UN fears battle groups will cut numbers of EU peacekeepers

By David Cronin

Date: 26/05/05

Senior United Nations officials fear the EU's battle-groups scheme could reduce the number of soldiers European countries make available for UN peacekeeping operations.

Diplomats at the UN's New York headquarters admit there is concern in the organisation that the EU's system of rapidly deploying troops to hotspots, particularly in Africa, could make it more difficult for the EU's countries to contribute to UN operations. They also say that they wish to have clearer indications from the EU on the handing over of command of a mission from the Union to the UN. The UN will seek guidelines on ensuring a smooth transition in the coming weeks.

The issues were supposed to have been discussed by the EU-UN steering group this week but the meeting has been postponed.

Last November, the Union's defence ministers agreed to set up 13 battle groups, each of 1,500 troops. Each would comprise of several different member states and could be deployed at ten days notice for a period of 30 days. At least one battle group is supposed to have operational capacity by the end of this year - for example, to undertake an evacuation mission - while the groups should be capable of carrying out an entire mission by 2007.

"Battle groups would be a terrific asset as long as they are an additional asset in the tool kit," said a UN source. "But if a battle group makes it difficult for European countries to contribute to UN peacekeeping operations, then that is a problem."

The source added that it "would be helpful if there could be some reflection" from the EU on what timescale and procedures would apply for UN involvement "when a battle group is withdrawn".

Hedi Anabi, the UN's assistant-secretary general for peacekeeping, has raised the surrounding issues during recent discussions with EU governments.

The spokeswoman to Javier Solana, the EU's high representative for foreign policy, described the UN diplomats' concerns as "theoretical". Cristina Gallach explained that Solana and his staff are more focused on what assistance the Union can provide to the African Union's peacekeeping mission in the Darfur region of Sudan. Both Solana and Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO's secretary-general, are to discuss the situation in Darfur with African Union representatives in Addis Ababa today (26 May).

Daniel Keohane from the Centre for European Reform noted that while the EU has been in charge of a peacekeeping mission in Africa - the 2003 Operation Artemis in Congo's Ituri province, battle groups will deal with more violent situations, "such as separating sides in a civil war, not just protecting an airport". "Making sure that you have a handover will be extremely important," Keohane said.

"If the EU is really serious about helping the UN, it needs more troops. At the moment, it can barely deploy 85,000 peacekeepers around the world, when there are two million armed forces in the EU. That is ridiculous."

Article reports that senior United Nations officials feared the EU's battle-groups scheme could reduce the number of soldiers European countries make available for UN peacekeeping operations. In November 2004, the European Union's Defence Ministers agreed to set up 13 battle groups, each of 1,500 troops. Each would comprise of several different Member States and could be deployed at ten days notice for a period of 30 days.