EU CONFERENCE: EU defence ministers discussed ways to better co-ordinate their military forces and peacekeeping missions at a meeting at RAF Lynham in Britain yesterday.
Ministers also studied a detailed review of the current EU peacekeeping mission in Bosnia, where 7,000 troops are based, including more than 50 Irish soldiers.
The review was positive, although it said the mission in Bosnia would have to adapt its peacekeeping role more towards combating crime.
"The EU will have to remain there for some time but there is a need to address the changing nature of the mission," said Government chief whip Tom Kitt, who attended the meeting on behalf of the Minister for Defence. "It will focus more on organised crime and terrorism."
The meeting was held on the day the US think-tank, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, published a new report highly critical of Europe's defence capability.
It highlights a lack of co-ordination in spending and warns that Europe may not be able to remain a partner with Nato in any meaningful way unless it modernises its military forces.
Military analysts say the EU faces shortages of crucial equipment, such as air transporters and air-to-air refuelling equipment.
Officials estimate the US has hundreds of air-to-air refuelling tankers, while EU countries together can barely muster 40.