Paris, 30 January 2001.- At a meeting in Berlin last week, Assembly President Klaus BÜHLER and German Minister for Foreign Affairs Joschka FISCHER discussed the future parliamentary involvement in ESDP. President BÜHLER presented the WEU Assembly/interim ESDA as a model and building block for the future second chamber of the European Parliament. Minister FISCHER has repeatedly supported the idea of a second parliamentary chamber in the European Union. President BÜHLER recalled that “security policy and in particular any decision concerning the deployment of military forces will continue to be the prerogative of national parliaments”.
 
From the position of the German Government, as Minister FISCHER explained, any involvement of national parliaments should remain within the EU format of 15 countries. He warned that the WEU Assembly/interim ESDA might raise unrealistic expectations among non-EU member countries due to its larger format. In this context, President BÜHLER recalled that the European Security and Defence Identity was reaching beyond the 15 EU countries. He emphasized that the Assembly’s inclusiveness was a key advantage and a major contribution to European stability.