European nations, collectively, could field quickly only a tiny percentage of the total forces available to them, in order to deal with a problem in their own backyard. Britain certainly played its part, and Europeans have subsequently taken on the leading role in Kosovo, but it was American muscle that ultimately ensured success. We have never suggested that Kosovo was solely a European problem, but it shone a particularly fierce light on European shortfalls. So the problem is not simply that we do not spend enough on defence. It is clear that we need to think seriously about how Europe spends its defence budgets.
European nations have around two million men and women in uniform.
So the problem is not simply that we do not have enough troops. But there is a pressing need to look at the way in which many of Europe's armed forces are organised and trained, and to move away from large conscript armies towards readily deployable professional forces. We must ensure that these developments continue in parallel with equipment improvements if we are to keep pace with the changing face of crisis management operations. Europe is otherwise in danger of being ready for the last war, rather than the next. It was against this backdrop that the Prime Minister renewed the debate on European security and defence at the end of 1998.