The Iraqi regime alone will be responsible for the consequences if it continues to flout the will of the international community and does not take this last chance, a statement by European Union leaders issued on 17 February 2003 after a summit on the Iraq crisis, reads.

European Union leaders declared that U.N. arms inspections could not go on indefinitely without Baghdad's cooperation and reiterated that force should only be used as a "last resort".

We are committed to working with all our partners, especially the United States, for the disarmament of Iraq, the EU's joint declaration statement said.

As the EU met in Brussels, Iraqi officials announced that flights over the country by U-2 surveillance planes had begun - meeting a key demand of the UN.

In an extraordinary outburst, Chirac publicly lambasted eastern European nations seeking to join the EU for their support for Washington over the Iraq crisis.

France and Germany have mustered support from Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Greece, Ireland and Luxembourg, while Spain, Italy, Denmark, Portugal and the Netherlands back Britain's hawkish line.

The divisions among EU members and nations joining the group were stark, however.

The 13 mostly eastern European candidates for admission to the group were to meet Tuesday to consider endorsing the EU stance.

They were excluded from the talks Monday.