Tag: rapid reaction force

EU countries are sending fire-fighting aircraft to Greece to battle the raging blazes that have killed more than 60 people.

The EU will be the backbone of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon. EU nations have pledged almost 7,000 troops.

On eve of NATO's Prague summit, questions abound around the relationship between the alliance's proposed cutting-edge rapid-reaction force and Europe's plan to set up a rapid deployment force of its own.

The Bush administration's new National Security Strategy is perceived as an attempt to maintain the US military hegemony by Washington's European allies.

The Macedonian Foreign Minister, Slobodan Casule, has stated that Macedonia no longer needs the European Union peace-keeping troops.

At the Seville Summit, the EU, Greece and Turkey failed to reach an agreement on co-operation between NATO and the planned European military force.

The New Defence Agenda was set up by Forum Europe in Brussels on 17 May to serve as a platform for discussing NATO and EU defence and security policies.

EU Foreign and Defence Ministers are meeting in Brussels on 14 May to discuss progress on creating a Rapid Reaction Force. Greece is blocking plans on EU-NATO defence co-operation because of its concerns over Turkey's influence on EU defence policy, and no agreement is likely before the meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Rejkyavik on 14-15 May.

The European Parliament adopted a resolution that supports the decisions to set up an EU police mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the first EU peace-keeping mission in Macedonia.

The Greek Foreign Minister, Tassos Yannitsis, stated on 12 March that Athens was ready to discuss its reservations regarding the EU Rapid Reaction Force with the Spanish Presidency.

Greece has blocked the agreement between EU diplomats and Turkey on European rapid reaction force. The agreement, negotiated by British, Dutch and American diplomats, would give the EU access to NATO's military equipment and planning capabilities.

Turkey announced over the weekend that it is ready to drop its objections to NATO sharing its military equipment and planning capabilities with the EU rapid reaction force. Ankara said that negotiations between Turkey, NATO and the EU have produced a basis for cooperation.

The foreign and defence ministers of the 15 EU Member States recognised the need to speed up their common defence policy in the aftermath of the 11 September terrorist attacks. The EU foreign and security policy chief Javier Solana urged the Member States to put more resources into the planned rapid reaction force, to be set up by 2003.

A new study by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, dealing with the post-September-11 threat, expresses doubt that the EU will be capable of setting up its rapid reaction force by 2003. The study deals with the new strategic era after the terrorist attacks in the US, when international terrorism is a newly defined enemy, capable of effectively controlling states from which it can operate.

EU defence ministers are discussing plans to speed up the implementation of their common security and defence policy in the aftermath of terrorist attacks in the US. The Friday meeting of EU defence ministers in Brussels has started with a discussion on the US and British military campaign against terrorist bases in Afghanistan.

Turkey opposes understanding on access of EU forces to NATO assets and planning; EU expects resolution from NATO Summit

Netherlands and UK try to break EU-Turkey deadlock over rapid reaction force before NATO meeting in Budapest

EU defence ministers to agree first timetable for EU military exercises including some without NATO