Something a lot older.
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Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Creating European Economic Interdependence
Brussels, 12 May 2010
Mastering economic interdependence: Commission proposes reinforced economic governance in the EU
The recent crises and the risk for the stability of the euro area have underlined vividly the interdependence and exposed the vulnerability of Member States, in particular inside the euro area. The European Union and Member States have taken coordinated and determined action: This included not only short-term measures to stabilise the financial sector, revitalise the economy or ensure the solvency of Greece and the stability of the Eurozone, but it also entailed the setting up of a medium- and long-term vision to put Europe on the path of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth ("Europe 2020"). Now the time has come also to draw far-reaching lessons concerning the way economic policies are dealt with. Therefore, the Commission proposes to reinforce decisively the economic governance in the European Union. The aim of the Communication is to strengthen the functioning of the Stability and Growth Pact and extend surveillance to macro-economic imbalances. It proposes to align national budget and policy planning through the establishment of a "European Semester" for economic policy coordination, so that Member States would benefit from early coordination at European level as they prepare their national budgets and national reform programmes. Finally, the Commission considers it to be a first priority to make the European stabilisation mechanism decided by ECOFIN 9 May fully operational. Based on this experience, the Commission intends in the medium-to-long term make a proposal for a permanent crisis resolution mechanism.
President Barroso said: "Europe has dealt with the immediate emergency. Today, the Commission sets out what we need to do to strengthen Europe's economic governance. By reinforcing the SGP, by addressing the macro-economic imbalances and establishing a robust crisis management framework, we have the core ingredients for a Consolidation Pact for a strong European economy. I am confident that Member States are determined to follow suit on our proposals to reduce the risks resulting from our interdependence for the benefit of our citizens and demonstrate our willingness to protect the euro as a most important asset of the EU."
Commissioner Rehn said: "Coordination of fiscal policy has to be conducted in advance, in order to ensure that national budgets are consistent with the European dimension, that they don't put at risk the stability of the other member states. This can be done in the framework of a European economic semester. For euro-area it means deeper and broader surveillance, in particular with regard to macroeconomic imbalances."
The different elements of the Commission's Communication are:
Reinforced compliance with the Stability and Growth Pact and deeper fiscal policy coordination: Reinforcing the preventive dimension of budgetary surveillance, in particular in good times, must be an integral part of closer coordination of fiscal policy. Also, compliance with the rules needs to be improved and more focus needs to be given to public debt to ensure the long-term sustainability of public finances. Member States should make sure having in place effective national fiscal frameworks. Recurrent breaches of the Pact should be subjected to a more expeditious treatment. More use should be made in the future of the EU budget to encourage Member States in pursuing the commonly agreed objectives regarding fiscal sustainability.Surveillance of macroeconomic imbalances and competitiveness developments: Beyond fiscal surveillance it means a broadening of economic surveillance to the prevention of macroeconomic and competitiveness imbalances, clearly identified in the Commission's EMU@10 report in 2008 and in the 2009 Annual Statement on the euro area as contributing to fuel the large current account deficits and surpluses and increasing the vulnerability of some Member States. For all EU Member States, macroeconomic imbalances will be addressed in the framework of Europe2020 surveillance. For euro-area Member States it is proposed to upgrade the peer review of macroeconomic imbalances now carried out by the Eurogroup into a structured surveillance framework by making use of Article 136 TFEU.A European Semester: Member States would benefit from early coordination at European level as they prepare their national budgets and national reform programmes. Early guidance at the beginning of each year from the European Council on economic policies would facilitate the preparation of Stability and Convergence Programmes and National Reform Programmes. An early peer review of fiscal policies would help shape a fiscal stance for the EU and the euro area as a whole. A synchronised assessment and coordination of both fiscal and structural policies at European level would help the Member States to pursue common objectives and address joint challenges more efficiently than at current is the case.A robust framework for crisis management for euro-area Member States: A clear and credible set of procedures for the provision of financial support to euro-area Member States in serious financial distress is necessary to preserve the financial stability of the euro area in the medium and long term. On 9 May the ECOFIN decided on the establishment of a temporary European stabilisation mechanism to respond to the current exceptional circumstances. The Commission intends in the medium-to-long term make a proposal for a permanent crisis resolution mechanism.
Next steps
Given the severity of the crisis, the Commission considers it important to make swift progress on the reform agenda laid out in this Communication. Follow-up work will include the preparation of legislative proposals to amend the regulations underpinning the Stability and Growth Pact, to enhance the prevention and correction of macroeconomic imbalances within the euro area, and to work towards a permanent crisis resolution mechanism. The first European Semester should start with the beginning of 2011.
References
The financial and economic crisis - a chronological overview - May 2010
EMU@10 - Successes and challenges after 10 years of Economic and Monetary Union, European Economy, No. 2, June 2008:
Monday, 29 November 2010
Sunday, 28 November 2010
Republic Of Ireland:Bailout Or Serfdom?
The Republic of Ireland is currently negotiating a financial "bailout" with the European Union and International Monetary Fund.
The loan package includes a total of £85,000 Million Euros.
The interest rate to be paid on this loan has not been disclosed.
At that rate the annual interest alone would come to 5,695 Million Euros a year.
The Republic of Ireland has only 1,859,500 workers in employment to pay that bill.
Each worker will have to pay 3,063 Euros a year just to pay the interest on the loan.
In addition they will have to pay back the loan it's self and repay any other debts the nation owes.
The magnitude of that debt will result in the Irish people being effectively reduced to serfdom for the forseeable future.
Saturday, 27 November 2010
Friday, 26 November 2010
Thursday, 25 November 2010
Littoral Combat Ships:A Brief Comparison
It is not appropriate to compare warships on the basis of their obvious features.
Many of the most important features of a modern warship are invisible.
Important features such as the combat system,signatures,hull performance and construction standards are less than obvious.
It is also difficult to compare prices for warships directly for a number of reasons.
Nevertheless the following two ships make an interesting comparison.
The United States Ship (U.S.S.) Freedom is the first of a planned series of "Littoral Combat Ships".
She is said to have cost $637 Million,excluding her specialised mission systems.
She displaces 3,000 tonnes.
She draws 4.1 metres.
She makes 47 knots.
She has a range of 3,500 miles at 18 knots.
She has an endurance of 21 days.
She has a crew of 75 (including "mission package" crew).
She has a 57mm main gun.
She has 2 x 30mm cannon.
She has 4 x 0.5" (12.7mm) manually operated machine guns.
She has no anti-ship missiles but was intended to carry the now cancelled Non Line Of Sight (N.L.O.S.) missile system.
She has a 21 cell Rolling Airframe Missile (R.A.M.) anti-aircraft system.
She has no torpedo tubes.
She can carry up to 2 Seahawk helicopters.
She can carry mission packages to configure her for anti-submarine or anti-mine warfare.
She displaces 3,000 tonnes.
She draws 4.1 metres.
She makes 47 knots.
She has a range of 3,500 miles at 18 knots.
She has an endurance of 21 days.
She has a crew of 75 (including "mission package" crew).
She has a 57mm main gun.
She has 2 x 30mm cannon.
She has 4 x 0.5" (12.7mm) manually operated machine guns.
She has no anti-ship missiles but was intended to carry the now cancelled Non Line Of Sight (N.L.O.S.) missile system.
She has a 21 cell Rolling Airframe Missile (R.A.M.) anti-aircraft system.
She has no torpedo tubes.
She can carry up to 2 Seahawk helicopters.
She can carry mission packages to configure her for anti-submarine or anti-mine warfare.
Türkiye Cunhuriyeti Gemisi (T.C.G.,Turkish Republic Ship) Heybeliada is the lead ship of the Turkish Milli Gemi (MILGEM,National Ship) class of corvettes.
She is said to have cost $260 Million.
She displaces 2,000 tonnes.
She draws 3.75 metres.
She makes 29 knots.
She has a range of 3,500 nautical miles at 15 knots.
She has an endurance of 21 days.
She has a crew of 93 (with space for 104).
She displaces 2,000 tonnes.
She draws 3.75 metres.
She makes 29 knots.
She has a range of 3,500 nautical miles at 15 knots.
She has an endurance of 21 days.
She has a crew of 93 (with space for 104).
She has a 76mm main gun.
She has no medium cannon.
She has 2 x 0.5" (12.7mm) stabilised remotely operated machine guns.
She has 8 anti-ship missiles.
She has a 21 cell Rolling Airframe Missile (R.A.M.) anti-aircraft system.
She has 2 x 3 13" (324mm) torpedo tubes.
She can carry 1 Seahawk helicopter.
She has a full range of sensors for air,surface and underwater warfare.
A variant of this class will carry a Mk.41 Vertical Launch System (V.L.S.) for Enhanced Sea Sparrow Missiles (E.S.S.M.).
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
The Saint-Malo Agreement
The following is the text of the Anglo French joint declaration on defence agreed by Tony Blair at the Saint-Malo summit in 1998.
It is clearly a precursor to David Cameron's recent Strategic Defence and Security Review and his Anglo French Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation.
It can bee seen that David Cameron's defence policy is a direct continuation of Tony Blair's Europeanist policy of defence integration.
The most important parts have been highlighted in bold:
JOINT DECLARATION ISSUED AT THE BRITISH-FRENCH SUMMIT, SAINT-MALO, FRANCE, 3-4 DECEMBER 1998
The Heads of State and Government of France and the United Kingdom are agreed that:
1. The European Union needs to be in a position to play its full role on the international stage. This means making a reality of the Treaty of Amsterdam, which will provide the essential basis for action by the Union. It will be important to achieve full and rapid implementation of the Amsterdam provisions on CFSP. This includes the responsibility of the European Council to decide on the progressive framing of a common defence policy in the framework of CFSP. The Council must be able to take decisions on an intergovernmental basis, covering the whole range of activity set out in Title V of the Treaty of European Union.
2. To this end, the Union must have the capacity for autonomous action, backed up by credible military forces, the means to decide to use them, and a readiness to do so, in order to respond to international crises.
In pursuing our objective, the collective defence commitments to which member states subscribe (set out in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, Article V of the Brussels Treaty) must be maintained. In strengthening the solidarity between the member states of the European Union, in order that Europe can make its voice heard in world affairs, while acting in conformity with our respective obligations in NATO, we are contributing to the vitality of a modernised Atlantic Alliance which is the foundation of the collective defence of its members.
Europeans will operate within the institutional framework of the European Union (European Council, General Affairs Council, and meetings of Defence Ministers).
The reinforcement of European solidarity must take into account the various positions of European states.
The different situations of countries in relation to NATO must be respected..
3. In order for the European Union to take decisions and approve military action where the Alliance as a whole is not engaged, the Union must be given appropriate structures and a capacity for analysis of situations, sources of intelligence, and a capability for relevant strategic planning, without unnecessary duplication, taking account of the existing assets of the WEU and the evolution of its relations with the EU. In this regard, the European Union will also need to have recourse to suitable military means (European capabilities pre-designated within NATO’s European pillar or national or multinational European means outside the NATO framework).
4. Europe needs strengthened armed forces that can react rapidly to the new risks, and which are supported by a strong and competitive European defence industry and technology.
5. We are determined to unite in our efforts to enable the European Union to give concrete expression to these objectives.
Council Of The European Union:Declaration On Strengthening Capabilities
The following is the text of a European Council declaration.
David Cameron's recent Strategic Defence and Security Review
David Cameron's recent Anglo French
Declaration on Defence and Security Co-operation formalises the elimination of Britain's independent warfighting capability.
David Cameron has thereby eliminated the United Kingdom's ability to exert an independent foreign policy.
Henceforth the British government is no longer capable of supporting the interests of the British people on the world stage.
The United Kingdom's foreign and defence policy has been permanently ceded to the European Union.
That intent was clearly set out in this and other documents.
The emphasis on interdependence throughout this document clearly contradicts this recent claim by David Cameron:
"Britain and France are,and will always remain,sovereign nations,able to deploy our armed forces independently and in our national interest when we choose to do so."
Areas of particular relevance to the recent British Strategic Defence and Security Review have been highlighted in bold type:
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COUNCIL OF
THE EUROPEAN UNION
Brussels, 11 December 2008
declaration
on strengthening capabilities
Almost ten years after the founding of the
European security and defence policy (ESDP) the operational component of the
common foreign and security policy – the European Union is a recognised and
sought-after player in the international arena.
We want the Union, with all the resources at
its disposal, to enhance its contribution to international peace and security
and to develop its capacity to tackle the risks and threats to its security as
identified in the European Security Strategy and the document updating it.
Strengthening available capabilities in Europe will therefore be the principal
challenge faced in the years ahead. In a tough budgetary environment, such a
goal can only be achieved through a joint, sustained and shared effort which
meets operational needs.
In order to rise to
current security challenges and respond to new threats, in the years ahead
Europe should actually be capable, in the framework of the level of ambition
established, inter alia of deploying 60 000 troops within 60 days for a major
operation, within the range of operations envisaged in the Headline Goal 2010
and in the Civilian Headline Goal 2010, of planning and conducting
simultaneously a series of operations and missions, of varying scope: two major
stabilisation and reconstruction operations, with a suitable civilian
component, supported by up to 10 000 troops for at least two years; two
rapid-response operations of limited duration using inter alia EU battle
groups; an emergency operation for the evacuation of European nationals (in
less than ten days), bearing in mind the primary role of each Member State as
regards its nationals and making use of the consular lead State concept; a
maritime or air surveillance/interdiction mission; a civilian-military
humanitarian assistance operation lasting up to 90 days; around a dozen ESDP
civilian missions (inter alia police, rule-of-law, civilian administration,
civil protection, security sector reform, and observation missions) of varying
formats, including in rapid-response situations, together with a major mission
(possibly up to 3000 experts) which could last several years. For its
operations and missions, the European Union uses, in an appropriate manner and
in accordance with its procedures, the resources and capabilities of Member
States, of the European Union and, if appropriate for its military operations,
of NATO.
A Europe of
Defence will rest on a robust and competitive European defence, technological
and industrial base able to meet Member States' capability requirements and to
support the ESDP.
We would encourage the Secretary-General/High
Representative's efforts to set up a new single civilian-military strategic
planning structure for ESDP operations and missions to enhance the coherence
between the civilian and military aspects of our operations, which represents
the European Union's specific and unique added value.
Development of civilian capabilities
In 2008 the European Union launched a civilian
mission in Kosovo, the largest in terms of personnel conducted under the ESDP.
It also successfully, and within a very short timescale, deployed a civilian
monitoring mission in Georgia. In 2008 the European Union also deployed a new
mission for reform of the security sector in Guinea-Bissau. It increased its
personnel in Afghanistan, the Palestinian Territories and the Democratic
Republic of the Congo and continued its efforts in Bosnia and Herzegovina and
in Iraq.
Thanks to improved command and control
structures, in particular the full operational capability of the Civilian
Planning and Conduct Capability, the Union now has ten civilian missions
deployed in eight theatres of operation, including some which are particularly
demanding in security terms.
Nearly six years after the first police mission
in Bosnia and Herzegovina, ESDP civilian missions have thus become an essential
tool of the common foreign and security policy. Their advisory, management and
monitoring activities in the areas of policing, rule-of-law, civilian
administration, security sector reform and observation provide added value
specific to the European Union in support of international peace and security.
This Union capability, which is unique internationally, will be increasingly in
demand. We will continue work on improving our capability to anticipate, react,
plan and execute, in order to ensure that civilian missions are put in place
rapidly and efficiently.
Under the Civilian Headline Goal 2010, we have
decided on the following priority objectives:
strengthening
the EU's capability to plan and deploy several missions at the same time, in
particular in rapid-response situations;
continuing
to develop suitable management tools for efficiently mobilising capabilities
needed for civilian missions;
improving
training for personnel likely to be deployed on missions, and continuing to
strengthen civilian response teams;
developing
the administrative, financial, logistical and human resources aspects of the
mission support function, including by seeking to optimise the synergy between
civilian and military assets;
developing
national strategies to facilitate the deployment of mission personnel and
encourage exchange of good practices between Member States;
strengthening
coherence and synergies between ESDP missions and other European Union
instruments;
introducing
a proper feedback system for ESDP civilian missions.
Development of military
capabilities
The European Union has conducted five military
operations in the Western Balkans and in Africa and has thus played a part in
stabilising those regions. In 2008, the European Union deployed in Chad and the
Central African Republic the largest autonomous military operation in terms of
personnel carried out under the ESDP. It is currently preparing to conduct its
sixth military operation and its first naval operation off the coast of
Somalia.
Several
issues and projects for meeting our operational requirements have been
considered and, in variable configurations, the decision has been taken to
launch an initial series of capability initiatives:
to improve
force projection in operations: modernisation of helicopters and training of
their crews, in particular through a tactical training programme being drawn up
by the European Defence Agency (EDA); preparation of a blueprint for a
future transport helicopter; establishment of a European air transport fleet,
creation of a multinational unit of A400M aircraft, and early establishment of
a European airlift command in which several Member States are participating; a
European Carrier Group Interoperability Initiative involving an aircraft
carrier, carrier air groups and escort vessels; development of a concept for
the projection of an airbase for a European force.
to
strengthen information-gathering and space-based intelligence: provision of
Cosmo Skymed and Helios 2 satellite images to the European Union Satellite
Centre and letter of intent to that effect for the SAR-Lupe satellite signed on
10 November 2008; preparation of the new generation of observation satellites
(MUSIS programme); taking account of military requirements in space
surveillance;
to
increase the protection of forces and assets and their effectiveness in
operations: launching at the EDA of a new programme of maritime mine clearance
to replace obsolete capacities by 2018; launching at the EDA of a future
surveillance UAV project; networking of maritime surveillance systems; work
under way on developing a European Union special operations concept, including
cooperation between special forces; moreover, issues relating to the
mobilisation of military assets under the consular lead State concept for
evacuating European nationals are under consideration;
to
strengthen interoperability and the ability of European personnel to work
together: development of exchanges of young officers, modelled on Erasmus;
improved functioning of the European Security and Defence College; creation of
European teams of experts that can be deployed to back up security sector
reform.
We renew our full backing for the EDA, which
plays a key role in developing the critical capabilities identified in the
context of the Headline Goal 2010, in particular through implementation of the
Capabilities Development Plan, which will help guide our capabilities efforts.
In this context, the taking into account of the Capabilities Development Plan
in participating Member States' defence planning should be encouraged. Close
cooperation between the EDA and the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation
(OCCAR) will contribute to safeguarding continuity in the development of
capability projects. Cooperation between the European Union and NATO on
military-capability development issues, seeking the involvement of all
EU Member States, must be strengthened on the basis of hitherto
approved procedures.
On the basis of efficiency and operational
need, we undertake to seek new methods for developing and optimising our
capabilities, and will accordingly explore the pooling of efforts, specialisation
and sharing of costs. In this context we will examine in particular:
establishing
joint capabilities by sharing national capabilities;
organising
and using capabilities on a collective, sustainable basis by pooling
capabilities and devolving the management of assets to a multinational
cooperative structure;
for niche
capabilities, or those which are rare or costly, specialisation, on a voluntary
basis, which would require the strengthening of forms of mutual interdependence
between European States;
procurement
of collective, multinational critical capabilities among some European
countries.
European defence technological and
industrial base
The fragmentation of defence markets and of the
European defence industry makes companies less competitive and weakens the
security of supply for our forces in the long term.
A robust and competitive European defence
technological and industrial base (EDTIB) able to meet Member States'
capability requirements and to support the ESDP is both a strategic and an
economic necessity for the EU. In this connection we support the EDA's work on
implementing the European strategy for an EDTIB which was adopted in May 2007.
Work on structuring the defence technological
and industrial base needs to continue in order to encourage the formation of
world-class transnational European groups, backed up by a network of innovative
and responsive SMEs distributed throughout the Union's Member States.
This structuring effort would enable European
centres of excellence to be built up around key technologies, reducing
unnecessary duplication. It will also require efficient corporate governance
mechanisms.
It is for the industrial players and their
shareholders to take the relevant initiatives and to ensure implementation, but
for States, as defence industry customers and guarantors of their forces'
security of supply, to facilitate their realisation. We undertake to encourage
such European consolidation projects, while ensuring that an appropriate level
of competition is maintained in the supply chain to enable the purchase of
equipment best suited to our performance and cost requirements.
To achieve this goal, we will support, in
particular through the action of the EDA, the development and preservation of
key industrial capabilities in Europe, so as to lessen our dependence for key
defence technologies on non-EU suppliers, to improve our security of supply and
to be able to develop our operational capabilities. In this context, we will
also pay particular attention to SMEs.
We will continue measures in hand to lessen
unnecessary regulatory hindrance and to further the activity of the defence
industry.
The implementation of the intergovernmental
regime on defence procurement (EDA) and the future Community directives under
discussion on intra-Community transfers of defence-related products and on the
coordination of procedures for public defence and security contracts should
contribute to achieving these aims. In particular, they should help foster
trade between the Member States and make defence procurement procedures within
the European Union more transparent, while respecting the latter's specific
characteristics. They will contribute thereby to reinforcing the EDTIB.
We undertake to provide SMEs with more transparency
in the field of public purchasing. To that end we will support the
simplification of administrative procedures and will promote an improved
dialogue between SMEs and their State customers and major groups.
Research & technology is crucial for acquiring
the necessary capabilities and also for the future of the European defence
industry and its global competitiveness. For this reason, the EDA Steering
Board approved a European defence R&T strategy on 10 November 2008. We will
use innovative measures to seek to stimulate our research investments in the
defence technologies sector and such investments in the private sector in order
to ensure a thriving EDTIB.
To that end:
we
undertake to achieve, on a voluntary basis, the collective target of 2 %
of our defence spending on research funding, approved by the EDA Steering Board
in November 2007;
a
multinational fund, outside the structures of the CFSP, could be established
into which States would pay, in order to contribute to the financing of
cooperation between private or public stakeholders in defence R&T;
in order
to reflect the duality of civilian and defence technologies, we wish to
continue to ensure the synergies between activities conducted under the
framework R&D programme and the defence domain. We call on the European
Commission to develop its cooperation with the EDA with a view to submitting
proposals to that effect;
we will
aim to increase forms of voluntary mutual interdependence, which create
responsibilities but also develop solidarity between Member States and
strengthen the security of supply, without compromising the competitiveness and
efficiency of the global market;
non-European
investments in strategic defence enterprises can in certain cases have an
impact on defence security or supply security. In this regard, Member States
will exchange information when they deem it appropriate to do so.
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