DEFENCE: MINISTERS EYE FURTHER SUPPORT TO AFRICAN UNION EFFORTS IN SUDAN.

Capabilities.

Ministers conducted their regular six-monthly stock-take of progress in developing the military capabilities at the European Union's disposal. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said that improving the EU's military capabilities was of the "utmost importance", stressing the need for further contributions from EU member states. An updated "capability improvement chart" was published, showing that there are still many areas where there are "shortfalls" or where the situation remains more or less 'the same'. In a lengthy set of conclusions on ESDP matters, Ministers agreed that further progress was necessary.

Ministers also looked at enhancing the EU's ability to respond rapidly to crisis situations with military resources. They approved recommendations designed to ensure that the EU decision-making and planning process can be completed in five days, from approval of the crisis-management concept by the Council to the decision to launch an operation. Luxembourg's Defence Minister Luc Frieden, for the current EU Presidency, indicated that such a response procedure would be tested in an exercise.

Battle groups.

The May 23 gathering also saw progress in the margins regarding the development of so-called "battle groups" that should allow the EU to carry out rapid military interventions using battalion-size forces of some 1,500 troops. The Defence Ministers from France, Germany and Spain signed off on one multi-national battle group on May 23. And a memorandum of understanding was also signed on a 'Nordic' battle group led by Sweden and bringing together also Estonia, Finland and non-EU member Norway. EU member states made an initial commitment in November 2004 to form 13 such battle groups. The idea is that, from January 2007, the EU will be capable of running two concomitant battle group rapid-response operations. Defence...