(PARIS) - European Union countries have yet to come up with enough offers of support to set up a European force for the Democratic Republic of Congo, the French foreign ministry said Wednesday.

France, which holds the EU presidency, had called for emergency talks to set up the interim security force in response to a UN request for troops to bridge the gap until reinforcements for its MONUC peacekeeping force can be deployed.

But after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht said no country was ready to take the lead and that prospects for the mission were bleak.

"An autonomous European operation to complete and reinforce the UN force has yet to receive enough support for it to be set up," said foreign ministry spokesman Frederic Desagneaux on Wednesday.

EU governments will continue to consider the situation, with defence officials set to meet Friday in Brussels to discuss the Congo crisis.

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