To Quote The Defence Secretary

A quote from Dr Liam Fox November 2010:

"We're looking at a combined joint expeditionary force,we're looking at greater inter-operability,coherence in military doctrine......

We're looking to see where in our defence industries we can have better co-operation so that we are getting better value for money for our research and development,what we can do in terms of support and joint training.

All of these things surely make sense in a world where our funding is not finite but our risks are increasing."

A quote from Dr Liam Fox January 2008:

"The Reform Treaty will deepen EU defence integration.

Euro-enthusiasts have always considered defence integration to be an incremental process.

The Reform Treaty is simply another step along the way to realising “ever closer Union”.

The long-term costs of deepening defence integration will come at a high price to the fighting capability of NATO.

The appointment of the High Representative will come at the cost

of less democratic legitimacy in the EU.

The advancement of defence integration in the Reform Treaty is a result of the green light given to integrationist by Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac at St. Malo nine years ago.

If one considers the amount of EU defence integration since St.Malo compared to prior when the very mention of EU defence was a taboo,one can clearly see that there is justification for concern.

The Reform Treaty should be viewed as a warning to Atlanticists across Europe.

The HMS Birmingham, the ship where the St Malo agreement was signed in 1998, was decommissioned in 1999,sold in 2000, and was then dismantled in Spain.

It is a shame that further EU defence integration, and the Reform Treaty,will not meet a similar fate."