Brussels, 06/04/2004 (Agence Europe) - Defence ministers from the European Union meeting for an informal session in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday approved the setting up of "tactical groups" for rapid reaction operations ("battle groups") by 2007, announced the presidency during a press conference after the first day's work. While waiting for the process to be completed, the EU may already decide to provide itself with two or three of these "tactical groups" by 2005, points out a working document of the Council's Secretariat General, which was examined on Monday by ministers. A complete report on these "tactical groups", based on this document, should be adopted at the Joint Council of foreign and defence ministers on 17-18 May.
On Monday the presidency welcomed the "extremely positive reactions" from the defence ministers at the idea of developing these "tactical groups", which are part of the new EU objectives for military capability up to 2010. Originally part of a Franco-British initiative developed last February, which was supported by Germany, these forces, consisting of 1,500 soldiers will allow the EU to react rapidly in crises, such as was the case for the Artemis mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC). Although the EU will not have all these "tactical groups" available by 2007, it could already have two or three of them by 2005. The composition and performances of these forces in terms of deployment "could be made known before the end of July 2004", notes the Council Secretariat document. In a press conference, Javier Solana, EU High Representative, indicated that three Member States had already given their agreement to setting up these "tactical groups" but did not say which countries they were. These groups could either be national or multinational.
One of the key elements for developing these forces is located in the rapidity of the decision making process for deploying them. The Council Secretariat work document highlights the need to implement a decision making process and rapid planning for enabling these forces to be deployed and operational on the ground in a period of two weeks for three month periods from the moment the Council makes the decision to launch them. Planning for an operation could be facilitated by the implementation of mechanisms adapted to the characteristics of these "tactical groups" and in this context, the "EU planning cell", created on paper last December (EUROPE 13 December p 5), could play a role, indicates the document.
The development of these forces will be carried out in total co-operation with the United Nations, given that commitments will only be made under a UN mandate for: rapid interventions in crisis zones where the UN has already deployed a mission but where developments require mission "reframing". The EU will be in charge of crisis management while waiting for the UN to reframe the mission in question (which as the case for Artemis in the DRC); rapid intervention for extracting UN contingents experiencing difficulties they find difficult to manage, with regard to their mandate and their equipment. Co-operation with the NATO rapid reaction force (NRF) is also crucial and demands information exchange between the two organisations. Forces from Member States made available to "the tactical groups" will not be "frozen" and could be made available to NATO and vice-versa.
On Monday during his contribution to ministers, Javier Solana underlined that the EU's rapid reaction forces had to be "capable of leading EU planned missions together, including high intensity commitments. Solana reaffirmed the importance of "the inter-relationship between civilian and military considerations, including civilian protection operations". He insisted that rapid responses were impossible without planning and swift decisions (he pointed out that Artemis had been launched "less than ten days after the Council's decision for planning an EU operation"). He also added that this kind of deadline for action had to be their objective. He noted the importance that the UN attached to the development of concrete co-operation with the EU in this area, in respect of co-operation with NATO and repeated that rapid co-operation forces of Member States had to be able to made available for both the EU and NATO. He explained that if this was not forthcoming there would be no mutual reinforcement but costly competition and waste.