European People's Party Calling for European Union Army

The European Union's (EU's) most powerful political grouping has called for the creation of a European Army, during a meeting in Madrid.

The European People's Party (EPP) stated that EU member states must shore up their flagging common security and defence policy (CSDP) by preparing the ground for an eventual European army. A self-selected core of EU nations should surge ahead in areas such as common maritime surveillance as the first step in that direction, it said.

The EPP represents Christian Democrat parties around Europe. It forms the largest bloc in the European Parliament, holds the EU's two most powerful positions, and forms 10 EU governments including in Germany, Spain, and Poland.

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Juncker: Form European Union Army

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker on Sunday called for the creation of an EU army in the wake of rising tensions with Russia.

Juncker said the force could help counter new threats beyond the bloc's borders and defend European "values," in an interview with Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

"You would not create a European army to use it immediately," he was quoted as saying.

"But a common army among the Europeans would convey to Russia that we are serious about defending the values of the European Union."

He said a joint EU force would also lead to more efficient spending on military equipment and drive further integration of the bloc's 28 member states.

"Such an army would help us design a common foreign and security policy," the former Luxembourg prime minister said, but added that the force should not challenge NATO's defense role.

"Europe's image has suffered dramatically and also in terms of foreign policy, we don't seem to be taken entirely seriously."

The proposal was likely to rile opponents of deeper EU integration such as Britain but has won some support from Germany.

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Predictably, the Brits reject the proposal and others state they need more integration first.

And Jane's wonders if it might not be better to form an EU Air Force to take advantage of economies of scale given the tight budgets the Euros are imposing on their military.