(MADRID) - Spain will demand that the European Union's peacekeeping force in Bosnia, EUFOR Althea, be transformed into a civilian mission, the defence ministry said Tuesday.

Defence Minister Carme Chacon made the announcement during an appearance before Spanish senators and will formally make the request at a two-day meeting of EU defence ministers starting Wednesday in Deauville, France, the ministry said in a statement.

"After 15 years of Spain's uninterrupted presence in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the transfer of responsibilities from the EUFOR operation to the armed forces of Bosnia-Herzegovina is practically completed," the statement said.

The minister will ask her peers to transform "EUFOR Althea into an essentially civilian operation, as long as the situation on the ground allows it," it added.

EUFOR, which took over from a NATO peacekeeping mission in 2004, is charged with military tasks set out in the peace deal that ended Bosnia's 1992-1995 war. It is made up of roughly 2,200 soldiers, including 260 from Spain.

Text and Picture Copyright 2008 AFP. All other Copyright 2008 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable.