Western European Union, the only all-European selfdefence organisation, was created under the modified Brussels Treaty (1954) in order to bring the Federal Republic of Germany and Italy together with Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Portugal, Spain and Greece have since joined the Organisation which has its Secretariat-General in Brussels.

All full members of the Organisation also belong to the European Union and NATO.

The Organisation’s executive authority is the WEU Council, which sits in Brussels, and is composed of theforeign and defence ministers of the member states. Many other European nations are today involved in WEU’s activities through one of the three statuses. They include:

• six associate member countries, which are also members of NATO,

• five observer countries, also European Union (EU) member states and,

• seven associate partner countries, belonging neither to NATO nor to the European Union.

The WEU Assembly is composed of parliamentarians of the 28 member, associate member, observer and associate partner countries. It is the sole international treaty-based parliamentary assembly with responsibility for security matters.

The WEU Council is bound to report to the Assembly on its activities. The Assembly can make recommendations to the Council. It has a major part to play in democratic scrutiny over security and defence issues and stimulating public debate on them at European level. The WEU Assembly is based in Paris and meets twice yearly in plenary session.