EU Proceeds to Create European Army as Planned

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, October 05, 2002

EU Proceeds to Create European Army as Planned

The defense ministers of the European Union (EU) members have expressed their adherence to the timetable concerning the creation of a European army, local media reported on Friday.

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The defense ministers of the European Union (EU) members have expressed their adherence to the timetable concerning the creation of a European army, local media reported on Friday.

The ministers made the above-mentioned commitment at their meeting in Rethimno in the Greek island of Crete on Friday, the first day of an informal two-day conference.

According to a dispatch by the official Athens News Agency (ANA) from Crete, Greek Defense Minister Yiannos Papantoniou, who presided over the conference, said the 15 ministers agreed that byMarch 1, 2003, recommendations will be submitted by working groupson registering national contributions regarding the army, known asEuropean rapid reaction force.

They also agreed that a committee will be set up and be composed of the 15 member states' chief armaments alternate general directors.

The committee, in turn, will convene at regular intervals to examine the creation of a new mechanism responsible for proposing ways for financing and filing vacant positions, taking into account the eurozone's Stability Pact, national budgets and the fiscal policy of each member state.

Papantoniou reiterated that the European rapid reaction force would function supplementarily, but not competitively, towards NATO's rapid reaction force.

The European army's exclusive mission will be peacekeeping and humanitarian operations, while NATO's rapid reaction force will include intervention and strike operations.

Relations between NATO and the EU were also discussed during the conference.

Official decisions will be taken in Brussels on November 17-18 during the meeting of the EU's General Affairs Council.

The EU's 60,000-strong Rapid Reaction Force, which is due to become fully operational next year, would need access to NATO assets to conduct even low-risk missions.

But NATO-member Turkey, which has long been knocking on the EU's door, wants to have a say in the force. Greece, a member of bothblocs, does not want its traditional foe to take part in EU decision-making.

British and U.S. diplomacy produced a text on a defense agreement acceptable to Ankara last December, but Greece was quickto dismiss it, asking for changes.

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