UK holds back on withdrawal from EU defence procurement agency

01 Dec 2010

Source:  Financial Times
UK Defence Secretary, Liam Fox has dropped his pre-election promise to pull Britain out of the European Defence Agency, the Brussels-based body that aims to co-ordinate military procurement across the EU.

But Mr Fox has written to Lady Ashton, head of the agency, warning that Britain will block proposals for a 3.9 per cent rise in its budget next year, claiming it was “impossible to justify” at a time of austerity. Although the EDA has a relatively small budget, Mr Fox has always viewed it as an unacceptable reflection of the expanding ambitions of Brussels. However, Mr Fox’s aides confirmed on Sunday that he was no longer committed to an immediate British withdrawal from the agency, although the UK’s longer-term membership was under review.

Mr Fox’s fight to control EDA spending also reflects his preference for bilateral defence deals – such as the recent treaty with France – rather than co-ordinating military procurement through Brussels. The agency was set up to try to improve Europe’s military capabilities – including in crisis management – following the failure of member states to halt the bloodshed in the Balkans in the 1990s.

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