| Author (Corporate) | European Council |
|---|---|
| Series Title | Press Release |
| Series Details | 19.12.13 |
| Publication Date | 19/12/2013 |
| Content Type | News |
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EU leaders at the European Council in Brussels on the 19 December 2013 discussed defence issue for the first time for five years. In the Presidency Conclusions EU Member States said that the EU's defence capabilities must be improved, to make military deployments more rapid and effective. They called for the development of drones and air-to-air refuelling planes. Earlier, UK Prime Minister David Cameron had warned against attempts to give the EU - rather than Nato - a bigger role in co-ordinating defence policy. He opposed anything resembling an EU army. French President Hollande said that no such concept was being considered. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the NATO Secrtary General addressed the European Council, encouraging European nations to further develop their military capabilities and to ensure greater cooperation and coordination between NATO and the EU. In the first ever address of a NATO Secretary General to a European Council, Mr Fogh Rasmussen told EU heads of state and government that 'for Europe to play its full part, we must develop real capabilities, and those capabilities that our nations really need: observation drones, air-to-air refueling, heavy transport'. |
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| Source Link | http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/ec/140214.pdf |
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| Subject Categories | Business and Industry, Security and Defence |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
