Defence: why MEPs are pushing for closer cooperation | WPN World People News

The security in and around Europe is deteriorating, while there are concerns over the incoming USA administration's commitment to backing Europeans' security through Nato. This week MEPs approve several measures to facilitate cooperation on defence and security within the EU. They also reiterated calls for EU countries to devote 2% of their gross domestic product to spending on defence.

Need for more cooperation

Europe is confronted with civil war in North Africa and the Middle East, as well as an assertive Russia, a migration crisis and terrorism threats. These challenges would be too much for any country to face alone, so it makes sense for EU countries to work together more on defence and security.

This is also supported by a majority of people living in the EU. According to a survey published earlier this year two thirds of Europeans (65%) support the EU being more involved in security and defence policies than at present.

One way to cooperate more would be a European Defence Union. MEPs adopted plans for it on 22 November. Urmas Paet, the MEP responsible for steering the proposal through Parliament, said: “The main aim is to join up our resources on solid defence and security cooperation in the EU."

MEPs also reiterated calls for EU countries to spend 2% of their gross domestic prodcut to defence and called for the establishment of multinational forces and an EU headquarters to plan and command crisis management operations

Nato

MEPs also called this week for a substantial revision of the Common Security and Defence Policy to enable the EU to act when Nato is unwilling to do so. However, these initiatives are not designed to weaken Nato, rather the contrary.

Ioan Mircea Paşcu, whose report on the issue was adopted by MEPs on Wednesday, said: “Nato is meant to promote and defend the values, which brought us together in the EU too,"

Source: European Parliament