EU FOREIGN affairs chief Federica Mogherini insisted Brussels’ “failure” to have a European Union army will be put right as she launches a major overhaul this year.
Brussels chief outlines plans for EU defence overhaul
Her comments come as Emmanuel Macron’s former defence advisor predicted Germany and France will quickly take great strides towards the militarisation of the EU after Brexit.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Ms Mogherini said EU countries had been “inefficient” with defence spending compared to the United States and now was the time to address that.
She said: “The European Union started in the fifties with the idea of a European Union based on common defence and it failed.
We know we have to rely more on our own means and we are putting in place as the European Union, instruments to invest together
“I often make one example in the United States. You invest double what the European Union countries invest in defence, so we invest 50% of what you [the US] do.
“But the output of our investment is 15% because we invest in a fragmented manner.
“We are now addressing this. I’m ready now to launch, from now to December, a permanent structure cooperation among European Union member states, to invest together in industrial programmes on defence, that would maximise the result of our investment
She added the NATO target for members to spend 2% of their gross domestic product on defence was not a debate for the European Union.
Meanwhile, Fancois Heisbourg, who advised new French president Mr Macron before his election victory, said the UK had been the main block on member states pouring more cash into EU military projects.
Tory MEP blasts Brussels over EU army it has already formed
France, under Mr Macron, is pushing for a significant ratcheting up of European defence integration, including the creation of a multi-billion euro EU defence fund and new military headquarters.Such plans have previously been thwarted by Britain, which used its influence to derail the most federalist initiatives, but now look set to go ahead at pace after Brexit.
Senior military experts have warned any attempts to create an EU army could seriously destabilise NATO by sucking away political attention and resources at a time when it needs reinvigorating.
But eurocrats have dismissed these criticisms, saying their newly integrated forces will operate in tandem with NATO and will strengthen the alliance by modernising European defence.
BLOOMBERG•GETTY
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