The next meeting of EU Defence Policy Directors will be held on 20 April 2011 in Brussels. This meeting prepares the forthcoming meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Defence Ministers’ composition scheduled for May in Brussels.

The meeting will address questions of Pooling & Sharing especially regarding to the work done by the Military Committee and the European Defence Agency. The further improvements of the EU crisis management planning and conduct procedures, as well as the EU battle groups will be discussed. EDA’s Chief Executive will present the work of the European Defence Agency.

The Defence Policy Directors will also focus on latest developments in the EU-NATO and EU-UN relations as well as the ongoing military operations of the Union (especially ATALANTA and EUTM Somalia). The current events in the Southern neighbourhood of the Union - Tunisia, Libya, Egypt- will be also discussed.

The meeting will be chaired by Mr. Maciej Popowski, Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service.

(Ministry of Defence)