JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T
MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE
MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET
SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO
OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST
FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the
firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of
the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the
adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI5_pMvLZd8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytWmPqY8TE0&feature=player_embedded
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 DIVSION REGION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT-NEW AGE MOVEMENT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies,(UNITED NATIONS TROOPS) gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
France and Germany propose EU 'defence union' By Andrew Rettman-SEPT 12,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:27-Germany and France have drawn up plans for closer EU defence cooperation, including a new military HQ and swifter deployment of overseas missions.The ideas were outlined by the two countries’ defence ministers, Ursula Von der Leyen and Jean-Yves Le Drian, in a six-page paper sent to the EU foreign service on Sunday (11 September) and seen by German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung and French daily Le Figaro.The Franco-German paper says, according to Le Figaro, that “in the context of a deteriorating security environment … it is high time to reinforce our solidarity and European defence capabilities in order to more effectively protect the citizens and borders of Europe”.The UK had in the past opposed steps toward the creation of an EU army or duplication of Nato structures.But the Franco-German paper says that “taking into account the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the EU, we have to henceforth act as 27 [member states]”.The paper says EU military missions, such as the Sophia anti-migrant smuggler operation or the Atalanta anti-pirate mission, should in future be commanded out of a joint military HQ instead of rotational command by EU states.It says EU states should create a new command centre for coordinating medical assistance, a logistics centre for sharing “strategic” assets, such as air-lift capacities, and should share satellite reconnaissance data.It adds that the Eurocorps in Strasbourg, an existing military club between Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy and Poland, could in future help the EU Council to plan missions in order to speed up deployment.It says EU “tactical groups”, also knows as “battle groups” - joint battalions created by small groups of EU states - should be made operationally ready.It calls for a single EU budget for military research and for joint procurement of air-lift, satellite, cyber-defence assets and surveillance drones, in a programme to be coordinated by the European Defence Agency, an EU offshoot in Brussels.It also says the EU should foster a European esprit de corps by creating a new military academy or by having European courses at national military schools.-Core group-The paper notes that a core group of EU countries could go ahead on the basis articles 42 and 46 of the EU treaty on “permanent structured cooperation”, but that the project would be open to all EU states.Speaking in Vilnius last Thursday, Germany’s Von der Leyen compared the plan to the EU’s free travel Schengen zone."It's time to move forward to a European defence union, which is basically a 'Schengen of defence’,” she said, according to the Reuters news agency, adding: "That is what the Americans expect us to do”.“When we have threats that are surrounding us, we all know no country by its own will be able to manage that. But we together, we Europeans, we are very strong if we improve our capabilities as Europeans,” she said.A French defence ministry source told the AFP news agency the idea was to avoid “substituting it [joint EU defence] for national defence bodies which remain, by definition, the key to the security of EU member states”.French sources also said the plan should be implemented by “2017 to 2018”.-Same hymn sheet-The Franco-German initiative was reportedly cooked up between Von der Leyen and Le Drian in the margins of the Nato summit in Warsaw in July and is to be discussed at an EU summit, which will take place without the UK, in Bratislava on Friday.The European Commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, is also expected to call for deeper EU military cooperation in a speech in Strasbourg on Wednesday.The ideas are likely to win support in eastern EU countries, such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, but could pose problems for neutral EU states, such as Ireland, as well as for others, such as The Netherlands, who do not believe that people in post-Brexit Europe want to make new leaps in integration.Meanwhile, France and Germany earlier in August already put forward a blueprint for EU internal security cooperation, including an EU border guard force and better intelligence sharing on terrorist suspects.
EU joint defence to focus on south By Andrew Rettman and Aleksandra Eriksson-SEPT 12,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 20:54-EU military missions should in future be commanded out an EU military HQ with joint EU medical and logistical support, according to Franco-German proposals.The two countries put forward their ideas in a six-page paper, seen by EUobserver, on Sunday (11 September).They said the leap forward would amount to the creation of a real common security policy, “an instrument created by the Lisbon Treaty that has not been used until today”.But EU countries who are wary of Russia might be disappointed by the paper’s focus on the EU’s southern neighbourhood.France and Germany said that the creation of “a permanent HQ for the military and civilian missions and operations of the EU … [is] an objective for the medium-term”.They said the EU should also have its own medical and logistical HQs, with “strategic” assets, such as air-lift capacity, and should have its own budget lines for military operations and R&D.The paper recognised that its proposals could prove controversial at a time when EU states are wondering whether to react to Brexit with less or more integration.It said the “political responsibility for defence lies in the first place with member states”, but that their initiative could create “greater efficiency”.But it said that “taking into account the fact that the United Kingdom has decided to leave the European Union, we must henceforth act at 27” because “the credibility of the entire European Union” is at stake.The paper added that a core group of EU states could launch the new security policy, and hinted that members of Eurocorps, an intergovernmental military club in Strasbourg that is composed of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and Poland, could be in the vanguard.In one suggestion, it also declared the political intention to create “an authentically European esprit de corps” by joint training of military officers.The paper spoke of other projects, such as making EU “tactical groups” ready to go into action, sharing military satellite imagery, and joint procurement of high-end technology, such as surveillance drones.EU tactical groups, formerly called “battlegroups”, are put together by small sets of EU states. Their soldiers train together and are meant to be posted overseas if a crisis erupts, but have never been used, in part, because member states were never keen to foot the financial bill.-Southern focus-For countries such as the Baltic states and Poland, who see Russia as their main threat, the paper devoted its attention to crisis management missions in the EU’s southern neighbourhood, however.France and Germany said they drafted it in the context of the recent Islamic State-linked terrorist attacks in Belgium, France, and Germany.They spoke of military assistance to states in “key zones … where our common security is at stake”, but mentioned only the Mediterranean region and former French colonies in western and central Africa.They gave as examples of model EU missions its operations in the sea near Libya and Somalia, in Mali and in Central African Republic, and they mentioned EU territorial integrity only in the context of military support for an EU coast guard and border guard force in order to help manage the migration crisis.The paper did not mention Russia or Ukraine, which has been calling for EU peace monitors and military assistance for two years.But Poland, on Monday, welcomed the draft.Its EU affairs minister, Konrad Szymanski, said: “There’s a broad agreement that we should go forward on security and defence - the diving line being the shopping list”.He added that EU defence coordination is not the same thing as an “EU army”, but he said that when the 27 EU leaders, minus the UK, meet in Bratislava on Friday, “I have no doubt that steps will be taken toward greater EU defence”.-Brexit opening-An EU source said the departure of the UK, which had opposed EU military integration, had created a “new situation”, but that “we are just at the beginning of the process” and that talks could go on for “years to come”.The contact added that the Czech Republic, Italy, Finland, Hungary, and the Netherlands also supported the Franco-German ideas, while France was “definitely at the forefront” of the initiative.But the source, who came from an EU state with a large defence industry, said some capitals might not like joint procurement for fear of losing their arms exports edge.
Germany, France seek stronger EU defense after Brexit: document-[Reuters]-By Gabriela Baczynska and Robin Emmott-September 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Germany and France have outlined plans to deepen European military cooperation, a document showed on Monday, as Britain's exit from the European Union removes one of the biggest obstacles to stronger EU defense in tandem with NATO.In potentially the biggest leap in European defense since the 1990s, Berlin and Paris are laying out ways for the bloc to rapidly deploy forces, with security cooperation emerging as a unifying force for Europe after Britain's shock vote to leave.European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is set to add to the momentum in his annual State of the Union address on Wednesday by calling for an end to the isolated way in which EU militaries work.EU leaders will discuss defense cooperation at a summit without Britain on Friday in the Slovak capital Bratislava and could take decisions at the end of this year.German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier will discuss closer military ties with his counterparts from the Baltic states in Riga on Tuesday, while German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen will raise the issue during a meeting with her Norwegian counterpart in Bodoe, Norway, on Wednesday.In a policy document seen by Reuters, Germany and France, the EU's two remaining military powers, have made a detailed list of proposals, including a joint and permanent EU command headquarters for its civilian and military missions.Such a move falls well short of a European army, but would mark a step in the EU's ambitions in areas from disaster relief to peacekeeping. It could help revive the EU battle groups that have been operational since 2007 but have never been used.Berlin and Paris said they also sought a strengthening of the Eurocorps, a joint military group of some EU and NATO states, allowing it to play a bigger role in EU operations.The decision to relaunch closer military cooperation, which was first tried by Britain and France in 1998, goes beyond Britain's decision to leave the EU, diplomats say. No European nation has the resources alone to confront failing states on Europe's borders, Islamist militants or a resurgent Russia.The joint paper floats the idea of setting up the EU's own medical resources, joint land, air and sea transport capabilities to complement the bloc's missions and enhancing common training among officers across the 27 states.France and Germany, as well as senior EU defense officials, are also keen to work with the U.S-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which counts 22 of the EU's 28 members. "We ... recognize that a stronger and more capable European defense will also lead to a stronger NATO," the document read.-"STRATEGIC AUTONOMY"-The paper appears timed to complement efforts in Brussels led by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to show that the bloc is reacting to citizens' concerns about security in the wake of attacks in European cities this year and to show that the EU remains relevant despite Brexit.Britain and France are Europe's leading military powers. Britain is also one of only a small handful of NATO allies to meet the NATO objective of spending more than 2 percent of its national output on defense. Britain had long been skeptical of expanding EU military missions, wanting to avoid duplication with NATO.In a separate EU document seen by Reuters, Mogherini calls on European governments to build "strategic autonomy", suggesting independence from the United States. She urges "permanent structured cooperation" allowing some EU armies to work together when some countries do not wish to."This is about coalitions of the willing," said a senior EU defense official. "There is no better time to try this."Mogherini, Berlin and Paris want EU governments to consider better financing for the bloc's missions and operations.They would like to see a defense research program in the EU budget for the first time, starting with the next common budget for 2021-27. France and Germany proposed starting with setting aside 90 million euros to that end already in 2017-2019.While that is dwarfed by the United States' multi-billion-dollar military research budget, it could help prevent the EU from falling behind in the military arena or having to rely on countries such as South Korea and Israel for hardware.One idea under discussion is a European investment fund for defense, which would allow EU governments who pay into it to also borrow so as to ensure that funds are available for joint defense programs. These range from new helicopters to drones.The fund, which could start on a small scale in 2017, could be backed by the European Investment Bank to finance projects.(Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Gareth Jones and Alison Williams)
UK's next EU commissioner 'highly motivated' By Nikolaj Nielsen-SEPT 12,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:27-Britain's designated EU commissioner for security Julian King says he is "highly motivated" for the job.In a letter sent to the European parliament ahead of a grilling from MEPs on Monday (12 September), King said his big priorities for the security portfolio would be "to strengthen our defences against terrorism and organised crime, and to build our resilience".He was appointed to the post following the departure of EU financial services commissioner Jonathan Hill in the wake of the June UK referendum to exit the EU.EU commission president Jean-Claude Juncker created and gave the new security portfolio to King in early August in a move that surprised some given the UK opt-out on EU justice and home affairs laws.The EU parliament, in its list of questions to King, did not ask anything related to the eventual departure.The commission presented its broad internal security policy last April and set aside some €4 billion up until 2020 to implement its strategy.It includes everything from cutting terrorist access to finance to cybersecurity and information sharing among EU national authorities.King, a former UK ambassador to France, said he also wanted to implement existing instruments "to the full" including the controversial sharing of airline passenger details.The EU passenger name records (PNR) agreement has been billed by defenders as a tool to crack down on foreign fighters and criminals.The agreement has been heavily promoted by France.Bernard Cazeneuve, France's interior minister, personally lobbied EU lawmakers in the lead up to the agreement's adoption in April.Cazeneuve also pushed the issue in a joint internal security strategy published with his German counterpart, Thomas de Maiziere, in late August.Both men want the agreement up and running in each member state. They also want data collected for all flights taken inside Europe.But last week, the advocate-general of the European Court of Justice said a similar agreement with Canada violated people's fundamental rights to privacy.The non-binding opinion is likely to factor into the Court's final verdict, which may then bear wider import on the EU's own PNR system.The German-Franco bid also calls for an EU-wide identification management system and a greater ease of access to data hosted by Internet service providers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI5_pMvLZd8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytWmPqY8TE0&feature=player_embedded
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 DIVSION REGION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT-NEW AGE MOVEMENT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies,(UNITED NATIONS TROOPS) gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
France and Germany propose EU 'defence union' By Andrew Rettman-SEPT 12,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:27-Germany and France have drawn up plans for closer EU defence cooperation, including a new military HQ and swifter deployment of overseas missions.The ideas were outlined by the two countries’ defence ministers, Ursula Von der Leyen and Jean-Yves Le Drian, in a six-page paper sent to the EU foreign service on Sunday (11 September) and seen by German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung and French daily Le Figaro.The Franco-German paper says, according to Le Figaro, that “in the context of a deteriorating security environment … it is high time to reinforce our solidarity and European defence capabilities in order to more effectively protect the citizens and borders of Europe”.The UK had in the past opposed steps toward the creation of an EU army or duplication of Nato structures.But the Franco-German paper says that “taking into account the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the EU, we have to henceforth act as 27 [member states]”.The paper says EU military missions, such as the Sophia anti-migrant smuggler operation or the Atalanta anti-pirate mission, should in future be commanded out of a joint military HQ instead of rotational command by EU states.It says EU states should create a new command centre for coordinating medical assistance, a logistics centre for sharing “strategic” assets, such as air-lift capacities, and should share satellite reconnaissance data.It adds that the Eurocorps in Strasbourg, an existing military club between Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy and Poland, could in future help the EU Council to plan missions in order to speed up deployment.It says EU “tactical groups”, also knows as “battle groups” - joint battalions created by small groups of EU states - should be made operationally ready.It calls for a single EU budget for military research and for joint procurement of air-lift, satellite, cyber-defence assets and surveillance drones, in a programme to be coordinated by the European Defence Agency, an EU offshoot in Brussels.It also says the EU should foster a European esprit de corps by creating a new military academy or by having European courses at national military schools.-Core group-The paper notes that a core group of EU countries could go ahead on the basis articles 42 and 46 of the EU treaty on “permanent structured cooperation”, but that the project would be open to all EU states.Speaking in Vilnius last Thursday, Germany’s Von der Leyen compared the plan to the EU’s free travel Schengen zone."It's time to move forward to a European defence union, which is basically a 'Schengen of defence’,” she said, according to the Reuters news agency, adding: "That is what the Americans expect us to do”.“When we have threats that are surrounding us, we all know no country by its own will be able to manage that. But we together, we Europeans, we are very strong if we improve our capabilities as Europeans,” she said.A French defence ministry source told the AFP news agency the idea was to avoid “substituting it [joint EU defence] for national defence bodies which remain, by definition, the key to the security of EU member states”.French sources also said the plan should be implemented by “2017 to 2018”.-Same hymn sheet-The Franco-German initiative was reportedly cooked up between Von der Leyen and Le Drian in the margins of the Nato summit in Warsaw in July and is to be discussed at an EU summit, which will take place without the UK, in Bratislava on Friday.The European Commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, is also expected to call for deeper EU military cooperation in a speech in Strasbourg on Wednesday.The ideas are likely to win support in eastern EU countries, such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, but could pose problems for neutral EU states, such as Ireland, as well as for others, such as The Netherlands, who do not believe that people in post-Brexit Europe want to make new leaps in integration.Meanwhile, France and Germany earlier in August already put forward a blueprint for EU internal security cooperation, including an EU border guard force and better intelligence sharing on terrorist suspects.
EU joint defence to focus on south By Andrew Rettman and Aleksandra Eriksson-SEPT 12,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 20:54-EU military missions should in future be commanded out an EU military HQ with joint EU medical and logistical support, according to Franco-German proposals.The two countries put forward their ideas in a six-page paper, seen by EUobserver, on Sunday (11 September).They said the leap forward would amount to the creation of a real common security policy, “an instrument created by the Lisbon Treaty that has not been used until today”.But EU countries who are wary of Russia might be disappointed by the paper’s focus on the EU’s southern neighbourhood.France and Germany said that the creation of “a permanent HQ for the military and civilian missions and operations of the EU … [is] an objective for the medium-term”.They said the EU should also have its own medical and logistical HQs, with “strategic” assets, such as air-lift capacity, and should have its own budget lines for military operations and R&D.The paper recognised that its proposals could prove controversial at a time when EU states are wondering whether to react to Brexit with less or more integration.It said the “political responsibility for defence lies in the first place with member states”, but that their initiative could create “greater efficiency”.But it said that “taking into account the fact that the United Kingdom has decided to leave the European Union, we must henceforth act at 27” because “the credibility of the entire European Union” is at stake.The paper added that a core group of EU states could launch the new security policy, and hinted that members of Eurocorps, an intergovernmental military club in Strasbourg that is composed of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and Poland, could be in the vanguard.In one suggestion, it also declared the political intention to create “an authentically European esprit de corps” by joint training of military officers.The paper spoke of other projects, such as making EU “tactical groups” ready to go into action, sharing military satellite imagery, and joint procurement of high-end technology, such as surveillance drones.EU tactical groups, formerly called “battlegroups”, are put together by small sets of EU states. Their soldiers train together and are meant to be posted overseas if a crisis erupts, but have never been used, in part, because member states were never keen to foot the financial bill.-Southern focus-For countries such as the Baltic states and Poland, who see Russia as their main threat, the paper devoted its attention to crisis management missions in the EU’s southern neighbourhood, however.France and Germany said they drafted it in the context of the recent Islamic State-linked terrorist attacks in Belgium, France, and Germany.They spoke of military assistance to states in “key zones … where our common security is at stake”, but mentioned only the Mediterranean region and former French colonies in western and central Africa.They gave as examples of model EU missions its operations in the sea near Libya and Somalia, in Mali and in Central African Republic, and they mentioned EU territorial integrity only in the context of military support for an EU coast guard and border guard force in order to help manage the migration crisis.The paper did not mention Russia or Ukraine, which has been calling for EU peace monitors and military assistance for two years.But Poland, on Monday, welcomed the draft.Its EU affairs minister, Konrad Szymanski, said: “There’s a broad agreement that we should go forward on security and defence - the diving line being the shopping list”.He added that EU defence coordination is not the same thing as an “EU army”, but he said that when the 27 EU leaders, minus the UK, meet in Bratislava on Friday, “I have no doubt that steps will be taken toward greater EU defence”.-Brexit opening-An EU source said the departure of the UK, which had opposed EU military integration, had created a “new situation”, but that “we are just at the beginning of the process” and that talks could go on for “years to come”.The contact added that the Czech Republic, Italy, Finland, Hungary, and the Netherlands also supported the Franco-German ideas, while France was “definitely at the forefront” of the initiative.But the source, who came from an EU state with a large defence industry, said some capitals might not like joint procurement for fear of losing their arms exports edge.
Germany, France seek stronger EU defense after Brexit: document-[Reuters]-By Gabriela Baczynska and Robin Emmott-September 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Germany and France have outlined plans to deepen European military cooperation, a document showed on Monday, as Britain's exit from the European Union removes one of the biggest obstacles to stronger EU defense in tandem with NATO.In potentially the biggest leap in European defense since the 1990s, Berlin and Paris are laying out ways for the bloc to rapidly deploy forces, with security cooperation emerging as a unifying force for Europe after Britain's shock vote to leave.European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is set to add to the momentum in his annual State of the Union address on Wednesday by calling for an end to the isolated way in which EU militaries work.EU leaders will discuss defense cooperation at a summit without Britain on Friday in the Slovak capital Bratislava and could take decisions at the end of this year.German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier will discuss closer military ties with his counterparts from the Baltic states in Riga on Tuesday, while German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen will raise the issue during a meeting with her Norwegian counterpart in Bodoe, Norway, on Wednesday.In a policy document seen by Reuters, Germany and France, the EU's two remaining military powers, have made a detailed list of proposals, including a joint and permanent EU command headquarters for its civilian and military missions.Such a move falls well short of a European army, but would mark a step in the EU's ambitions in areas from disaster relief to peacekeeping. It could help revive the EU battle groups that have been operational since 2007 but have never been used.Berlin and Paris said they also sought a strengthening of the Eurocorps, a joint military group of some EU and NATO states, allowing it to play a bigger role in EU operations.The decision to relaunch closer military cooperation, which was first tried by Britain and France in 1998, goes beyond Britain's decision to leave the EU, diplomats say. No European nation has the resources alone to confront failing states on Europe's borders, Islamist militants or a resurgent Russia.The joint paper floats the idea of setting up the EU's own medical resources, joint land, air and sea transport capabilities to complement the bloc's missions and enhancing common training among officers across the 27 states.France and Germany, as well as senior EU defense officials, are also keen to work with the U.S-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which counts 22 of the EU's 28 members. "We ... recognize that a stronger and more capable European defense will also lead to a stronger NATO," the document read.-"STRATEGIC AUTONOMY"-The paper appears timed to complement efforts in Brussels led by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to show that the bloc is reacting to citizens' concerns about security in the wake of attacks in European cities this year and to show that the EU remains relevant despite Brexit.Britain and France are Europe's leading military powers. Britain is also one of only a small handful of NATO allies to meet the NATO objective of spending more than 2 percent of its national output on defense. Britain had long been skeptical of expanding EU military missions, wanting to avoid duplication with NATO.In a separate EU document seen by Reuters, Mogherini calls on European governments to build "strategic autonomy", suggesting independence from the United States. She urges "permanent structured cooperation" allowing some EU armies to work together when some countries do not wish to."This is about coalitions of the willing," said a senior EU defense official. "There is no better time to try this."Mogherini, Berlin and Paris want EU governments to consider better financing for the bloc's missions and operations.They would like to see a defense research program in the EU budget for the first time, starting with the next common budget for 2021-27. France and Germany proposed starting with setting aside 90 million euros to that end already in 2017-2019.While that is dwarfed by the United States' multi-billion-dollar military research budget, it could help prevent the EU from falling behind in the military arena or having to rely on countries such as South Korea and Israel for hardware.One idea under discussion is a European investment fund for defense, which would allow EU governments who pay into it to also borrow so as to ensure that funds are available for joint defense programs. These range from new helicopters to drones.The fund, which could start on a small scale in 2017, could be backed by the European Investment Bank to finance projects.(Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Gareth Jones and Alison Williams)
UK's next EU commissioner 'highly motivated' By Nikolaj Nielsen-SEPT 12,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:27-Britain's designated EU commissioner for security Julian King says he is "highly motivated" for the job.In a letter sent to the European parliament ahead of a grilling from MEPs on Monday (12 September), King said his big priorities for the security portfolio would be "to strengthen our defences against terrorism and organised crime, and to build our resilience".He was appointed to the post following the departure of EU financial services commissioner Jonathan Hill in the wake of the June UK referendum to exit the EU.EU commission president Jean-Claude Juncker created and gave the new security portfolio to King in early August in a move that surprised some given the UK opt-out on EU justice and home affairs laws.The EU parliament, in its list of questions to King, did not ask anything related to the eventual departure.The commission presented its broad internal security policy last April and set aside some €4 billion up until 2020 to implement its strategy.It includes everything from cutting terrorist access to finance to cybersecurity and information sharing among EU national authorities.King, a former UK ambassador to France, said he also wanted to implement existing instruments "to the full" including the controversial sharing of airline passenger details.The EU passenger name records (PNR) agreement has been billed by defenders as a tool to crack down on foreign fighters and criminals.The agreement has been heavily promoted by France.Bernard Cazeneuve, France's interior minister, personally lobbied EU lawmakers in the lead up to the agreement's adoption in April.Cazeneuve also pushed the issue in a joint internal security strategy published with his German counterpart, Thomas de Maiziere, in late August.Both men want the agreement up and running in each member state. They also want data collected for all flights taken inside Europe.But last week, the advocate-general of the European Court of Justice said a similar agreement with Canada violated people's fundamental rights to privacy.The non-binding opinion is likely to factor into the Court's final verdict, which may then bear wider import on the EU's own PNR system.The German-Franco bid also calls for an EU-wide identification management system and a greater ease of access to data hosted by Internet service providers.
