The Council is also responsible for the European Security and Defence Policy. Defence Ministers traditionally participate in GAERC meetings twice a year, in addition to their informal meetings (also twice a year).

Within the context of the CFSP, the Union is developing a common security policy, covering all questions relating to its security, including the progressive framing of a common defence policy. This policy could lead to a common defence, should the European Council so decide, subject to a decision adopted by the Member States in accordance with their respective constitutional requeriments.

In addition to appointing Javier Solana as the first "High Representative for the CFSP", the Cologne European Council meeting in June 1999 placed crisis management tasks (known as the "Petersberg tasks") at the core of the process of strengthening the CFSP. These crisis management tasks include humanitarian and resque tasks, peacekeeping tasks and tasks of combat-force in crisis management, including peacemaking.

That same European Council decided that "the Union must have the capacity for autonomous action, backed up by credible military forces, the means to decide to use them, and a readiness to do so, in order to respond to international crises without prejudice to actions by NATO".

It was on that basis that continued efforts led to the establishment of permanent political and military structures and to the development of civilian and military capabilities, including the formulation by the EU of a set of crisis management concepts and procedures. The Union has also concluded arrangements for the consultation and participation of third countries in crisis management.

The Union has also defined with NATO the framework of relations between the two organisations. This includes arrangements allowing the Union to have recourse to NATO's assets and capabilities.

- Portuguese Presidence priorities in the area of the ESDP
- ESDP Portuguese Presidency Programme (pdf)