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1. The Defence Ministers of the thirteen member nations of the Western European Armaments Group (WEAG), the European forum for armaments cooperation, met together with their colleagues from Austria, Finland and Sweden on 22 November 1999, the day before the WEU Council meeting.
2. They reviewed the current situation in the armaments field and the armaments cooperation activities carried out under WEAG, focusing in particular on the future of WEAG in the evolving European security architecture and the European Armaments Partnership.
3. Following the Cologne European Council Declaration, options for the future of WEAG in the evolving European security architecture are being studied. In this context, WEAG Defence Ministers:
**Confirmed their commitment to WEAG and agreed to retain it under their political direction.
**Confirmed their willingness to further develop its activities as well as those of its executive agency, the WEAO, and to improve the efficiency and scope of the activities conducted in common so as to better meet the agreed objectives, including the eventual establishment of the European Armaments Agency.
**Reaffirmed that all WEAG full members will continue to be entitled to participate fully in any future arrangement in the field of European armaments co-operation that might evolve from WEAG/WEAO, and with the same rights and responsibilities as currently enjoyed.
**Reaffirmed their decision to progressively open armaments co-operation activities to other European nations through the European Armaments Partnership, and agreed to offer them the possibility of full membership once the necessary conditions are met.
4. Concerning the European Armaments Partnership, Ministers, in the light of the accession of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland to NATO and their subsequent associate membership in WEU, have decided to update the modalities agreed in Erfurt in November 1997. This will enable those nations to participate in WEAG activities. Furthermore, Ministers also approved a procedure for full membership of WEAG.
5. Ministers approved the revised version of the Coherent Policy Document issued in 1990, which gives general guidelines for WEAG policy in all matters related to the creation, development, operation and control of the European Defence Equipment Market.
6. Ministers endorsed the way ahead to continue work towards the implementation of the European Armaments Agency in accordance with the Masterplan.
7. The Western European Armaments Organisation has achieved its target for awarding research and technology contracts to European industry under the EUCLID programme. A 10% higher target has been set for launching new projects in the forthcoming period, with at least seventeen EUCLID contracts amounting to a total value of 102 million euros, including 39 million from industrial self-investment.
8. The WEU Council (members of WEAG) adopted the conclusions of the WEAG Defence Ministers.
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