Does Joint Defense Plan Mean European Army?

• 11.14.2017, 21:25
•  Europe,  World

The Christian Science Monitor

On 13 November, ministers from 23 EU member states (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden) signed a joint notification on the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and handed it over to the High Representative and the Council. It is possible for other EU member states to join the permanent framework at a later stage.

This means that the EU member states are currently working more closely together in the field of security and defense. Now those EU member states, willing and able, can continue working on developing defense capabilities jointly, investing in shared projects and enhancing the operational readiness and contribution of their armed forces. Actually, this document is the first formal step to set up the PESCO.

It is not about creating "European army", it means that national military capabilities that exercise together can be brought under a single command at a time of crisis.

The document underlines that the "PESCO is an ambitious, binding and inclusive European legal framework for investments in the security and defense of the EU's territory and its citizens". It sets out the principles of PESCO, according to which the EU member states have agreed to regularly increase defense budgets.

Increasing the defense budget seems a key step for the EU member states. According to the PESCO, each country has to provide a plan for national contributions. The participants will be backed by the European Defence Fund that should be worth € 5bn annually after 2020. The money is planned to be used for weapons’ research and equipment purchases.

However it is important to note the United Kingdom is among the five states not participating in the joint notification. The UK is one of Europe's most significant military players. Besides, Britain is the most skeptical about any parallel EU defense structure to NATO, also being on the way out of the EU. Along with this some British politicians and experts welcome the PESCO, finding it a positive step, at the same time adding that there are still disagreements between the EU member states towards the final objectives of the PESCO.

One more important fact is that the US President Donald Trump has urged America's European NATO allies to spend more on their own defense, arguing that they rely too much on the US protection, BBCreports. Besides, military capabilities for the EU states should clearly mean better capabilities for NATO, too.  The PESCO can significantly strengthen the European pillar within NATO.

However, the Council of the European Union now has to adopt a decision establishing the PESCO by reinforced qualified majority. This could take place at the next Foreign Affairs Council on December 11.