BBC scoops French EU military plans

The BBC Europe Editor Mark Mardell has published details of the French plans for the EU military. These plans were deemed too sensitive to release to the people of the EU in the run up to our vote and we can now see why.

Link
London calling

The French have said beefing up the EU's military capability will be a key part of their six-month presidency.

The BBC has been told their plans also include a new EU military headquarters.

Other items on the French list of proposals involve calling upon all EU countries to increase spending on defence to meet a new target of perhaps 6% of Gross Domestic Product.

More aircraft

France's leadership of the EU will also include a push for the creation of more rapid reaction forces to enable Europe to collectively undertake three simultaneous missions.

They also want more helicopters and aircraft to be made available for missions.

The EU will not officially comment until the proposals are unveiled by French President Sarkozy in two weeks time.

Are you suggesting that this news which will not sit well with my idealistic friends is being held back till after the vote. The shock of it

Helium Three wrote:

The BBC Europe Editor Mark Mardell has published details of the French plans for the EU military. These plans were deemed too sensitive to release to the people of the EU in the run up to our vote and we can now see why.

Link
London calling

The French have said beefing up the EU's military capability will be a key part of their six-month presidency.

The BBC has been told their plans also include a new EU military headquarters.

Other items on the French list of proposals involve calling upon all EU countries to increase spending on defence to meet a new target of perhaps 6% of Gross Domestic Product.

More aircraft

France's leadership of the EU will also include a push for the creation of more rapid reaction forces to enable Europe to collectively undertake three simultaneous missions.

They also want more helicopters and aircraft to be made available for missions.

The EU will not officially comment until the proposals are unveiled by French President Sarkozy in two weeks time.

Would the French by any chance be major arms manufacturers, Helium Three ?

Indeed they would cactus flower.

And they will make full use of the new provisions about the European Defence Agency and the rest of the military stuff that has turned the colour coded copy of the treaty published by the IIEA as yellow as one of Elton John's dresses.

(For the sensible readers of MN who have better things to be doing with life than reading this IIEA book, the colour yellow is used to highlight text that is being added for the first time to the treaty of the EU )

Link Go to the sixth item on this page

Between reading this and watching the Raquel Garrido video earlier, France is getting a bit of a bashing today. Which is OK, because I really don't like that Sarkozy fellow.

Helium Three wrote:

Indeed they would cactus flower.

And they will make full use of the new provisions about the European Defence Agency and the rest of the military stuff that has turned the colour coded copy of the treaty published by the IIEA as yellow as one of Elton John's dresses.

(For the sensible readers of MN who have better things to be doing with life than reading this IIEA book, the colour yellow is used to highlight text that is being added for the first time to the treaty of the EU )

Link Go to the sixth item on this page

Thanks for the link Helium Three, I'll be reading that - is there a particular part you were thinking of ?

The yellow bits are all worth looking at. Saying that I would go with these to begin with if time is limited: page numbers 12 - 47; 57 - 61; these are in the TEU - the treaty establishing the EU.

Following on you come to the much longer treaty on the functioning of the Union. I call this the FU Treaty but only in familiar company. Have a look at article 17 on citizenship - page 76. It says we have rights, which are included in a little list, and duties, which are not. If you figure out what our duties are I would be forever grateful.

Protocol on pags 382 - 384. And the one on the next page 385.

Let me know how you get on.

After that it's whatever tickles your fancy.

M. Sarkozy is known for frequent statements that are contradicted a week after by his own ministers, or the Brussels Commission, or other governments.

What I don't understand, though, is how you can manage weapons without a single government. What do you do with your army when you don't even agree on declaring war or not ???

You fight over it?

The most important thing seems to be to make us all buy a lot more weaponry. Then I suppose we will have to find someone to use it on or it will be wasted. As we already have troops in Afghanistan, Chad and (I think) the Balkans we already have potential in three continents.

You know that if there is a gun on the stage in the first Act it will be used in the third.