I am anxious to know how effective the EU' s policy planning and early warning unit has been.

The policy planning and early warning unit allows us at long last to analyse what we mean by a common foreign and security policy.

The Petersberg missions and the policy planning and early warning unit which can be set up under the Treaty have been ratified, and the high representatives are a good idea.

During our presidency, the policy planning and early warning unit are to be set up and the new 'common strategy' instrument introduced, and with it majority decisions in the CFSP.

We want to see a strong High Representative, a strong policy planning and early warning unit, a strong Commission structure with a coherent team of Commissioners dealing with external relations.

I would like to ask would he assure this Parliament that the establishment of a policy planning and early warning unit as envisaged under the Amsterdam Treaty will be given top priority?

While Commissioner Patten' s statement later this evening on the unfolding tragedy in Mozambique will be opportune, I would like to know if the policy planning and early warning unit provided advance information.

I would urge the Council therefore to start work now on those arrangements foreseen in the Amsterdam Treaty for making the CFSP more effective, particularly the planning and early warning unit.

I hope that this trend will be reinforced by the appointment of the High Representative, by the creation of a planning and early warning unit, and by the instrument of common strategies now being deployed.

It is indeed the case that when we have the planning and early warning unit and when we have the High Representative in place, we will have a better mechanism for giving expression to the common positions we adopt.

The creation of a policy planning and early warning unit and the office of the High Representative, outlined in the Amsterdam Treaty, and already mentioned this afternoon will help improve the visibility of the CSFP.

Furthermore, I do not agree that security and defence issues should come under the authority of a Commissioner or that a White Paper on defence should be drawn up by the Policy Planning and Early Warning Unit for approval by the European Council.

Mr President, Commissioner, the answer is, of course, very satisfactory but I wondered if you were aware Commissioner that the strategic policy planning and early warning units in the Commission has 20 staff, 11 of whom are responsible for the Balkans and only one responsible for Africa which is your responsibility.