France, Germany and two other EU countries opposed to the US-led war on Iraq called for a new European headquarters to command military operations independent of NATO at a meeting Tuesday in Brussels.

"European security and defence policy cannot be set by three or four (member states)," Palacio told Spanish parliament, adding that an authentic common European policy had to come from EU institutions.

She said attempts to build a European defence policy without the EU "had no right to be called European."

The four countries -- the same that earlier this year sparked the most serious rift in NATO's history -- said they would establish "no later than 2004, a multinational deployable force headquarters for joint operations." They also called for a new European Security and Defence Union.

Palacio said the Brussels meeting, called "at a time of controversy, is also a divisive factor within the Union and could prove counterproductive."

She said that while Spain was favourable to cooperation among member states with more ambitious military targets, such targets should not be set "on the fringes of the Union", calling for a debate open to all EU members.

SPACE.WIRE