Now all of our Armed Forces are on offer as part of an EU ‘catalogue’
By James Slack and Matthew Hickley
Britain is willing to provide all our Armed Forces to fight under the EU flag in future wars, a minister has revealed.
Europe Minister Caroline Flint said that every operational unit of the British Army, the Royal Navy and RAF will be on offer as part of an EU ‘force catalogue’.
This would help form a 60,000-strong, joint EU military reaction force to police the world’s trouble-spots.
Questioned by MPs this week, about Britain’s commitment to the controversial plans, she said: ‘We are prepared to provide all our forces that are suitable for operations within the EU level of action.’
This suggested that the entire Army, Navy and RAF will be put at the EU’s disposal - with the likely exception of Trident submarines carrying Britain’s nuclear deterrent missiles.
The Ministry of Defence insists that our forces would remain under UK control.
And Miss Flint immediately stressed that Britain was ‘willing’, but not committed, to offering all the forces - and would judge each EU-led operation on a case-bycase basis.
‘They are national forces and will always remain so,’ she said.
However, Tory MP James Clappison, a member of the European Scrutiny Committee, cautioned that her remarks may have
exposed the Government’s real attitude. ‘Under Labour, Britain has an ever-deeper commitment to EU common defence, and many in the EU want a common army,’ he said.
‘Mission creep is in the DNA of the European Union.’
Opposition critics believe that the Government’s rhetoric on European defence is shifting slowly, signalling growing enthusiasm for an EU Army. In October, Defence Secretary John Hutton gave strong backing to French plans for stronger EU military structures, and dismissed opponents of the divisive scheme as ‘pathetic’.
France has championed the Euro-Army agenda for years.
President Nicolas Sarkozy is pushing for a European military headquarters in Brussels, and more EU Rapid Reaction Forces, each made up of 1,500 troops from member states.
And earlier this week, a European parliament report said that British and French military bases around the world, including those in the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and Cyprus, should be put under joint EU control for future operations.
The MoD has played down the significance of the 60,000-strong intervention force. ‘It is not a standing EU force of any kind and any commitment to an EU-led operation is voluntary,’ a spokesman said.
‘Commitment decisions are for national governments to make on a case by case basis.
‘As you know, we have just one set of military forces and they don’t belong to either Nato or the EU - they belong to us - and we choose the most appropriate organisation to do the job.’
But opponents of the EU reaction force fear that it will become a major stepping stone towards a huge standing EU army, controlled from Brussels, which would undermine Nato and freeze the U.S. out of Europe’s security affairs.
EU forces have so far carried out only limited missions - including peacekeeping in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Congo.
But its supporters hope that the new reaction force would also gradually allow the EU to eclipse Nato, or U.S.-led ‘coalitions of the willing’, in responding to international crises.
Caroline Flint, who oversees Britain’s role in Brussels, faced embarrassment during the committee’s hearings when she admitted that she had never read the Lisbon Treaty, the controversial document which is set to usher in radical reform of the EU.
Conservative defence spokesman Mark Francois described her remarks as an ‘incredible admission’, after she told MPs that she had read ’some of it but not all of it’.
6 responses so far ↓
Anne Palmer // April 5, 2009 at 12:34 pm
This was put on yesterday but never shown and again today-never shown.
Over the years our forces have been trimmed in equipment and man/woman power to suit EU inspirations at becoming one EU State. This action is not looking after the interests of Britain. This is not what we voted for them to do and it is not what we contribute to financially for them to do.
The alleged Minister for Europe would do well to read the “Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe” (now muddled up deliberately and renamed the Treaty of Lisbon, because perhaps she might understand it better plus there are only approx 10 difference between each of them.
Withdraw the Treaty of Lisbon and put it to the people in a referendum now. This would/may prevent the bloodshed that will come from the actions our weak politicians are taking now. When the Minister has read the Treaty perhaps she should read all about the Battle Groups, and Rapid Reaction Forces then ask, will our National Forces ever fight under a British Flag again?
TOM JEFFERSON // April 9, 2009 at 10:47 pm
the british scum and their war bankers are a scourge upon the world and must be fought to the last drop of patriots blood or we will end up like the walking dead of 1984.
Anne Palmer // April 9, 2009 at 11:12 pm
Just a thought James Slack and Matthew Hickley, are not they Her Majesty’s Forces? Is she not the Commander in Chief? Surely before our three major Services are seconded to the EU, permission should be asked of the British Crown?
With such a great constitutional and permanent change, I would have thought the people who rely on their forces for protection, the safety and security of this Countries National Security should have a referendum.
Will our MP’s STILL expect the people to pay their “Wages and Vast expenses when they cannot govern and with all our forces “seconded” to foreigners? I really do not think the people will finance a Government that has made itself redundant, do you?
pjwalker911 // April 10, 2009 at 4:13 am
The Queen has happily signed every breach of sovereignty since Maastricht. Her approval is required for every constitutional change and it is always given away without fuss. You have to remember that the royal families of Europe and GB are really just one big happy family for the most part and this is THEIR New World Order.
Anne Palmer // April 10, 2009 at 6:34 am
Fact: It is Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II’s Right Honourable and Honourable trusted Ministers of the Realm that use the Royal Prerogative on Her behalf to sign and Ratify all legislation, and it was not just from Maastricht.
It is that same Royal Prerogative that those same loyal and true Ministers of the Realm, once used on Her Majesty’s behalf, that is transferred forever to the European Union to use, through the Treaty of Lisbon’s Article 47a, “The Union shall have Legal Personality”.
This is so that the Union can allegedly ratify Treaties on our behalf. (There will be no debate etc in our National Parliament etc) Note. There is nothing in the Treaty to say that this Article will only be used for TREATIES. Our Government uses the Royal prerogative for WAR Making powers. Will the EU? No where in the Treaty does it say the Royal Prerogative will not be used for war making powers.
Perhaps our Government should be looking at who will be commanding the EU rapid Reaction Forces, the Battle groups. the MarRRC, the AirRRC Or the European Defence Agency etc.
Look then, read and digest the whole of Article 28 in the Treaty and also Article 188r.
Oh, I forgot. Her Majesty’s loyal and true Ministers swear a solemn loyal and TRUE Oath of Allegiance. Think through and ask will Her Majesty still remain Queen?
Anne Palmer // December 9, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Another thought. We have a General election coming up next year. The people have a democratic choice to choose who they want to govern them don’t they?
WHILE WE (and at every General Election since 1972) FILL PARLIAMENT WITH THE KIND OF PEOPLE THAT ARE AND HAVE BEEN IN the EU ALL THESE YEARS, CONTINUING WITH THE DEEPER AND MORE MEANINGFUL INTEGRATION INTO THE EU, AND OUR QUEEN, (WHATEVER SHE WANTED TO DO) CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT IS WHAT THE PEOPLE WANTED. It was what THEY voted for, for a political Party that wants to remain in the EU, that has ratified every EU Treaty that they have come across WITHOUT GIVING THE PEOPLE A REFERENDUM, A SAY ON THEIR FUTURE AND THE FUTURE OF GENERATIONS TO COME.
Yes, the people have fallen for the carefully laid trap. A choice of THREE MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES THAT WANT TO REMAIN IN THE EU. YES, it is US lot that have voted AND PAID THROUGH OUR TAXES to put these people in Parliament thatdo not want to actually make our laws, but what the money for doing so.
The row re MP’s expenses was NOTHING compared to the treachery that has been done to us and our Country.
Maybe some opted out-didn’t vote at all? Not an option this coming election. For the people have great power when they do things together you know.
Why do you think there are three Political Parties for you to choose from that WANT TO REMAIN IN THE EU? They give you a choice? Are you sure about that? They divide the people. They divide the people’s votes. They divide the Country. So WHY have we fallen for the trap year after year? BUT not this coming General election because the people ARE ANGRY. THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE THEIR VOTE COUNT, BUT NOT FOR ANY POLITICAL PARTY THAT WANTS TO REMAIN IN THE EU.
We fought and won a full scale War (eventually with the help of America) with one UK Parliament. Now, we have to pay and maintain a full Parliament in Scotland, (AN Eu region) ditto an Assembly in Wales, And the Northern Ireland Parliament. The London Region of which Boris Johnson is Mayor, and EIGHT other Regional Assemblies in ENGLAND. Plus of course we STILL have a full complement of “staff” in both Houses of Parliament, yet the EU makes most of our laws, about 80%. So why haven’t both Parliament been reduced in numbers? These extra 12 Regions are EU Regions and would never have come into being had we not been in the EU. There is of course on top of that the Billions in EU Contributions.
NO WONDER THIS COUNTRY IS NEARLY BANKCRUPT!