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MORE DOUBLE-SPEAK ON EUROPEAN DEFENCE
Thursday 6th November 2003
As the EU defence project gathers pace, the Secretary of State for Defence, Geoff Hoon MP, last night spoke in Edinburgh to the Atlantic Treaty Association on European defence. His words reflected the British Government's dilemma over a project that it initiated but cannot control.
Timothy Kirkhope, MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, said:
"Continental governments see EU defence policy as an aspect of European political integration. Mr Hoon seems to think that it is about improving military capabilities and bolstering the European contribution to NATO. The fact is that EU defence policy creates no new troops or capabilities, but wastes defence money on duplicative institutions and leads to divisions among NATO allies.
Mr Hoon does not make clear what position the Government is taking over structured co-operation in defence, or indeed the other defence related matters in the draft European Constitution. While Mr Hoon says he wants NATO to remain the basis for crisis management in the Euro-Atlantic area, France and Germany seem to have different ideas.
The British people are being misled about EU defence pretensions. The British Government says one thing in London or Edinburgh, and something entirely different in Paris or Berlin."
