AFP,
A Briton has been chosen to set up a new defence agency aimed at streamlining and sharpening the European Union's military capacity, the EU announced on Wednesday.
Nick Whitney, currently responsible for international security policy within Britain's Ministry of Defence, will be in charge of a team of 12 people.
It is expected the agency will be up and running during 2004, the EU's senior foreign policy head Javier Solana said in a statement.
The aim of the agency is to help EU member states coordinate their activities within the defence field. It will be headed by Solana.
The EU, which agreed to set up the agency last November, has denied the agency will compete with NATO despite US concerns.
The agency was proposed as part of a draft EU constitution, which is now the basis of the constitutional talks being held between EU governments.
It will be managed by the secretariat of the EU council of ministers, with EU defence ministers sitting on its board.
