U.S. joins European Union military mobility project
By (0) The United States, Norway and Canada joined the European Union s Permanent Structured Cooperation initiative this week, which is meant to speed travel of military personnel and equipment across Europe. Photo by SSgt. Keith Anderson/U.S. Army
May 7 (UPI) The United States, with Canada and Norway, is now part of a European Union project designed to move troops across Europe more easily.
EU ministers agreed on Thursday to admit the three countries into the Permanent Structured Cooperation, or PESCO, initiative, a Netherlands-led program within the EU s European Defense Agency to streamline travel of troops and equipment across the continent.
The Conference on the Future of Europe can catalyse much-needed reflection on how to revamp the EU’s external action. But, most importantly, if the EU wants to secure its position as a top-tier geopolitical player, it should overcome self-doubt and learn by doing, writes Javier Solana.
Javier Solana was the EU’s high representative for common foreign and security policy, secretary-general of NATO, and foreign minister of Spain. He is now president of the EsadeGeo Center for Global Economy and Geopolitics and distinguished fellow at the Brookings Institution. He contributed this opinion piece exclusively to EURACTIV.
In recent years, much has been made of the return of great-power competition. Indeed, we live in an era of pervasive nationalism, exploitation of interdependence through sanctions and other coercive practices, and increasing mistrust among countries.
EU defence ministers on Thursday (6 May) agreed to allow the United States, Norway and Canada to join the bloc’s project on military mobility, seen as the ‘silver bullet’ for EU-NATO defence cooperation and designed to ensure seamless movement of military equipment across the EU in response to crises.
“Their expertise will contribute to the project and, with it, to improving military mobility within and beyond the EU,” the bloc’s foreign policy chief and meeting chairman, Josep Borrell, said following the agreement.
“It will make EU defence more efficient and contribute to strengthening our security,” he added.
It’s the first time that the EU will allow outside countries to join its so-called Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) framework of 46 military projects and is a sign of improving EU-NATO cooperation.
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Last Updated: Friday, May 7, 2021 10:59
The European project among the 27 nation European Union is designed to speed up movement of military personnel and equipment of member states across their various borders. This would reduce bureaucratic and other hindrances of movements by air, sea, road or rail.
EU defence ministers announced today they will allow Canada, the U.S., and Norway to join the project. The move is seen as an indication of improving EU-NATO cooperation.
Canada currently leads an international ‘enhanced forward presence’ NATO battlegroup stationed in Latvia near the Russian border. The Canadian presence consists of some 500-600 mechanized infantry troops.