Militaire top in EP: EU moet minder snijden in defensie en meer samenwerken (en)

A military top brass has warned MEPs over further cuts to defence budgets, saying they could prove disastrous to efforts to protect our prosperity and security. "We already passed the line where it was acceptable," said lieutenant general Ton van Osch. The director general of the EU's military staff fired off the warning during a discussion on the future of EU defence organised by the EP's security and defence subcommittee on 26 February.

Committee members raised various concerns relating to budgets, the risk of duplicating NATO actions and the possibility that more collaboration would limit member states' independence.

Lt. Gen Van Osch called for a comprehensive approach and better synchronisation of resources to improve defence in Europe. Janusz Zemke, a Polish member of the S&D group, asked him if this meant that there should be a European army and wondered how much this would cost. Van Osch replied he was not calling for a joint European army or a common defence budget, but that EU operations required sufficient capabilities.

Michael Gahler i, a German member of the EPP group, asked if there was any coordination with NATO as well as discussion about who does what. Lt Gen Van Osch said there was indeed a close cooperation between the two organisations. He also stressed that closer cooperation should not be seen as a threat to member states: "Sovereignty is not only the freedom to decide. It should also be the possibility to act, otherwise it's useless. Sometimes it's necessary to work with others to get the capabilities."