Increasing Military Growth in the EU

We've already been watching the EU's formation of various rapid deployment forces and border control military forces - which could most definitely be used to "confirm" any peace agreement in the Middle East. In fact, despite the current economic crises that have engulfed the EU, the push to continue increasing military potency has continued undeterred.

Today's article in the EU Observer reveals a continuation in that trend:

Berlin, Paris and Warsaw keen to beef up EU military muscle

France, Germany and Poland have urged EU foreign relations chief Catherine Ashton to personally take charge of plans to boost military co-operation between EU countries and between EU and Nato structures.

The foreign ministers of the three countries in a rare joint letter to Ms Ashton dated 6 December and seen by this website said: "The European Union has become a recognised and sought-after security actor. It will become more solicited, alone or in co-ordination with other actors such as the UN, Nato, the United States and emerging powers."

The letter proposes triggering the so-called Permanent Structured Co-operation clause in the Lisbon Treaty under which militarily-advanced EU states can create an avant-garde group on joint defence procurement and operational planning for other EU countries to get involved in down the line.

The ministers ask Ms Ashton to look into the creation of a permanent EU civilian-military planning capability; explore ways of making EU battlegroups pack more punch in the field; explore possibilities for "common funding" of battlegroup needs, such as air-lift equipment; and stimulate research investment in the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base.

The three countries urge the British baroness to swiftly launch an "in-depth discussion" on the subject among EU ministers and to "achieve concrete results under the Polish EU presidency in the second half of 2011."

The "stage-setting" process for the Tribulation continues.