Preparations underway for a European Super Army
Pastor Dale Morgan
Preparations underway for a European Super Army*
* The Guardian, Wednesday 18 February 2009
The minister for Europe is convinced there are no plans for a European
army (Letters, 17 February). In that case, why does the EU want an
operational planning HQ and a commitment to "deploy 60,000 men in 60
days"? Why is it so keen to stick the EU badge on a succession of
military operations? Why the panoply of EU structures to control these
operations? Why is there a European Defence Agency and such an effort to
create an EU defence industry and an EU defence procurement market? Why
do we have a virtual European Defence College to promote an EU defence
culture?
While contributing no additional military capabilities or adding any
practical value, the EU has placed its institutional footprint on an
increasing range of defence-related activities and wastefully duplicated
a range of staff and decision-making structures already well established
at Nato. While maintaining a pretence that everything was under our
control, British diplomats have had to engage in a constant process of
damage limitation in terms of our Nato and transatlantic relations.
Notwithstanding the mistakes of the Bush administration, there is no
doubt in my mind that the strategic interests of both Britain and Europe
are best served by a revitalised Nato which binds the US and the
European democracies. At a time of economic stringency and military
overstretch, it makes no sense to divert resources into separate and
duplicate EU institutions.
The next test will come in six weeks' time when Nato gathers for its
60th anniversary summit in Strasbourg/Kehl. The signs do not augur well.
There is already the distraction of President Sarkozy's insistence on
changing the seating arrangements; choreography designed to highlight
France's place in the alliance; and a script setting out France's view
of the relationship between the EU and Nato. The fact is, there is a
determination to create what amounts to a European army.
Geoffrey Van Orden MEP
Conservative defence spokesman