Brussels, Dec 3, SPA -- The European Union is ready to defend commercialvessels from Somali pirates once NATO's mission expires later thismonth, DPA quoted EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana as saying Wednesday. "We have a responsibility to escort, deter and protect, and itwill be done with very robust rules of engagement," Solana saidahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at the alliance'sheadquarters in Brussels. The EU's naval force for Somalia "Atalanta" mission, whichconsists of six warships and three maritime reconnaissance aircraft,is due to start escorting merchant ships and World Food Programmevessels delivering food aid to Africa on Monday. It takes over from NATO's own flotilla, which has been patrollingthe Somali coast since late October. On Tuesday, the United Nations' Security Council gave its formalgreen-light to the EU mission, which is to last for one year at acost of 8.3 million euros (10.5 million dollars). German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier stressedWednesday the necessity of ensuring that vessels are protected byinternational forces. "The (naval) presence on the African coast has already saved afew ships from being hijacked over the past few days," Steinmeiersaid upon his arrival in Brussels. Solana conceded Wednesday that there were still a number of legalissues that needed to be resolved. One concerns the different ruleswhich EU member states apply on the detention of pirates. "We need to coordinate that, but every country has a position -and that position is that they will not allow pirates to playaround," Solana said. NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has welcomed the EUmission, saying it should be seen as "complementary" to NATO's forceof four warships. Speaking Tuesday, de Hoop Scheffer said five hijacking attempts,including of a cruise liner, had reportedly taken place over thelast 24 hours, all of them "adequately treated by NATO." NATO commanders have stressed the need for the alliance toenforce maritime security in a more permanent way. But officialsnote that any decision will likely require months of discussions. "NATO is indeed studying a longer-term role ... but there's a lotof water on this globe, and this issue will be on the agenda forsome time to come," the NATO chief said. According to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), there havebeen almost 100 attempts at piracy in the region this year, witharound 40 of them successful.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/613475