The European Parliament will hold an emergency session tomorrow to debate a US-led war on Iraq, Parliament president Mr Pat Cox announced, amid overwhelming public opposition in Europe.
Mr Cox scheduled the two-hour extraordinary session, which will not vote on a resolution, after calls from Socialist, Communist and Greens members opposed to military action.
Parliament has no powers over the EU's fledgling common foreign and security policy but can act as an amplifier for public opinion.
The debate, with the participation of representatives of the EU's Greek presidency and the executive European Commission, will take place hours before the 15 EU leaders meet for a summit likely to be dominated by deep differences over Iraq.
Britain, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Denmark have backed the United States' decision to use force without explicit UN Security Council support, while France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden and Finland have opposed a rush to war.
Opinion polls show between 75 and 85 per cent of voters across the EU are opposed to military action without United Nations backing.