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European Council promoted Europe’s security

Government Communications Department
Publication date 22.6.2017 18.16 | Published in English on 28.6.2017 at 15.03
Press release 313/2017

At its meeting in Brussels on 22 and 23 June, the European Council agreed on several measures to enhance Europe’s internal and external security.

“For Finland, the European Union has always been also a security community.  We have actively pursued deeper security and defence cooperation. Today, the European Council took concrete steps in the direction advocated by Finland,” said Prime Minister Juha Sipilä in Brussels.

The European Council agreed on the need to launch an inclusive Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) to step up the development of military resources and invited the Member States to swiftly engage in further work. The Member States are expected to present concrete cooperation projects and initiatives.

“In Finland, suitable projects have been explored in cooperation with the defence administration. Finland would be prepared to cooperate with interested EU Member States, for instance, in the promotion of cyber security, space technology cooperation related to satellites, securing sea lines of communication, preparation of interoperable operating systems, situation picture cooperation, and projects related to military security of supply,” Prime Minister Sipilä noted.

The European Council also called on Member States to rapidly agree on a European Defence Industrial Development Programme and to identify suitable capability projects for the European Defence Fund and for the European Defence Industrial Development Programme.

The European Council acknowledged Finland for the establishment in Helsinki of a European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats.

“Enhancing security and defence in the EU is a significant part of the European development process. When these and other questions concerning the future of the European Union are examined, a better solution will be found when the answer is not immediately a firm ‘no’, “Prime Minister Sipilä said.

The European Council strongly condemned terrorist attacks and noted that they have strengthened the Union’s resolve to enhance its internal security. One of the actions proposed by the European Council is to develop new technology and tools to improve the automatic detection and removal of content that incites to terrorist acts.

Inquiries: Kare Halonen, State Secretary, EU Affairs, tel. +358 295 160 319, Riikka Pakarinen, Special Adviser (EU Affairs), tel. +358 40 580 0833 and Anne Sjöholm, Head of Communications for EU Affairs, tel. +358 40 537 0733, Prime Minister’s Office

 
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