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EU adopts joint action to establish European Defense Agency BRUSSELS, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) foreign ministers adopted a Joint Action to establish a European Defense Agency on Monday, confirming the political agreement reached at its meeting in Luxembourg on June 14. The Joint Action now comes into force as the agency's legal base, and the process of staffing and setting up the agency can start. "The agency is designed to support the member states in their effort to improve European defense capabilities in the field of crisis management," said a statement issued after Monday's meeting. The body is ascribed to four functions including defense capabilities development, armaments cooperation, European defense technological and industrial base and defense equipment market, research and technology. The Joint Action establishing the agency provides for a general budget, to be contributed by member states participating in the agency. The budget for 2004, which will be mainly for staff- related costs, is expected to be under 2 million euro (2.5 million US dollars).
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