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J A C lewis JDW Correspondent Paris  The
EU's drive to build an autonomous rapid reaction force took a decisive step
last week when European governments individually pledged to put up enough
troops, aircraft and warships to enable a 60,000-strong force to begin operating
over a wide range of missions from 2003. Gathering in Brussels, defence ministers from EU nations formally committed to providing the manpower and equipment needed to marshal the force within 60 days for a peacekeeping or peacemaking operation for up to a year in a troublespot as far as 4,000km from Europe's shores. The force aims to be capable of undertaking the full range of conflict-prevention, humanitarian and crisis-management missions, known as the Petersberg Tasks, defined in the Treaty on Europe Union. Since the force would need to be relieved, the Europeans pledged in the 'Force Catalogue' at least 100,000 personnel from which the rapid reaction troops could be drawn and about 400 fighter aircraft and 100 warships. EU officials stressed that the new force would not compete with NATO, which will remain Western Europe's primary defence organisation. Coming under the EU's political authority, possibly the Council of Ministers, the force would complement NATO and could be employed in situations in which the USA does not wish to be involved. The EU Commission would have no role. "We must not allow the slightest breath of suspicion to arise that this is a start towards a break with NATO," German Defence Minister Rudolf Scharping said. NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson warned of the danger of duplication, declaring in Berlin that "duplication and rivalry could be fatal to the alliance and the European project". The move was welcomed by US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. "A European rapid reaction force is a strongly positive development we wholly support," she said. "This EU force will be available to both NATO and the EU, in those cases where the alliance as a whole is not militarily engaged. It offers a valuable complement to the efforts and capabilities of NATO." The largest contributor to the force will be Germany, which has pledged 13,500 ground troops, while the UK has committed 12,500 and France 12,000. Italy and Spain will each contribute up to 6,000 and the Dutch 5,000. Other contributions range from Greece's 3,500 to Luxembourg's 100. Of the 15 EU nations, only Denmark has declined to take part. The force's missions will range from purely humanitarian operations to intervening with battle-ready troops to separate belligerents. The new 100-strong EU Military Staff will be in place in Brussels by early next year under its first Director of Military Staff German Army Lt Gen Klaus Schuwirth. His deputy will be UK Maj Gen Graham Messervy-Whiting, who now heads the EU's interim military staff. French Defence Minister Alain Richard indicated that elements of the EU force could start being used in some types of crisis situations from late 2001. A day after the EU's Capabilities Commitment Conference on 20 November the EU ministers met in Brussels with defence ministers from 15 non-EU nations that have indicated their readiness to pledge troops to the European force as well. Among those wishing to take part were Turkey, Norway and the three former Communist bloc countries that now belong to NATO - the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. However, Turkey, which has offered up to 6,000 personnel for the force, is concerned that the emergence of a strong EU military entity could diminish Ankara's say in European security issues. EU officials said that all non-EU members of NATO taking part in the force would be brought into its decision-making process. The initial decision to build the force was taken at last December's EU summit in Helsinki and the political process is due to be completed on 7 December, when European leaders meet to sign what will be known as the Nice Treaty.
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e f e n c e S p o n s o r:
Intelligence Review Fighting Ships All the World's Aircraft International Defense Review
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