Brussels / London, 04/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - The British Defence Minister played down the disagreement between EU Defence and Foreign Ministers over European military intervention in Macedonia. Spain, with the support of France and Italy, had proposed that the EU rapid intervention force should take over from the NATO Amber Fox peace-keeping mission in Macedonia, whose mandate is extended for three months, renewable. According to documents disclosed by The Sunday Telegraph, the British Defence Minister considers that the European force, which should be fully operational in 2003, is not sufficiently ready for an operation of such magnitude. "There would be a real risk that the EU's first mission would end in failure, or rescue by a re-engaged NATO, which would be disastrous in presentational terms", a letter from Geoff Hoon's Ministry, states. The Foreign Office remarks for its part that "there is growing pressure for the EU to take over the NATO operation in Macedonia this spring. There are strong arguments against and we should seek to build support for a continued NATO mission, at least for now". The letter from Jack Straw's Ministry, however, says: "But if we do look like becoming isolated, we would do better to accept an EU mission and seek to shape it to our specifications". The spokesman for the Defence Ministry nonetheless played down the importance of this exchange, and told the Reuters Agency that the current disagreement is more theoretical than anything else since the NATO mission has been extended until 26 June. The European intervention project had been cautiously welcomed by the Member States at the informal Caceres Council (see EUROPE of 9 February, p.5 and 11 and 12 February, p.5). The British had mainly insisted that such an operation should not affect the powers of the Atlantic Alliance.