EU moves away from Belgian HQ plan

[Kellanved]

European Union nations appeared Friday to back away from a plan to set up an EU military headquarters in Belgium, which has been heavily criticized by the United States as a waste of resources and threat to NATO unity.

"We don't need that," said Italian Defense Minister Antonio Martino, as he arrived to chair a two-day meeting with his EU colleagues. "That would be seen ... as a duplication that we don't need, a waste, a step in the opposite direction."

While Italy has never supported the proposal for a separate EU headquarters put forward by the leaders of France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg, Martino indicated even those nations were shifting away from the idea. Britain, like Italy and Spain, joined the United States in opposing the plan.

Martino said he was "sure" the ministers would find a solution to the dispute which risks a further split within the EU and NATO with nations divided along the same lines as in the crisis that hit both organizations early this year over the Iraq war.
...
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/detail.asp?onNews=1&GRP=A&id=20778


This is the conclusion of the "chocolate makers" thing. Seems that the coalition members in the EU will block any such thing. So the EU is supposed to build up it's military, but any move in that direction is blocked by the US - go figure :shrug:

[Paschall]

1. I wouldn't pay too much attention to the Berlusconi mouthpiece

This article only really concerns the choice of a HQ location, it doesn't mean that France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg won't go ahead with their plan for a joint, multinational force. That doesn't depend on Italy, the UK, Spain, or Poland's approval. In fact, France and Germany have maintained a (small) joint force they call the Eurocorps for a number of years already.

[Kellanved]

2. yes

(and several other joint-corpses)
We'll see how it turns out. However the English story is incomplete. Both, Chirac and Schröder, agreed to stop the HQ plans and create a 40 men planing staff instead, to coordinate the national HQs.
And Spain wants to join that downgraded organization.