---

Ministry of Defence

Answer

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on British military involvement in the European Rapid Reaction Force. [205918] Mr. Ingram: There is no standing European Rapid Reaction Force. What has sometimes been referred to as a "European Rapid Reaction Force" is in fact a catalogue of forces which member states could make available to the EU should they choose to participate in any particular EU-led operation. The United Kingdom currently declares to this catalogue up to 12,500 troops, 18 warships and 72 combat aircraft. However a pool of capability to respond very rapidly, within 10-15 days, to escalating crises is being established by the EU Battlegroups initiative. Member states have committed a total of 13 national and multinational Battlegroups (which will involve some of the national capabilities declared to the catalogue). During the Initial Operating Capability period (2005-06), the EU will be able to deploy one Battlegroup at any one time. During the Full Operating Capability period (from 2007), the EU aims to be able to deploy two Battlegroups concurrently. The UK has committed one national Battlegroup and one multinational (with the Netherlands based on long- standing cooperation in the UK/Dutch Amphibious Force). We expect to hold one of these Battlegroups on standby for six months in any two-year period. The national Battlegroup will be on standby during the first six-month rotation (Jan-Jun 2005). The multinational Battlegroup will be available after 2007. To meet these commitments, UK troops will be drawn from the Joint Rapid Reaction Force as appropriate at the time. Any decision to commit UK troops and assets to any EU-led operation (including any EU Battlegroup operation) rests entirely with the Government and is made on a voluntary, case-by-case basis, as for NATO and UN operations. Moreover, an EU operation can only be launched with the unanimous consent of the 25 member states.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

205918; 428 c1575-6W;428 c1573-4W

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Armed forces Deployment EU countries Military aircraft Warships Rapid reaction forces

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk