Download or read book The Laeken Summit and ESDP written by and published by . This book was released on with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Moreover, the Presidency was not able to deliver the crucial NATO-EU agreement on asset-sharing and the Laeken declaration was therefore limited to an unremarkable description of progress to date and a reiteration of support for the further development of ESDP capabilities. [...] To this end particular emphasis was placed on the need for a balanced development of both military and civilian capabilities and the need to increase and maintain close coordination between all the resources and instruments available to the Union. [...] Arrangements between the EU and NATO The Council stated its commitment to finalising security arrangements with NATO and to concluding the agreements on guaranteed access to the Alliance's operational planning, presumption of availability of pre-identified assets and capabilities of NATO and the identification of a series of command options to be made available to the Union. [...] The gaps in the military capabilities pledged so far will prevent the EU from being able to satisfy the requirements of the Helsinki Headline Goals; namely being able to maintain a force of 60,000 troops in theatre for up to a year. [...] Jamie Woodbridge 1 The European Capabilities Action Plan, proposed by the Netherlands and taken up by the Belgian Presidency, is a set of guiding principles and mechanisms for monitoring and stimulating progress to rectify the remaining capabilities shortfalls and maintain the impetus to fulfil the Helsinki Headline Goals.