Finland plans to change its legislation to allow its troops to take part in peacekeeping operations even in cases where there is no mandate from the United Nations, Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja said Tuesday.

A bill submitted to Tuomioja on Tuesday and to be presented to parliament later this year is aimed at facilitating Finland's participation in a European Union rapid reaction force.

The EU announced the launch of rapid-response battle groups at the end of last year, marking a major step towards developing the bloc's military muscle.

Finland is not a NATO member.

"It is a question of our decision-making machinery making it possible to take a quick decision if necessary on the one hand, and on the other hand that we can also be part of an EU operation which does not have a (UN) Security Council mandate," Tuomioja told AFP.

He stressed that the participation of Finnish troops without a UN mandate should be the "exception to the rule", but added that "it would be wrong for Finland to stay out of such an operation".

Tuomioja cited as an example NATO's intervention in Macedonia in 2001. China had in 1999 vetoed a UN Security Council mandate because of Skopje's decision to recognize Taiwan.

"In this case, it would have been totally justified to take part," he told Finnish public radio Yle.

Officially, Finland observes a policy of military non-alignment, though in practice the country has stepped up its international cooperation since it joined the EU in 1995 following the fall of the neighbouring Soviet Union.

Since then, Finnish forces have participated regularly in NATO operations as part of the alliance's Partnership for Peace program.