Fransen en Britten strijden om locatie nieuw defensie-agentschap (en)

A squabble is developing between Britain and France over who should run the European armaments agency - a key element of the EU's common foreign and security policy.

Member states agreed last November to establish an agency to co-ordinate weapons procurement across the EU and to evaluate the armament needs of Member States.

Work was due to begin in January but the two leading military powers in the EU - Britain and France - have been fighting over who should lead the new body, according to reports in Le Figaro.

Both countries want their own candidate at the head of the agency and neither is backing down.

The EU's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, has been waiting for an agreement between the two since Christmas but none has been forthcoming.

The solution foreseen is for one of the two candidates to take charge and then cede power to the other half way through the term. But the argument then arises as to who should take over first.

French Defence Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie and her British counterpart Geoff Hoon are expected to finalise their positions next week.