Former Prime Minister Alfred Sant voted against the reports ‘European Defence Union’ and ‘Implementation of the Common Security and Defence Policy’ at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
Dr Sant said he abstained on roll call votes on separate clauses in both reports because Malta is a neutral country and its constitution prohibited participation in military alliances and in international cooperative efforts promoting warfare capabilities and exercises, unless backed by the UN.
Addressing the Parliament in Strasbourg, Dr Sant said the report was based on premises for EU action that contradicted this commitment.
“Moreover, I disagree that at this time especially, the EU should reinforce a military dimension to its character. This move might appear suitable to counter the supposedly disintegrating effects of Brexit. It could have the opposite effect.
“There is no popular constituency for a European Union that morphs into a military coalition, funded from EU budgetary resources. Again, we see the old business as usual methods by which small steps forward are accumulated and then presented as requiring further integration, failing which disaster would ensue.
“This is not an acceptable way by which to forge unity in Europe. I abstained on all subsidiary roll call votes because it would not have been coherent to vote one way or the other on different aspects of the issues at hand, while voting against the overall concept,’ said the Maltese MEP,” he said.
The report ‘European Defence Union’ backs the idea of progressing in the direction of a European Defence Union and for such a structure to represent an "umbrella" for military capabilities at the disposal of the European Union. It proposes the activation of the Permanent Structured Cooperation and to set-up EU Operational Headquarters and encourages fostering the EU defence industries.
The report ‘Implementation of the Common Security and Defence Policy’ assesses the implementation of the Common Security and Defence Policy and of the developments in this field in the last year.
It calls for an EU White Book on Security and Defence, a stronger defence industry and welcomes the European Defence Action Plan. It also promotes the reform of the ATHENA mechanism for financing EU missions and operations and advocates cooperation with Nato.