DATE=11/15/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=E-U - DEFENSE (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-256199
BYLINE=RON PEMSTEIN
DATELINE=BRUSSELS
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:

INTRO:  For the first time, European Union foreign 
ministers have met together with European Union 
defense ministers to discuss the possibilities for 
building an E-U defense force independent of NATO.  As 
Ron Pemstein reports from Brussels, there is a long 
way to go.

TEXT:  This initial meeting was to establish the 
political will to give the European Union its own 
military force capable of performing both military and 
civilian tasks that NATO does not want to do.  There 
was a lot of discussion by the foreign and defense 
ministers to make their plans transparent to NATO 
since the European Union is likely for the short and 
medium term to need NATO's military equipment to act 
on its own.

There were suggestions for a rapid deployment force of 
some 40- to 100-thousand soldiers who could quickly be 
assembled for some peacekeeping or humanitarian 
function.  European Union members could decide whether 
or not to take part in a specific mission or whether 
non E-U members from NATO could participate such as 
Turkey or Norway. 

The European Union's defense coordinator, Javier 
Solana, says such a European force will have to be 
credible.

            /// SOLANA ACT ///

      What we have talked about today with the 
      ministers of foreign affairs and defense is 
      about how we can make this exercise as credible 
      as possible.  We want to make it credible, and 
      in order to make it credible, we have to really 
      put as much emphasis on capabilities for the 
      Europeans, if we want to have capabilities for 
      the whole range of potential crisis-management 
      exercises or events that may come up to our 
      attention from the pure civilian aspects to the 
      pure military aspects and everything that is in 
      between.

            /// END ACT ///

Mr. Solana has left his job as Secretary General of 
NATO to take responsibility for the European Union's 
common foreign and security policies.  He plans to 
stay in touch with his successor at NATO, George 
Robertson, to coordinate the separate European force.

The European foreign ministers have confirmed Mr. 
Solana as the new Secretary-General of the West 
European Union.  That will give him a second job that 
will fold the military assets of the W-E-U into the 
European Union defense force.  That is expected to be 
completed by the end of next year.  By that time, the 
European Union will  start planning the rapid 
deployment force that might take several more years to 
organize.

The European Union recognized during the war in Kosovo 
that it did not have the transport, the satellite 
intelligence or precision weapons that the United 
States was able to mobilize.  The Europeans were also 
slow to send soldiers to the NATO peacekeeping force 
in Kosovo.  It is these deficiencies that they want to 
correct.

That will require more defense spending in European 
countries that have been cutting military budgets for 
years.  Finnish Foreign Minister Tarja Harlonen says 
the ministers are willing to make the political 
commitments for a separate European force but national 
governments have other priorities.

            /// HARLONEN ACT ///

      Let's be very realistic:  Yes, I think we have 
      the common will in that sense, but always when 
      you mention the word "money," then remember also 
      the ministers of finance. 

            /// END ACT ///

Easing the political difficulties is the fact that 11 
of the 15 members of the European Union are also 
members of NATO.   (Signed)

NEB/RDP/WTW



15-Nov-1999 17:10 PM EDT (15-Nov-1999 2210 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.