State slow to act on EU rapid reaction

THAT old game of will-we-won’t-we resumed in Brussels this week over EU battle groups.

Several EU countries formed multinational, rapid reaction battle groups on Monday as part of efforts to enable the EU by late 2007 to launch peacekeeping operations anywhere in the world within 10 days.

Battle groups worry the Government. They fear voters will think it is a type of back-door conscription of their children.