L 63/68 Official Journal of the European Union 28.2.2004 (Acts adopted pursuant to Title V of the Treaty on European Union) COUNCIL DECISION 2004/197/CESP of 23 February 2004 establishing a mechanism to administer the financing of the common costs of European Union operations having military or defence implications THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in par- ticular Article 13(3) and Article 28(3) thereof, Whereas: (1) The European Council, meeting in Helsinki on 10 and 11 December 1999, agreed in particular that, coop- erating voluntarily in EU-led operations, Member States must be able by 2003 to deploy within 60 days, and sustain for at least one year, military forces of up to 50 000 to 60 000 persons, capable of the full range of Petersberg tasks. (2)  The European Council, meeting in Thessaloniki on 19 and 20 June 2003, welcomed the conclusions of the Council meeting on 19 May 2003, which in particular confirmed the need for a European Union military rapid- reaction capability. (3)  On 22 September 2003, the Council decided that the European Union should acquire the flexible capacity for managing the financing of common costs of military operations of any scale, complexity or urgency, in par- ticular by setting up, by 1 March 2004, a permanent financing mechanism to assume charge of the financing of common costs of any future Union military opera- tion. (4 On 17 June 2002, the Council approved Document 10155/02 on the financing of EU-led crisis-management operations having military or defence implications. (5)  The Treaty on European Union provides in its Article 28(3) that Member States whose representatives in the Council have made a formal declaration pursuant to its Article 23(1), second subparagraph, shall not be obliged to contribute to the financing of the operation having military or defence implications concerned. (6)  In conformity with Article 6 of the Protocol on the posi- tion of Denmark annexed to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty establishing the European Com- munity, Denmark does not participate in the elaboration and implementation of decisions and actions of the European Union which have defence implications, and Denmark does not participate in the financing of the mechanism, HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: Atrticle 1 Definitions For the purpose of this Decision: (a) ‘participating Member States’ shall mean the Member States of the European Union, except Denmark; (b) ‘contributing States’ shall mean the Member States contri- buting to the financing of the military operation in ques- tion in accordance with Article 28(3) of the Treaty on European Union and the third States contributing to the financing of the common costs of this operation pursuant to agreements between themselves and the European Union. CHAPTER 1 MECHANISM Atticle 2 Establishment of the mechanism 1. A mechanism to administer the financing of the common costs of European Union operations having military or defence implications is hereby established. 2. The mechanism shall be called ATHENA. 3. ATHENA shall act on behalf of the participating Member States or, regarding the specific operations, the contributing States as defined in Article 1.