The European Union has taken a major step towards having its own army after the President of the European Commission set out plans to organise a “common military force” across the continent.
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That represented a major concession to eastern European Union countries, led by Poland and Hungary, who have rebelled against attempts by Berlin and Brussels to impose refugee quotas on them.
It echoes previous comments from Juncker in March 2015, when he said that a European force was needed to convey a clear message to Russian Federation. “Indeed (Juncker’s speech) was the usual recipe – more Europe, in this particular case, more military Europe”.
The Commission has also vowed to take the “changing political context” into account along with other priority areas prior to a mid-term review in 2017.
One year on, fewer than 5,000 refugees have been moved and on Wednesday, Juncker acknowledged his power had met its match.
The planned restrictions on video websites come after a report from campaign group UK Music, which said that revenues from ad-funded digital services “effectively devalue our music behind protectionist and outdated legislation”.
The plans also call for easier access to online content across all European Union countries and to reform copyright rules for research and education.
“Together we have to make sure that we protect our interests”, Juncker told the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.
“We respect and at the same time regret the United Kingdom decision, but the European Union as such is not at risk”, said Juncker, who spoke in a mixture of German, French and English during the speech.
“People in Europe don’t want this petty envy between the various institutions”, he said at the assembly in Strasbourg, France.
“We need a European Defense Union – for our internal and external security”, said liberal leader Guy Verhofstadt, a former Belgian prime minister.
But the Juncker address will offer few clues to the negotiations with London that the European Union insists can not start until Prime Minister Theresa May formally sets starts a two-year countdown to British departure. The Luxembourg-hailing politician added that a lack of cooperation on military resources was costing billions to European Union countries.
Britain still has to officially trigger the exit negotiations to become the first member state to walk away from Europe’s biggest unity project. The EU also intends to improve access to high-speed internet and make it easier for scientists to access academic literature.
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The CMU action plan was proposed nearly 12 months ago and prioritised increased investor opportunities, a single market for all 28 member states and more resilience and competition within the financial system.
