As provided in the Helsinki report, the EUMS, "within the Council structures provides military expertise and support to the CESDP, including the conduct of EU-led military crisis management operations".

50. Hopes that the Nice European Council will set up the definitive CESDP bodies (COPS, Military Committee and Military Staff), will clearly define their respective responsibilities and decision-making powers, and give the impetus required for improving the operation of the CFSP in general and the CESDP in particular, with regard to speeding up and clarifying the decision-making process;

N. regretting that the CESDP is being set up without control by the European Parliament, which is not involved in its formulation; insisting also on the need for parliamentary scrutiny and democratic accountability of CESDP, involving national parliaments vis-à-vis the governments of the Member States,

80. Recalls, in this context, Parliament's resolution of 15 June 2000 on the establishment of the CESDP, with a view to the European Council meeting in Feira , and proposes, in the context of the CFSP and the CESDP, the regular holding of a meeting bringing together representatives of the competent committees of national parliaments and the European Parliament, with a view to examining the development of the two policies jointly with the Council Presidency, the High Representative for the CFSP and the Commissioner responsible for external relations; considers that it would be desirable, subject to certain conditions, to involve the parl ...[+++]iaments of the applicant countries and those of non-EU countries which are members of NATO, under the same conditions;

The European Council in Helsinki constitutes a major step in the development of the new Common European Security and Defence Policy (CESDP).

The forthcoming integration of the WEU into the EU and the new steps taken at the European Summit in Helsinki towards the development of a Common European Security and Defence Policy (CESDP) are prompting the European Union to take space capabilities into account, for instance in decision-making for the planning and monitoring of the Petersberg Tasks [4] (conflict prevention and crisis management).