Final Act European States linked to the European Union by an Association Agreement and that are applicants for accession to both the European Union and the Atlantic Alliance.WEU is thus establishing itself as a genuine framework for dialogue and cooperation among Europeans on wider European security and defence issues.

3. In this context, WEU takes note of Title V of the Treaty on European Union regarding the EU's common foreign and security policy, in particular Articles J.3( 1), J.7 and the Protocol to Article J.7, which read as follows:

Article J.3(1)

"1.The European Council shall define the principles and general guidelines for the common foreign and security policy, including for matters with defence implications.

" Article J.7

"1.The common foreign and security policy shall include all questions relating to the security of the Union, including the progressive framing of a common defence policy, in accordance with the second subparagraph, which might lead to a common defence, should the European Council so decide.It shall in that case recommend to the Member States the adoption of such a decision in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements.

The Western European Union (WEU) is an integral part of the development of the Union providing the Union with access to an operational capability notably in the context of paragraph 2.It supports the Union in framing the defence aspects of the common foreign and security policy as set out in this Article.The Union shall accordingly foster closer institutional relations with the WEU with a view to the possibility of the integration of the WEU into the Union, should the European Council so decide.It shall in that case recommend to the Member States the adoption of such a decision in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements.

The policy of the Union in accordance with this Article shall not prejudice the specific character of the security and defence policy of certain Member States and shall respect the obligations of certain Member States, which see their common defence realised in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), under the North Atlantic Treaty and be compatible with the common security and defence policy established within that framework.

The progressive framing of a common defence policy will be supported, as Member States consider appropriate, by cooperation between them in the field of armaments.

2.Questions referred to in this Article shall include humanitarian and rescue tasks, peace keeping tasks and tasks of combat forces in crisis management, including peace making.

3. The Union will avail itself of the WEU to elaborate and implement decisions and actions of the Union which have defence implications.