Robertson: NATO force won’t rival EU

Date: 10/10/02

By David Cronin

NATO's planned new response force will not be a rival to the EU's emerging military structures, the alliance's head Lord Robertson has pledged.

Addressing MEPs, the secretary-general argued that the 20,000-strong response force proposed by US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will be complementary to the Union's 60,000 rapid reaction force.

The NATO troops would be able to fight wars, he said, whereas the EU's force is due to have its remit restricted to the so-called Petersberg tasks. These mainly cover peace-keeping, search and rescue operations and humanitarian missions, though some 'peace-making' (ie using military force) activities are also envisaged.

'It [the NATO force] is designed to be another sharp tool in the tool box,' Robertson added. 'It's not designed to duplicate but to complement.'

Britain's former defence secretary also admitted he was wrong to previously label Europe as a 'military pygmy' due to the yawning gulf between its capability and that of the US.

'Europe is in fact a giant,' he said. 'But it is a flabby giant with no muscles.'

For example, the continent has 2,800 attack and fighter aircraft, twice as many as America. But while most of the US planes can be used in all types of weather and use precision weapons, only a fraction of the European ones can. Robertson said that he did not see why EU states could not spend at least the equivalent of 2 of their national incomes on improving their military abilities. He also called for an end to the current deadlock on establishing a formal deal allowing the EU access to NATO assets.

This remains hostage to wrangling between Greece and Turkey and failure to secure it is spoiling EU hopes to take over the NATO-led Amber Fox operation in Macedonia.

Asked by one deputy to express his views on the Irish Nice treaty referendum campaign - where military neutrality has been a key issue - Robertson said it would be 'impertinent' and possibly 'dangerous' to make any comment.

The relationship between NATO and the new EU military structures will be a central issue at two major conferences in the next few days.

Robertson is due to speak at the Paris-based Institute for Security Studies of the European Union tomorrow (11 October).

The two-day event will also be addressed by Jean-Marie Guehenno, the United Nations under-secretary general, and Jan Kubis, secretary-general of the Vienna-based Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

And on Tuesday (15 October) senior NATO and EU officials will take part in a debate at Brussels' Palais d'Egmont, assessing the credibility of Europe's anti-terrorist defences.

Among the speakers at 'The New Defence Agenda' conference organised by Forum Europe will be Robert Cooper, the Council's new director-general for external affairs and political-military affairs. Cooper was formerly an advisor to Tony Blair and is widely credited with creating the concept of the 'rogue state'.

NATO's planned new response force will not be a rival to the EU's emerging military structures, the alliance's secretary-general Lord Robertson has pledged.

http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/index.htm http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/index.htm

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