Answer given by Mr Frattini on behalf of the Commission

25.2.2008

The European Gendarmerie Force (EGF) is an initiative of five countries (France, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal and Spain) in the field of crisis management operations. It is not a formal EU body but an intergovernmental project.

According to the Commission's information, the EGF aims at improving the crisis management capability in sensitive areas and responds to the need to rapidly conduct all the spectrum of civil security actions, either on its own or in parallel with the military intervention, by providing a multinational tool.

As regards the use of the ring of stars, the EGF logo is only composed of a cruciform sword, a laurel crown and a flaming grenade on a background of blue sky.

The question of EGF has no link whatsoever with the issue of the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty.

OJ C 291, 13/11/2008