Re: Remainers March in London
Originally Posted by
AnnieS
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That's nonsense, the exemptions were indefinite. They cannot force us to give up our armed forces. How will they do that? Really this is the "project fear" that everyone goes on about. It's all leave propaganda.
We are better off inside and influencing and changing than outside and having to deal with the EU as a low status nobody.
To support your post:
On 13 November 2017, 23 EU Member States submitted a Joint Notification to the EU Council of Ministers setting out their intention to utilise the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) mechanism to further European defence (CSDP). Ireland and Portugal notified the Council of Ministers of their intention to join in early December and a Decision formally launching PESCO was adopted on 11 December 2017. The first 17 capability projects were formally launched in March 2018. The UK did not sign the Joint Notification and will, therefore, remain outside of PESCO. In doing so, the UK will have no decision making rights over its governance or veto over its future strategic direction, which has been openly acknowledged as greater EU integration in the field of defence.*
Post-Brexit the Government has indicated its preference for third party participation in mutually beneficial PESCO projects, determined on a case-by case basis, to remain as an option. The UK has already expressed an interest in a Dutch-led project on military mobility, which complements efforts currently underway on this issue within NATO.
However, the terms of third party participation are for the participating PESCO states to determine, which the UK will have to find acceptable.