The 1,500-strong tactical groups, which will put flesh on long-standing EU plans to have an independent military capacity, will be able to be deployed within 15 days. One unit will be up and running by next year, said Kamp.

France, Italy, Spain and Britain have each agreed to form one unit, and all other EU states have agreed to contribute to at least one group, said the Dutch minister, whose country currently holds the EU's rotating presidency.

"The battle groups are at the forefront of capability improvement, providing the Union with credible, rapidly deployable, coherent force packages capable of stand-alone operations, for for the initial phase of larger operations," said an EU statement.

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