News and Document archive source
copyrighted material disclaimer at bottom of page

NewsMinecabal-eliteeuropean-union — Viewing Item


Eu first bosnia { January 1 2003 }

Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
   http://www.guardian.co.uk/eu/story/0,7369,867151,00.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/eu/story/0,7369,867151,00.html

EU begins its first peacekeeping role

Ian Black in Brussels
Wednesday January 1, 2003
The Guardian

The European Union takes a small but significant step on to the world security stage today when it begins its maiden peacekeeping operation in the Balkans.
Sending a police mission to Bosnia to take over from the existing UN force is its first action under the the slowly evolving common policy for security and defence: areas zealously guarded by nation states.

It may also herald a more intense EU military involvement in Europe's turbulent "near abroad".

The 500 officers, commanded by a Danish police commissioner, will add blue berets and EU armbands to their national uniforms. Their task will be to train and monitor professional multi-ethnic local police forces in Bosnia, which is still struggling to rebuild its society after its 42-month war.

Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy and security chief, said the deployment was "a strong symbol of the collective will of Europeans to act jointly in this key task of consolidating stability and security in our continent".

Officials in Brussels say the importance of the mission lies in the way its work is integrated into a wider approach to the Balkans, the one part of the world where the EU has developed an effective common foreign policy.

Organised crime has been identified as the single biggest threat to progress in the region, involving shadowy alliances between drug smugglers, corrupt politicians and extreme nationalist groups.

Under the stability pact for south-east Europe created after the Kosovan war in 1999, Balkan countries have been encouraged to reform with a view to forging a closer relationship with the EU.

Slovenia, the wealthiest of the former Yugoslav republics, is joining the union in 2004. Bulgaria and Romania are expected to join in 2007. Croatia said last week that it wanted to make a formal application to join.

The police mission could lead to far greater European military and security activity in the region. An agreement with Nato last month allows it to send peacekeeping troops to Macedonia, probably next spring.

Even more ambitiously, it has suggested that it might take over from Nato the command of the 12,000 peacekeepers in Bosnia.

Planners in Brussels are desperate to find missions for the EU's fledgling rapid reaction force, a unit of 60,000 soldiers designed for peacekeeping and humanitarian duties where Nato is not involved.




americanizing
blair
brit-2007-terror-plots
constitution
defense
dissent
EU-arab-posturing
expansion
france
germany
icc-hague
italy
july-2005-london-attacks
madrid-attack-march-2004
trade
unification
Barraso defends delay in EU vote
Bomb threat delays french trains
Budget stalled by britain over french farm subsidies
China trade threat to european union
Chirac tells french EU protects against US
Chiracs conservative party humiliating electoral defeat { March 31 2004 }
Cocaine traces at eu parliament { July 15 2005 }
Cocaine use regular at european parliament toilets
Eu announces largest passenger jet from airbus
Eu denies supressing israel poll finding
Eu destroys individual freedom
Eu ends 12 years of libya sanctions
Eu first bosnia { January 1 2003 }
Eu furious over thai government bird flu coverup
Eu gives 125m for darfur peacekeeping { October 22 2004 }
Eu leaders reassure western balkans
Eu opposes death sentence
Eu party crashed by iraq war { April 16 2003 }
Eu phones tapped { March 21 2003 }
Eu president makes nazi comment { July 4 2003 }
Eu pressed release of thailand political leader
Eu says israel violating international law
Eu should lose powers { January 15 2003 }
Eu softens stance against bush sharon agreement { April 18 2004 }
Eu stocks test 20 month highs { March 8 2004 }
Eu supports bolivia government
EU to challenge US on china
Eu to study legality of iraq contract row
EU to test readiness for bird flu pandemic
Euro eu building [jpg]
Europe high court rules against deficit spending
Europe investigates cia abductions in europe { March 13 2005 }
Europe media lashes berlusconi eu presidency { July 1 2003 }
Europe tops US in stock market value { April 2 2007 }
European union dismantles common law
France affords free services { April 22 2002 }
France law jails for certain remarks
France secularising eu
Goldman sachs manager to head italy central bank
Greece asks nato for standby force at olympics
Greece facing massive debt for olympics { June 16 2004 }
Greek olympics scare blamed on home grown terrorists
Internet to be censored by EU
Italian leader acquitted in corruption trial
Italian prime minister investigated over bribery { December 30 2005 }
Italy mafia war in naples
Italy pm takes on eu presidency
Mafia turf war scars naples italy
NATO spy planes whips wmd units guard greece olympics { June 29 2004 }
Neo nazis march commemorating allied bombing
New polish prime minister appointed by paul bremer { May 2 2004 }
Polish president proposes delaying decision on eu voting
Poll israel and us biggest threat world peace
Pressure mounts for italy bank governor resignation { December 17 2005 }
Spain celebrates first possible queen in over 100yrs
Voters punish leaders in EU poll

Files Listed: 56



Correction/submissions

CIA FOIA Archive

National Security
Archives
Support one-state solution for Israel and Palestine Tea Party bumper stickers JFK for Dummies, The Assassination made simple