UK must remain a defence player

Despite the impact of Brexit, the EU and UK’s defence and security relationship should remain intrinsically linked, argues Clare Moody

Politics 16:20 27.11.2018

Guaranteeing security is one of the most basic functions of the State and there is no doubt that Brexit will reduce the security of Britain’s citizens.

The future relationship between the UK and EU on security and defence will inevitably be looser than it is currently; however we must do everything we can to minimise the damage. Despite Brexit, the UK´s national security and that of the EU27 will remain intrinsically linked.

This is why the British Prime Minister has made it clear that the UK is unconditionally committed to Europe’s security. No discussion of the European continent’s security is complete without Nato.

The UK will remain a leading Nato member as well as one of the alliance’s biggest defence spenders.

"The UK cannot leave the EU and still expect to have a voice at the table, such as a vote on the Political and Security Committee"

The EU-Nato relationship is of increasing importance, particularly when looking at relatively new threats such as cyber warfare.

At the same time, the EU is taking a step forward on Europe’s defence with initiatives such as the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) Treaty and the European Defence Fund.

There is a recognition that overlap, and duplication is something that can best be dealt with by working in close cooperation, as outlined in the EU-Nato Joint Declaration.

This risk of duplication between Nato allies is also why developments such as the EDA’s Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD) are so important and have been welcomed by Nato.

Aside from the vital EU-Nato link, the UK will still play a role in Europe’s defence through the European Intervention Initiative (EI2).

There is also scope for PESCO projects to play a role in this and therefore, where possible, the UK could play a role in PESCO projects.

This could potentially be achieved by working closely with the EDA, the EI2 or both. This should not be seen as cherry picking, but rather as a way of dealing with the reality of common threats and the relative importance of the UK as a full spectrum defence player in Europe.

 
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