Prague  - The European Union plans to replace its peacekeepers in Bosnia-Herzegovina with a training mission, European Union's top diplomat Javier Solana said Thursday after an informal meeting of EU defence ministers.

"The decision to go into something different, a non-executive mission which means training... was taken," Solana said, adding that it remained open when the current mission would be replaced.

Czech Defence Minister Vlasta Parkanova, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency until June 30, said the officials agreed that member states should not pull out troops prior to a final decision.

"There was a consensus that the decision should not take too long and that the states should refrain from any unilateral steps before the decision is made," she said.

No deadline was set and the EU officials are to discuss the matter again in May, Parkanova said.

Three countries, including France, mull withdrawing their troops from Bosnia in the spring, a presidency source said.

EU's military mission in Bosnia, known as Eufor Althea, took over from NATO forces in December 2004 and currently deploys some 1,800 troops from EU members and 200 from non-EU countries in the Balkan state. (dpa)