CIAO DATE: 07/02

The EU's Rapid Reaction Capability

Foreword

Fate determined that the fourth meeting of the European Security Forum occurred on the eve of the epoch-changing attack of 11 September. Therefore, this summing-up will be somewhat out of the ordinary to the extent that it will attempt to single out those elements of the discussion that may prove of relevance after the hyper-terrorist outrage, while leaving to the side those that have been overtaken by events.

At the outset, the Chairman requested the three paper-givers to take into account, in their oral presentations, three questions:

• What are the EU's rapid reaction capabilities for?

• What budget efforts are required to give this capability substance, as well to keep under manageable proportions the "gap" with the US?

• How serious is the Turkish issue?

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