The European Parliament approved the establishment of the multi-billion-euro European Defence Fund (EDF) and willingly surrendered its own oversight of the its own oversight of the programme.
MEP’s voted 328 favour, 231 against and 19 abstentions approving the EDF which will receive €13 billion in the bloc’s next multi-annual financial framework (MFF). EU taxpayers will also finance EDF research projects.
Several MEP’s expressed bitter disappointment and disillusionment with the legislation as its strips the EU parliament of oversight of military subsidiaries.
The fund’s official purpose is to strengthen Europe’s defence industry as well as reducing duplication in defence spending by co-funding defence research with member states.
However, following PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation on Defence) which Ireland also signed up for with little media fan fare or government consultation with the Dáil, this marks another major step towards the ultimate goal of a European Army.
Chancellor Merkel, French President Macron and EU Commissioner President Junker have all called in recent months for the EU to give up more sovereignty to bloc’s unelected buerecracy and have insisted that an EU army will become a reality in the near future.
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