Informal Meeting of the EU Military Committee

Date: 1.4.2009 — 2.4.2009
Venue: Karlovy Vary - Czech Republic
Category: Other Meetings
Theme: General Affairs and External Relations

On 1 and 2 April the Czech Republic will host an external meeting of the EU Military Committee, led by the Committee Chairman, French General Henri Bentégeat. The forty members of the delegation will meet with representatives of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic (AČR) headed by its Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Vlastimil Picek. On Wednesday 1 April, they will attend the COLLECTIVE SHIELD 2009 (CS 09) exercise of the Czech and Slovak EU battle group, which will take place in the Hradiště Military Training Area.

The Military Committee is the highest military body set up within the EU Council. It is composed of the Chiefs of Defence of the Member States, who are regularly represented by national military representatives to the EU (the Chiefs of Defence meet twice a year). The EUMC provides advice and recommendations to the EU Political and Security Committee on all military matters.

The EUMC has a permanent Chairman, who is a Four-Star flag officer. He is selected by the Chiefs of Defence (CHODS) of the Member States and appointed by the Council. His term of office is in principle three years. He performs the function of military adviser to the Secretary-General/EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy.

Collective shield 2009

Information for the media:

Wednesday 1 April 2009, 10:00 – visit to the Hradiště Military Training Area; static and dynamic activities of members of the Czech-Slovak military group reserved for the EU within the framework of the COLLECTIVE SHIELD 2009 exercise.
A press conference will be held at the Hradiště Military Training Area at 12:10. The press conference will be attended by the Chairman of the EU Military Committee Henri Bentégeat and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic Lieutenant General Vlastimil Picek on the occasion of external meeting of the EU Military Committee in the Czech Republic and the COLLECTIVE SHIELD 2009 exercise.
You must get accredited for this event by sending an email to [email protected] or by calling 973 216 029, 973 216 044, or 973 216 042 before 12:00 on 30 March 2009, transport for media representatives will be provided from Prague and from the meeting location at the Hradiště Military Training Area (municipality of Mašťov). You can obtain more detailed information during accreditation.

Contact person:

Lieutenant Colonel Jana Růžičková, Department of Communication and Organisation, General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, phone 973 216 042, 724 283 233.