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EU Rapid Reaction Force

Volume 472: debated on Tuesday 4 March 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force personnel form the British commitment to the Helsinki Headline Goal; and what percentage of the Army's commitment is formed from the infantry. (190714)

The Helsinki Headline Goal has been superseded by the Headline Goal 2010.

The UK declaration to both the Helsinki Headline Goal and the Headline Goal 2010 were based on units of capability and not numbers of armed forces personnel. These offers do not commit the UK to any action and requests for forces to support EU operations are considered on a voluntary case-by-case basis. Copies of the UK response to the Headline Goal 2010 are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the EU Battlegroup concept under the Headline Goal 2010 relieves the UK of its commitment to the European Rapid Reaction Force under the Helsinki Headline Goal; and if he will make a statement. (190721)

There is no European Rapid Reaction Force. However, the EU has an objective to be able rapidly to generate forces to support crisis management operations. The EU Battlegroup initiative has been developed to help meet this requirement for rapid response.

The UK’s offer of forces that could be potentially made available to support EU operations whether through our response to the headline goal 2010 or through the provision of a Battlegroup does not commit the UK to any action. Requests for forces to support EU operations are considered on a voluntary case-by-case basis.