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NATO MEETS AFTER UK SIGNS UP TO FRANCO-GERMAN EU DEFENCE DEAL
Monday 1st December 2003
NATO Defence Ministers meet today following the weekend's news of the British Government signing up to an essentially Franco-German agreement on EU defence. The deal will see the establishment of both a separate EU operational planning capability within the EU Military Staff, and a permanent EU planning cell in NATO's military HQ (SHAPE).
Timothy Kirkhope, Conservative MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, said:
"The British Government has boxed itself into a corner on EU defence. At each step of the way it has said thus far and no further, but red lines have proven to be green lights. It has repeatedly said that the EU will not undertake operational planning, but now it has given in once again.
Mr Blair has served a Franco-German agenda on EU defence that has nothing to do with reinforcing NATO, and everything to do with making the EU Europe's military player. Now he doesn't know whether to jump ship or stay on board to try and limit the damage, but we have seen where that approach has got us to date.
Operational planning goes to the heart of military capability. Mr Blair's usual position after U-turns on EU defence is that anything he cannot prevent is consistent with NATO. With operational planning that simply will not wash."
