The inter-service tactical groups, which will put flesh on long-standing EU plans to have an independent military capacity, will come under discussion here Monday at a joint mission of foreign and defense ministers from the 25-nation bloc.

The groups will be designed to go into operation at very short notice -- between five and 10 days -- and remain on mission for up to four months, according to the EU source, who requested anonymity.

The sources said Britain, France, Italy and Spain had pledged to supply tactical groups as early as next year. Smaller nations will combine forces to provide the tactical units. A conference on military capacities was scheduled to be held on Monday at the same time as the meeting of foreign and defense ministers, the source said.

In theory, the EU would be able to engage in two military missions simultaneously once all the military groups are operational in 2007, officials said.

The troops would be used for operations outside the framework of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, such as missions in support of the United Nations.

All rights reserved. � 2005 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.