The Guardian Up to 180,000 troops will be needed if the European Union is to establish a credible defence capability, the Europe minister, Keith Vaz, said yesterday. The EU is planning a conference this year at which member states will be expected to make radical and expensive commitments to a new European expeditionary force capable of imposing peace in trouble spots such as the Balkans. The force, agreed in principle at the Helsinki EU summit, is due to be in place by June 2003. Under questioning by Lord Inge, former chief of the British defence staff, Mr Vaz conceded that a force 60,000 strong at a single time may require an overall fighting pool of 180,000 troops.
Soldiers have to rest and eat.
They are human beings. He also accepted Lord Inge's assertion that serious gaps existed in Europe's capability, including heavy lift, communications and intelligence. Lord Robertson, the Nato secretary general, and Geoff Hoon, the defence secretary, have also been disturbed by the scale of defence cuts envisaged in Germany. Each country's proposed contribution would then be collectively agreed. The Helsinki summit in December agreed to set up a corps, or 15 brigades, by June 2003 capable of carrying out a range of tasks, including peace enforcement.