AMERICA failed last night to lock the European rapid reaction force into Nato, leaving both organisations adrift and uncertain as they wait for a new administration to take power in Washington. But French officials claimed that the development of an autonomous European defence policy was unstoppable. One French official said: "The train is already moving. Nato is not on board. It is not the engine. It is not in the tender or even in the passenger compartment. It is still on the platform."

    After two days of intense negotiations at a meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Brussels, America and other allies could not convince Turkey to lift its veto on Nato offering "assured access" to the alliance's military planning facilities. Ismail Cem, the Turkish Foreign Minister, bluntly told them they were "wasting time".

    Madeleine Albright, the US Secretary of State, making her last appearance at Nato, admitted defeat but tried to limit the political damage. She said: "I do not think, and never did, that this is a make or break situation. It's an organic process that goes on. I think issues have been clarified . . . I think we've done pretty well."

    On Thursday night President Clinton telephoned Turkey's Prime Minister, Bulent Ecevit, to implore him to yield for the sake of the future of Nato. But his efforts were frustrated. America fears that unless the EU has guaranteed access to planners at Nato's Strategic Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (Shape), France could push the EU into developing separate operational planning facilities and ultimately "decouple" Europe from America.

    Tony Blair will face an onslaught of criticism from the Opposition which will see the failure of the Nato negotiations as further proof that the Government's stewardship of the European defence initiative is leading to the break-up of Nato and the creation of a "Euro-army". At best the whole process of creating a European force could be delayed by months while George W Bush's team settles into Washington.

    At worst the new administration could re-open the whole concept and the deal painstakingly negotiated by EU leaders in Nice could become unraveled. Richard Perle, one of Mr Bush's hardline campaign advisers, has described the European defence initiative as "a catastrophe for Nato". "Assured access" to Nato's experienced military planners is seen as a keystone of integrating the EU force into Nato, and is blocking the resolution of other problems.

    EU leaders promised at Nice last week to "consult" Nato members regularly and to include any country contributing troops in the day-to-day running of operations.         But Turkey, which has offered a large contingent to the EU, insists that it must be included in the "decision-making" that could affect its "security interests".

    It has said it wants Nato to give access to its planners only on a "case-by-case" basis, to ensure Ankara's right to veto operations or even military exercises that it does not like. A British compromise, supported by EU members, said that, for operations planned in areas of "close proximity" to Turkey, Ankara would be offered "transparency and consultation" at the planning stage and involvement in operational decisions if it contributed troops.

    However, the compromise has alarmed Greece, which is raising objections. The US is telling Turkey it would have much greater influence on the EU's military policy if it were bound into the Nato planning structure.

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