Zepter calls for “solidarity clause”

Date: 06/03/03

THE EU ambassador revealed that he was still keeping "very much in touch" with the work of the Convention on the future of the EU.

He was closely involved in the Commission's submission to the defence working group, chaired by Michel Barnier.

Zepter is in favour of a solidarity clause, committing member states to mutual defence measures in the event of an attack by a third country or terrorist organisation.

There have been concerns expressed over such a clause, which would be similar to NATO's Article V or its equivalent in the Brussels Treaty signed by members of the Western European Union in 1954.

Zepter, who served with the German mission to NATO in 1979-82, said: "A solidarity clause was possible after World War Two - it should be possible now." However, he acknowledged there were "grey areas", such as crisis management, that needed to be addressed.

In terms of the Convention's overall strategy towards drafting a constitution, Zepter urged a more straightforward institutional structure. He admitted finding it very difficult to explain how the EU works to the Japanese.

"Europe is horribly complicated, a usine gaseuse. I plead for simplicity," he added.

The EU's 'ambassador' to Japan, Bernhard Zepter, is in favour of a solidarity clause committing Member States to mutual defence measures in the event of an attack by a third country or terrorist organisation.