BRUSSELS: The European Union said Friday it will unveil plans for closer military cooperation after Britain’s referendum on whether to the bloc, but denied they were secret proposals for an EU army.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini last year began drawing up a “global strategy” for foreign and security policy in the wake of a series of challenges including Ukraine, Syria and the migration crisis.
But Brussels rejected a report in Britain’s The Times newspaper that said there were secret plans for creating an army across the 28-member bloc, a long-time fear of euroskeptics.
“There is absolutely no plan to set up an EU army with the global strategy. There is also no secret paper,” an EU spokeswoman told AFP.
The spokeswoman said Mogherini’s preparation of the strategy was “ongoing, in an open and transparent way and is done in consultation with member states and many other stakeholders,” adding that there was also a website about the plans.
She said Mogherini will present the strategy to the European Council at a summit on June 28-29, the week after the so-called Brexit referendum on June 23.
The EU has long been trying to improve its cooperation on defense issues, with some countries including Germany and France having formed so-called “battlegroups” that are ready to be deployed in crisis zones.
An EU source added that “when it comes to security and defense policy, the European Council has expressed its wish to see a more effective policy.” But the source added that the strategy would be within the existing EU treaties, recognize the preferences of member states including Britain “and will in no way aim to set up an EU army.”
A European diplomat said the plans were “approaching the final phase,” adding: “We will see when exactly it will be presented, since there is a referendum which can have some influence on the exact moment.”
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini last year began drawing up a “global strategy” for foreign and security policy in the wake of a series of challenges including Ukraine, Syria and the migration crisis.
But Brussels rejected a report in Britain’s The Times newspaper that said there were secret plans for creating an army across the 28-member bloc, a long-time fear of euroskeptics.
“There is absolutely no plan to set up an EU army with the global strategy. There is also no secret paper,” an EU spokeswoman told AFP.
The spokeswoman said Mogherini’s preparation of the strategy was “ongoing, in an open and transparent way and is done in consultation with member states and many other stakeholders,” adding that there was also a website about the plans.
She said Mogherini will present the strategy to the European Council at a summit on June 28-29, the week after the so-called Brexit referendum on June 23.
The EU has long been trying to improve its cooperation on defense issues, with some countries including Germany and France having formed so-called “battlegroups” that are ready to be deployed in crisis zones.
An EU source added that “when it comes to security and defense policy, the European Council has expressed its wish to see a more effective policy.” But the source added that the strategy would be within the existing EU treaties, recognize the preferences of member states including Britain “and will in no way aim to set up an EU army.”
A European diplomat said the plans were “approaching the final phase,” adding: “We will see when exactly it will be presented, since there is a referendum which can have some influence on the exact moment.”
