30.1.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities L 277 COUNCIL DECISION of 22 January 2001 on the establishment of the Military Staff of the European Union (2001/80/CFSP) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, in particular Article 28(1) thereof, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, in particular Article 207(2) thereof, Whereas: (1)  In the framework of the strengthening of the common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and in particular of the common European policy on security and defence provided for in Article 17 of the Treaty on European Union, the European Council meeting in Nice on 7-11 December 2000 reached agreement on the establish- ment of the Military Staff of the European Union, setting out its mission and functions. (2)  Following the guidelines of the European Council the Military Staff should be made ready to start its work, HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: Article 1 1. Military personnel will be seconded from Member States to the General Secretariat of the Council in order to form the Military Staff of the European Union (EUMS). 2. The Military Staff will be part of the General Secretariat of the Council. Atticle 2 The mission and functions of the Military Staff are defined in Annex V of the Presidency's report approved by the Nice European Council, which is reproduced in the Annex to this Decision. Article 3 All members of the Military Staff shall be nationals of Member States of the European Union. Atrticle 4 1.  Members of the Military Staff shall be subject to rules which will be established in a Council Decision. 2. Until the entry into force of the Decision mentioned in paragraph 1, Council Decision 2000/178/CFSP of 28 February 2000 on the rules applicable to national experts in the military field on secondment to the General Secretariat of the Council during the interim period (') shall remain in force. Atticle 5 This Decision shall take effect from the date of its adoption. It shall apply as from a date established by the SG/HR upon consultation of the PSC and of the iMB/Military Committee and in principle before the end of June 2001. Until the date of application of this Decision, the Director General of the Military Staff (DGEUMS), who will take up its functions as from 1 March 2001 (?), shall act as head of the military experts seconded from Member States to the Council Secretariat (3). Atticle 6 This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal. Done at Brussels, 22 January 2001. For the Council The President A. LINDH () O] L 57, 2.3.2000, p. 1. (& Council Decision of 22 December 2000. () Council Decision 2000/145/CFSP of 14 February 2000 on the secondment of national experts in the military field to the General Secretariat of the Councilp during an interim period (O] L 49, 22.2.2000, p. 3).