Keep up with the news by installing RT’s extension for . Never miss a story with this clean and simple app that delivers the latest headlines to you.

 

'Direct assault on sovereignty'? EU resolution forces members to beef up security

Published time: November 23, 2012 04:01
Members of the European Parliament take part in a voting session. (Reuters / Vincent Kessler)

­MEPs in Brussels have approved a resolution saying the EU must respond to growing geostrategic changes and threats to global security and make full use of all existing means, including military, to secure peace and security for its citizens.

This means a new EU operational headquarters is in the cards, and that Brussels will have the authority to jump into different crises, including what it calls “high intensity conflicts” – otherwise known as wars.

It is a question of business as well. European MPs stressed that building up Europe’s capabilities would save and even create jobs, pumping more investment into the military industry.

Not all EU member states are going to be jumping for joy over the plans. The more ambitious EU common security and defense policy could leave Britain between a rock and a hard place. The UK could end up getting dragged into military campaigns that it has no interest in joining.

MEP David Campbell Bannerman from the UK Conservative Party voted against the move and slammed the move. Bannerman told RT that Brussels is encroaching on the sovereignty of its members, with Britain relinquishing control of its own defense and security decisions.

“It really does trespass into national responsibilities for defense,” Bannerman said. “And it’s talking about the EU looking after its citizens. It is a direct assault on sovereignty as I see it.”

Bannerman believes the move is really is about politics, rather than defense. “This is about actually furthering the course of one united state in Europe, because they want a single army, a single defense industry, because this is part of their foreign policy.”

“They want to get involved in high-intensity conflicts, in their terminology, and that means war in my terminology,” he explained. “They want actually for the EU to be involved in wars and commit our soldiers and our navy people in these kinds of conflicts – and that is not acceptable.”

Comments (1)

Anonymous user 30.03.2013 07:47

this is the end?

0

Undo

Add comment

By posting your comment, you agree to abide by our Posting rules

Log in to comment in full, or comment anonymously under character-limit restriction.

100 Text

– required fields

Register or

Name

Password

Show password

Register

or Register

Request a new password

Send

or Register

To complete a registration check
your Email:

or Register

A password has been sent to your email address

Edit profile

Name

New password

Retype new password

Current password

Save

Cancel

Follow us