Observatory on European defence, October 2009

October 21, 2009
EDA APPROVES GUIDELINES FOR SMEs IN THE DEFENCE MARKET
The EDA Steering Board approved "Guidelines for facilitating SMEs' access to the defense market". The Guidelines provide non-binding recommendations for measures to be implemented by national authorities to support SMEs operating in the defense market.

October 22, 2009
MOROCCO CONTRIBUTES TO OPERATION ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR
The Commander of Operation Active Endeavour, Maurizio Gemignani, and the representative of the Moroccan Armed Forces, Mohammad Barradi Ghouzi, signed an agreement for a Moroccan contribution to NATO's anti-terrorism mission. Operation Active Endeavour has been active since 2001 in patrolling the Mediterranean and monitoring shipping to help detect, deter and protect against terrorist activities, and involves both members of the Alliance and partner countries.

October 23, 2009
NATO HELICOPTER CAPABILITIES INITIATIVE SIGNED
Chaired by the Deputy Secretary General of NATO Claudio Bisogniero, representatives of nine European members of the Alliance (Albania, Great Britain, Norway, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Spain and Turkey) signed a declaration of intent to participate in the Helicopter Task Force's activities. These activities are aimed at improving the helicopter capabilities of the participating countries through the training of dedicated personnel and organizational and financial support. The shortage of helicopters available to NATO has been particularly evident in operation ISAF in Afghanistan.

October 23, 2009
AGREEMENT ON NATO UAV PROCUREMENT COMES INTO FORCE
NATO's Defense Ministers made official the entry into force of the MoU on the Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) program, signed in September by the 15 member states in order to collectively realize the allied UAV's procurement through the NATO AGS Management Agency (NAGSMA). These capabilities will be mainly managed from Sigonella military base.

October 23, 2009
APPROVED THE CONCEPT FOR NATO-AFGHAN FORCE TRANSITION
NATO Defence Ministers, in the presence of Giampaolo Di Paola, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Admiral James Stavridis and Commander ISAF, General Stanley McChrystal, agreed on a set of key priorities for Afghanistan for the upcoming months. In order to strengthen the role of Afghan security forces, the ministers also approved the Strategic Concept which defines the conditions necessary to realize the future transition of security operations from the Allied to the Afghan Command, which has already occurred in Kabul province, in the rest Afghanistan.

October 27, 2009
EU ADOPTS AF-PAK ACTION PLAN
The Council for Foreign Relations of the EU has approved an action plan for Afghanistan and Pakistan. The plan contains an assessment of the situation in the area and the principles and guidelines for action that the EU and Member States shall exercise, through different mechanisms, in both countries. The objective is to strengthen the EU's efforts in reorganizing the policies adopted and improving the implementation on the ground.

October 27, 2009
EU ADOPTS SANCTIONS AGAINST GUINEA
The Council for Foreign Relations of the EU has imposed restrictive measures against the Republic of Guinea, including an embargo on arms sales and a ban on entry into the EU of members of the National Council for Democracy and Development and to individuals responsible for the violent repression and political crisis in the country. At the same time, the Council decided not to renew the existing restrictive measures against Uzbekistan from 2008, with the intention of encouraging the Uzbek authorities to improve the status of civil rights in the country.

October 30, 2009
EU AIMS TO STRENGTHEN FRONTEX CAPABILITIES
The European Council, discussing the implementation of measures against illegal immigration in the Mediterranean, has urged the Commission to present proposals for strengthening the operational capacities of FRONTEX, in particular concerning the rules of engagement for joint operations between national forces and European funding for chartered flights for the repatriation of immigrants.