities and functions to the European Union, under its developing [[Common Foreign and Security Policy]] (CFSP) and [[Common Security and Defence Policy]] (CSDP).<ref>[http://www.weu.int/documents/001113en.pdf Marseille Declaration 2000] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708090712/http://www.weu.int/documents/001113en.pdf |date=8 July 2017 }} weu.int</ref>

For example, on 1 January 2002, the WEU's Security Studies Institute and the Satellite Centre were transferred to the EU and became the [[European Union Institute for Security Studies]] and the [[European Union Satellite Centre]]. Notably, the role given to the WEU in the Amsterdam Treaty, was removed by the [[Nice Treaty]]. The [[Treaty of Lisbon]] has provisions for cooperation between the EU and both NATO (including the [[Berlin Plus agreement]]) and the WEU.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/08/st06/st06655.en08.pdf|title=CONSOLIDATED VERSIONS OF THE TREATY ON EUROPEAN UNION AND THE TREATY ON THE FUNCTIONING OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Protocol 10 and 11}}</ref><ref>[http://europa.eu/scadplus/glossary/western_european_union_en.htm Western European Union (WEU)] europa.eu</ref> However the defence commitment, of Article 4 of the Brussels Treaty, has not been subsumed.<ref>[http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/cfsp/esdp/index.htm EU Security Policy & the Role of the European Commission] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701193610/http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/cfsp/esdp/index.htm |date=1 July 2007 }} ec.europa.eu</ref> Article 42(7) of the Treaty of the European Union, as amended by the Treaty of Lisbon, could be viewed as incorporating that defence commitment into the EU framework.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200708/ldselect/ldeucom/62/6212.htm#a234|title=House of Lords - European Union - Tenth Report|first=The Committee Office, House of|last=Lords|website=publications.parliament.uk}}</ref>

The [[European Union Institute for Security Studies]] (EUISS) and [[European Union Satellite Centre]] (EUSC), both established to function under the EU's CFSP [[Three pillars of the European Union|pillar]], were both replacements to the ''Western European Union Institute for Security Studies'' and the ''Western Union Satellite Centre'' which had been established to function in connection to the WEU.

With the transfer of responsibilities, the WEU's Parliamentary assembly was urged to dissolve itself, as it had a mandate to supervise WEU politics, not the EU's CSDP politics. But the Assembly saw itself as playing an important role, particularly with greater right of scrutiny, membership, experience and expertise in defence policy. Therefore, it renamed itself the "Interim European Security and Defence Assembly" and urged the [[Convention on the Future of Europe|European Convention]] to include it as a second chamber within the EU's institutional framework. Hence it argued it could effectively scrutinise the CSDP, help improve EU-NATO relations and be more suited, being composed of national parliamentarians, to the intergovernmental style of the CSDP.

However, with the [[Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe|European Constitution]] aiming to streamline and simplify the EU's foreign policy, for example combining the two main foreign policy posts, it was not seen as wise to then create a separate double legislature for the CFSP, instead, the [[European Parliament]] was granted greater scrutiny over foreign policy.<ref>[http://www.iss.europa.eu/occasion/occ57.pdf Occasional Paper n.57: The democratic legitimacy of the European Security and Defence Policy] European Union Institute for Security Studies, April 2005</ref>