Deauville, France  - European Union defence ministers meeting in France on Wednesday were to consider ending the bloc's military operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, officials said.

"Citizens should know that we can create a mission and terminate it as well," said the meeting's host, French Defence Minister Herve Morin, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU.

The EUFOR Althea mission was launched in December 2004, tasked with bringing military stability to that former part of Yugoslavia.

At the time it was the EU's biggest ever military operation. Tragedy struck in June, when a Spanish helicopter operating a peacekeeping flight crashed in the hills of central Bosnia, killing all four soldiers aboard.

The mission currently deploys 2,125 soldiers from 22 EU nations and five non-EU countries, among them Turkey, Chile and neighbouring Macedonia.

Diplomats said that with its main objective having been achieved, discussions on Althea's future will focus on transforming it into a civilian mission, possibly involving the training of local police.

Ahead of Wednesday's meeting in Deauville, Spanish Defence Minister Carme Chacon said she would inform colleagues about her intention of withdrawing her country's
376-strong contingent. (dpa)