But the Juncker address offered few clues to the talks 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. He said it should start with the creation of an European Union military headquarters and work toward a common military force.
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“We can no longer depend on the power of individual member states and together we have to make sure we protect our interests”, he told MEPs.
Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party which led the push for Brexit, criticised the focus on “military Europe” and said that “having listened to you, I am pleased we voted to leave”.
Twenty-two of the EU’s 28 member states are also members of the US-led North Atlantic Treaty Organisation alliance, headquartered in Brussels, but Juncker insisted the bloc’s military ambitions would not undercut this key relationship.
He urged the bloc to agree to send 200 more border guards and 50 vehicles from next month to help Bulgaria control its border with Turkey, one of the routes migrants and refugees used past year to get to Europe.
Though all European Union members have military forces and most are North Atlantic Treaty Organisation members, Juncker said funds are wasted in coordinating military missions between the countries.
“People in Europe don’t want this petty envy between the various institutions”, he said at the assembly in Strasbourg, France.
Eastern member states have been arguing against too much EU integration and the specter of a federal European superstate, and the issue is expected to be the main battleground for months, even years, to come as the EU deals with the fallout of Britain’s departure.
“It is clear that no lessons are going to be learned from Brexit”, he said.
Set up last year to run for three years until 2018 with a target of mobilizing 315 billion euros of investment, the current EFSI target is based on 21 billion euros of European Union money being leveraged 15 times by other investors.
“We have to stop this war according to which all success is national and all failure is European”, Juncker said.
Britain still has to officially trigger the exit negotiations to become the first member state to walk away from Europe’s biggest unity project.
Mr Juncker said the European Union was not at risk as a result of Britain’s departure and urged for talks to secure its exit as quickly as possible.
There are fears the European Union is facing paralysis until Britain decides to move.
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The 61-year-old former Luxembourg prime minister called for ties to “remain on a friendly basis” but warned London could not expect “a la carte” access to the EU’s single market if it brings back immigration controls.
