Germany.info : Government & Politics

Germany.info Home: Government & Politics:

EU Defense Ministers Discuss EU-UN Military Cooperation

The European Union (EU) will be reducing the number of troops stationed in Bosnia and Herzegovina before the end of the year, according to an announcement issued by the EU Ministers of Defense, who were attending an informal meeting in Wiesbaden. By the end of this year, the EUFOR peacekeeping troops will be scaled down from 6,000 to 2,500 on the ground.

Federal Minister of Defense, Franz Josef Jung, chaired the two-day meeting with his counterparts from the other 26 EU member states. Bulgaria and Romania, the two newest EU members, attended officially for the first time. The Secretary General and High Representative of the EU Javier Solana also attended, as did NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.

Crisis management

Talks on the first day focused on operations and possible civilian missions. The spotlight was on the stabilization of the Western Balkans. Jung considered developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina to be basically positive.

The improved security situation is also to be reflected in a reduction in the Operation ALTHEA troops. Along with Italy, Germany provides the largest contingent of troops in Bosnia. At present about 830 German soldiers are stationed there. Between May and June their numbers are to be reduced by some 300, Jung announced.

The second point on the agenda was the current status of the planned EU police mission in Afghanistan. The number of police instructors is to be quadrupled to 160. This contribution is intended to further consolidate the stability of the country.

EU cooperation with the UN

On the second day of the informal meeting, military cooperation between the EU and the United Nations was discussed, with a special emphasis on the Darfur crisis in Sudan. Jung declared, "Darfur needs more peacekeeping troops in the interests of stability and peaceful development." He called on the Sudanese government to give its consent to increasing the numbers of peacekeeping troops in the region.

Jung cited last year's mission in the Congo as an excellent example of cooperation between the EU and the UN. 780 German soldiers were part of the mission. "It was a successful deployment," declared the Minister of Defense. Basically, the EU should continue to be able to decide independently. There will not be any automatic provision of troops for United Nations missions Jung added.

Military capabilities

The third working session looked at the further development of military capabilities and the European Defence Agency. The focus should be primarily on ensuring competitive weapons and technology. This will be the main challenge for 2007. An effective and reliable defense industry is absolutely indispensable for ensuring that the armed forces can continue to meet their commitments according to Jung.

March 5, 2007

Government & Politics