UK niggles over EU military command

BRUSSELS: Conflicting signals from Britain over a planned military command centre the EU wants to set up to run its foreign training missions have annoyed France and Germany in the countdown to the start of Brexit negotiations next month.

The proposed command centre in Brussels is part of a broader Franco-German plan to build closer EU defence ties, save Europeans taxpayers money and deter threats from Russia and Islamist militants.

Britain, one of the EU’s two major military powers along with France, reluctantly agreed to the new command centre in March on condition that it not be called a military headquarters.

Britain’s Defence Minister Michael Fallon feared an EU army would drain resources from Nato.

However, French, German and other EU diplomats said the final technical talks had stalled because Britain, which remains a fully fledged EU member until it leaves the bloc in 2019, was opposing the plans.

EU diplomats said they believed the issue had been complicated by campaigning for Britain’s June 8 parliamentary election, which has been dominated by the country’s plans to leave the EU.

“It is unfortunate that essential European security and defence projects have become hostage to domestic political moves,” said one EU diplomat.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson dismissed suggestions that London was blocking the EU command centre, saying it was only a matter of fine-tuning the legal language.

“We understand the vital importance of us all as European countries working together to strengthen our defences,” Johnson said.

“If they want to come together... with other arrangements then you know we are not going to stand in their way.”

However, a draft statement originally to be approved by all 28 EU foreign ministers yesterday was changed by diplomats at the last minute to reflect the impasse.