Previously French President Nicholas Sarkozy said he wants to make EU defence and security policy an example of a "concrete Europe, of a Europe that responds to the needs of its citizens", although he has also said that national armies will remain so that they cannot be integrated into a "supranational army".
Paziņojumā abas valstis arī pauda pārliecību, ka "līgumā ietvertās reformas ir nepieciešamas, lai darītu Eiropu efektīvāku un demokrātiskāku".