EU to Form Rapid-Response Battle Groups

European Union states will be able to react militarily to international crises more quickly and more flexibly under an agreement by EU defense ministers to create rapid-response battle groups. The Battlegroups Concept – a key element of the Headline Goal 2010 committing the EU member states to be able to respond to crises throughout the world – complements and reinforces the NATO Response Force, Dutch Defense Minister Henk Kamp said in a statement on November 22. The Netherlands currently holds the EU Presidency. “The European Union has entered a new stage in the process of strengthening military capabilities for crisis management,” the statement also said.

Formation of initially 13 EU Battlegroups will begin in 2005, with full operational capacity reached by 2007. As rapid-response forces, the battle groups on call, roughly 1,500 soldiers each, will be ready for deployment within 10 days after a decision by the EU to launch an operation – and would be available for missions of the United Nations, for example.

Germany will participate in four of the battle groups:
• together with the Netherlands, with participation by Finland
• in the framework of the German-French Brigade as core of a wider joint battle group; Belgium, Luxembourg, and Spain would participate
• under the leadership of Poland together with participation by Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia
• together with Austria and the Czech Republic

November 24, 2004

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