In the Dutch daily NRC of 19 june 2002, Laurens Jan Brinkhorst,
still
Minister of Agriculture (formerly Foreign Affairs jobs) in the Dutch
Government, writes on the European Union. Quote: "The new European
co-operation in security and defence is not intended as a collective
self
defence system. Quite the contrary. It is especially directed at action
outside of the EU and at international crisis management, the latter
in
co-operation with NATO." So, "defence" is apparently not "self
defence";
but "offence" in poorer countries.