BRUSSELS has announced EU military cooperation is a now a “tangible reality” after signing off a huge new project.
 |
| GETTY -The EU Army is on its way |
The European Defence Fund has received its first grant
from the bloc for a €1million research programme called Pythia.
Named after the Priestess of Ancient Delphi, Pythia
will see countries including France and Italy join forces to research
cutting-edge military technology.
The UK also forms part of the programme, despite
leaving the bloc in 2019, alongside Bulgaria, Poland and Romania.
A further €90million will be dished out from the EU
budget in the next two years as Brussels chiefs look to strengthen military ties
across the bloc.
Grants will be approved in the coming weeks to research
drones and equipment for soldiers.
Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska said: "Only months
after the launch of the European Defence Fund, we are delivering by supporting
the first concrete defence research project with EU funding.
“Others will follow shortly. European defence
cooperation is now a tangible reality."
 |
| GETTY -Angela Merkel meets the troops |
 | |
| GETTY - EU leaders toasted their defence pact |
European Council President Donald Tusk deemed the move
“bad news for our enemies”.
He said: “More than half a century ago, an ambitious
vision of the European Defence Community was created but what was missing was
the unity and courage to put it into practice.
Federica Mogherini hails 'historic day for European Defence'
“The dream was at odds with reality. Today this dream
becomes reality.”
Denmark, which has an opt out from EU defence policy,
and Malta, were the only EU countries not to sign up, along with
Britain.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who has pushed for
ever closer cooperation, hailed the pact as “concrete progress”.
The pact, called Permanent Structured Cooperation, or
PESCO, is meant as a show of unity and a tangible step in EU integration,
particularly after Britain’s decision to
leave.
Source: express.co.uk
Measure
Measure