Extract from minutes of the 420th meeting of the WEU Council (26 May 1971)

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The minutes of the 420th meeting of the WEU Council, held on 26 May 1971, outline the debates on the activities of the Standing Armaments Committee (SAC). The Prefect Mr Roux, Secretary-General of the SAC, raises the problem of the Committee’s inactivity and calls for the activities of some sub-groups to be transferred to the SAC. He suggests that a group of independent experts should examine this question. French Ambassador Geoffroy de Courcel is particularly struck by the problem of relations between the ad hoc group and the SAC. He notes that, given the complexity of the question, he is currently unable to give a reply on the proposal to set up a group of experts. The British Ambassador Sir Thomas Brimelow and the Netherlands representative emphasise that the problem should be dealt with at ministerial level. The British representative is of the view that preparations for the meeting of 1 July should take differences of opinion into account, without losing sight of the possibility of setting up a committee of experts. Following the explanations given by Mr Roux, Geoffroy de Courcel notes the disadvantage of having armaments problems addressed by representatives that do not hold sufficient delegated powers from their military authorities. He confirms that he will ask his government whether the question of the SAC can be included on the agenda for the meeting of the Council of Ministers, though he is not sure that this will be possible.

Source and copyright

Source: Council of Western European Union. Extract from minutes of the 420th meeting of WEU Council held on 26 May 1971. Rome. I. Report of the activity of the Standing Armaments Committee.. 26-05-1971. CR (71)11, p.1, pp.6-10. Kept in: Archives Nationales de Luxembourg (ANLux). Western European Union Archives, Secretariat-General/Council’s Archives. 1954-1987. Organs of the Western European Union. Year: 1967, 16/03/1956-30/04/1967, File 250.10. Volume 2/2.

Copyright: (c) WEU Secretariat General - Secrétariat Général UEO

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