DEFENCE: EU TEETHING PROBLEMS AND INTERNATIONAL MOVES.

The impasse - doubtless temporary - over the general staff has arisen over the question of immunity for the military personnel transferred to it. A draft Council decision has been worked out by senior national diplomats, to give effect to the January 2001 Council Decision to set up a general staff composed of senior national servicemen seconded to the Council secretariat.The decision sets out the rules and conditions for their work:* eligibility - they must be paid military service personnel from a Member State;* duration - three years, exceptionally extended for one more year, normally not renewable;* reporting lines - to the EU High Representative and Secretary General of the Council;* qualifications - "highly competent", multilingual, computer-literate, and with security clearance at "SECRET" or above;* status - covered by national social security;* obligations - impartiality, confidentiality;* remuneration - salary plus (normally) a daily allowance of just over Euro 100, plus additional allowances, travel allowances, removal expenses, and mission expenses.Diplomats have also prepared a number of accompanying declarations: one makes clear that staff on secondment remain subject to their national employment rules except where this does not create conflict with the Council decision, and...