EU to launch defence research fund -- without UK (Reuters)

[Eugene]

EU to launch defence research fund -- without UK
10 Nov 2006 17:49:05 GMT
Source: Reuters

By Mark John

BRUSSELS, Nov 10 (Reuters) - The European Union will launch on Monday
a new common fund for defence research despite a refusal by military
heavyweight Britain to take part, EU officials said.

The fund, to be agreed on by EU defence ministers in Brussels, is a small
but rare step towards pooling the bloc's jealously guarded national defence
budgets and is aimed at narrowing the United States' burgeoning technology
lead.

Britain's decision to stay out of the project has angered other European
countries which accuse it of undermining fledgling efforts to develop a
common EU defence policy.

Diplomats say Britain is also blocking agreement on the future budget of the
European Defence Agency (EDA), the body set up in 2004 to coordinate EU
defence work, and is demanding more information on how it spends its money.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L10822175.htm