Whitehall officials are making up fantasy facts to sugarcoat the mistake of supporting the European Intervention Initiative (EII). They claim the EII is “separate from the EU”. This is incorrect, here’s why:
a. It was Macron’s idea. It currently only exists in his words.
a. It was Macron’s idea. It currently only exists in his words.
b. Macron says the EII ‘allows for integration of EU armed forces’. The UK has always been against participating in military integration.
c. Macron describes the EII as one of six ‘keys’ to ‘European sovereignty’.
The EU Commission has started using this term (see below).
c. Macron describes the EII as one of six ‘keys’ to ‘European sovereignty’.
The EU Commission has started using this term (see below).
d. In this context, Macron describes the EII alongside five other integrating defence structures in various stages of planning or completion. He describes the EII as a ‘common (EU) intervention force’ which must have a common doctrine to act and a common defence budget.
e. Macron describes the remaining three of the ‘six keys’ as: Permanent Structured Cooperation, a European Intelligence Academy and an EU civil protection force.
f. The EU has repeatedly used the term ‘EU Sovereignty’ in the context of EU defence (i. Juncker’s June 2017 speech; ii. EU Parliament on defence tech sovereignty; iii. European Defence Fund aiming for ‘EU sovereignty’ in capability development and eligibility criteria).
g. Neither Macron nor the French government have ever said the EII would be separate to the EU. The EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation is in any case designed to make independent action by member states increasingly infeasible.
h. A serving RN captain takes the Whitehall mistake one step further while ad-libbing here, claiming the UK is even “signed up” to the EII!
This is completely incorrect. [Ends]
This is completely incorrect. [Ends]
