Germany sets its sights on a European army
A temporary EU mission force, EUFOR, already exists, but Germany wants something more permanent
Photo: Rockcohen (flickr)
Germany's foreign minister pushed the question of a EU army back into the spotlight this weekend, by publicly backing the idea of a European defence force. The creation of such an army is allowed under the Lisbon Treaty, but many EU states are still unsure that this is the right way forward.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle spoke out in favour of the long-term goal of creating a European army at the Munich Security Conference on 7 February.
He set out a vision for a united force that would "help the EU could live up to its role as a global player".
The idea of a EU joint defence force has been around for many years now, but the Lisbon Treaty - which came in to force last December - actually provides the legal option of creating such an army. Germany's support for the plan is seen as a way of pushing the issue back into the limelight and starting to create a consensus on what such a force would look like.
Most crucially France and the UK - the EU countries with the greatest defence capabilities - would have to be brought on board.
Analysts predict a rocky road ahead for the project. They see the main problem as being finding a workable decision-making system. No member states is likely to willingly give up control over its armed forces and getting 27 states to unanimously agree on urgent military action seems an almost insurmountable barrier.
Despite the difficulties, many within Europe agree with Germany and see the creation of some kind of European armed force as a key step in ensuring the EU's place on the world stage.
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