EU military force sanctioned

EU manpower needs to be supplemented by NATO support and equipment

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- EU leaders have announced their new Rapid Reaction Force will become operational, for minor operations, from this weekend.

Leaders of the 15 EU nations, meeting in a royal palace near Brussels, said on Saturday that enough progress had been made in developing an EU military force to declare it officially ready to undertake limited missions.

But it is likely to be a year before it takes part in any action.

MORE STORIES Rioting outside EU summit  Rapid reaction force wrangle  EU unites for Afghan force  D'Estaing to head reform body    RESOURCES Analysis: CNN's Robin Oakley on the challenges facing EU leaders  In depth: Changing face of Europe  In depth: Towards a single currency

The Rapid Reaction Force is designed to make up to 60,000 troops available for humanitarian and peacekeeping missions which NATO does not want to undertake.

But the 15 EU countries do not have sufficient forces to man the new force without 'borrowing' assets normally assigned to NATO.

They will also remain dependent for larger operations on NATO planning and command facilities and on NATO transport planes.

For a long time agreement between the EU -- four of whose members are not members of Nato -- and the Nato alliance -- which has a number of members not in the EU -- was blocked by Turkey, a member of NATO but not yet of the EU.

Turkey wanted the right of veto over EU operations involving NATO assets and assurances that nothing would be done to prejudice its interests in Cyprus and the Aegean.

Two weeks ago the EU, Nato and Turkey seemed to have a deal on the Turkish objections with a deal that made NATO equipment available to the EU on a case by case basis.

QUICKVOTE Can an EU military force have authority in the world's hotspots? Yes No View Results

But then the Greek government, traditionally in a state of tension with the Turks, raised their objections.

The Greeks, who are members both of NATO and the EU, have puzzled others by seeking assurances that the deal will not undermine the EU's autonomy in decision-making and that their interests could not be prejudiced by any future NATO action.

It is not clear whether, or how, the Greek objections have been resolved.

The Belgian presidency had been suggesting that the Rapid Reaction Force will be declared operational at the summit with or without resolution of the Greek objections.