Chief of Defence urges quick decision on status of rapid deployment forces

Kaskeala feels "slight concern" on whether or not agreements can be prepared in time

Juhani Kaskeala

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Finland’s Chief of Defence Juhani Kaskeala is urging a rapid decision on the limits of the right of Finnish soldiers to be recruited into the rapid deployment forces of the European Union to use force.
      Kaskeala said in Turku on Wednesday that legislative change on the planned EU battle groups is more urgent than the issue of whether or not a United Nations mandate would be required to send the soldiers to EU crisis management operations.
     
Kaskeala noted that the planned joint battle group comprising Finnish, German, and Dutch soldiers should be ready by early 2007.
      "Common manoeuvres of the battle group will begin in the autumn of next year. Therefore, the reservists to be recruited into the force should be taken on no later than a year from now. Hiring the soldiers will not be possible before the legislation defining the tasks of the personnel is ready."
      Kaskeala noted that in this respect, the most urgent changes needed to peacekeeping legislation are the regulations concerning the actions of soldiers, and not the much-talked-about mandate question.
      The German-led EU force will have about 160 Finns. Kaskeala says that the majority will be reservists with crisis management training.
      A battle group comprising Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Estonian troops will have about 200 Finns.
     
The rapid deployment forces are to take turns on alert, and the Swedish-led force will have its turn in 2008, which means that there is one more year to recruit personnel for that force than for the unit under German command.
      Each battle group will undergo exercises before its turn on alert.
     
Kaskeala said that the Finnish soldiers in the international groups must be authorised to use force in the same way as their colleagues from other countries.
      "The EU battle groups will be multinational entities welded together to the extent that it will be virtually impossible to take into account differing national rules on using force."


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finland to recruit professional soldiers for rapid deployment special force (10.11.2004)
  Finland and Sweden agree to set up common EU military force (5.10.2004)
  Finland decides to take part in German-Dutch EU battle group (4.11.2004)

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