US Defence Secretary William Cohen has warned that NATO could become a “relic of the past” if the EU creates rival structures to the alliance in developing its planned rapid reaction force…

Date: 07/12/00

Speaking at a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels, Cohen said that if the Union failed to equip its new force properly or created institutions which undermined military effectiveness, NATO's success could be threatened. His comments were taken as a warning that member states should not commit resources to the new force at NATO's expense or develop independent planning capabilities.