PARIS AP Europe needs to build up its own defense to put muscle behind its foreign policy and prepare for the day Washington won't lead in a crisis Britain's defense secretary said Tuesday. ``If Europe is to have a stronger voice in the world then European armed forces will need to be capable of supporting that position'' George Robertson told the Paris assembly of the Western European Union the EU's fledgling defense arm. Among other crises ``Kosovo although not solely a European problem has shown that there is more that Europe could do to show unity of resolve'' Robertson said. ``We are keen to enhance the Europeans' capability to act when our North American Allies are not engaged'' he added. The speech appeared to lend support to France's drive for an independent European defense starting with a European pillar within NATO. But Robertson also stated clearly that the U.S.-led alliance ``will remain the cornerstone of European security and defense.'' As a condition to fully rejoining NATO's integrated command France has insisted NATO's Southern Command in Naples should go to a European. The United States whose Sixth Fleet is part of the command has rejected the idea. Robertson also opposed giving the 15-nation European Union's executive or parliament ``a direct role in defense matters. Defense must remain intergovernmental and defense decisions must continue to be made by consensus.'' Still the British defense secretary said Europe needs to boost its role in NATO. With more than 60 percent of the alliance's population and nearly two-thirds of its military personnel European allies provide only 40 percent of the total defense spending he noted. ``Developing Europe's capabilities will strengthen the alliance not undermine it and respond to aspirations on both sides of the Atlantic'' he said. Robertson also pushed European defense industries to consolidate ``particularly when facing the twin pressures of large rationalized American companies and reduced defense spending.'' The statement put pressure on France's state-owned Aerospatiale whose reluctance to privatize quickly has held up an alliance with private British and German companies. cb APW19981201.0807.txt.body.html APW19981201.1002.txt.body.html