Plans for an EU military HQ will undermine NATO
Posted, September 08, 2011 @ 15:00
On top of calls in certain quarters for EU fiscal and economic integration, there is now a push for a similar approach on defence.
France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain have written to EU 'Foreign Minister' Ashton calling for rapid creation of a European Military Headquarters.
Foreign Secretary William Hague has previously said the issue was a “red line” for the British Government, and made it clear that the UK would automatically block any plans to set up an EU Operational Headquarters, or OHQ.
However, the continental bloc wants to use the Lisbon Treaty mechanism of ‘Permanent Structured Cooperation’ (PSC) to either bypass or create a policy dilemma for Britain.
PSC enables a core group of EU member countries that fulfil certain criteria (eg. budgetary commitment and deployability) to enter into closer cooperation to enhance European defence capabilities.
Geoffrey Van Orden MEP, defence and security spokesman in the European Parliament for British Concervatives and the European Conservatives and Reformists group, commented:
“The EU brings no additional military capabilities to the table. An autonomous EU defence policy is primarily an instrument of European political integration.
“An EU OHQ merely duplicates the tested and successful structures at NATO and in our nations. It is a costly, divisive and unnecessary initiative at a time when defence capabilities across Europe are being slashed.
“The ambition for EU Defence is a constant distraction, affects the participation of European countries in key NATO missions and confuses the Americans.”