The British prime minister Teresa May promised that the UK is unconditionally committed to maintaining” European security, while European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said the EU must become capable to act in world politics. EC-Audiovisual Service

The British prime minister Teresa May promised that the UK is unconditionally committed to maintaining” European security, while European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said the EU must become capable to act in world politics. EC-Audiovisual Service

The EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said on 17 February that the EU must become an actor in world politics (“weltpolitikfähig”) and therefore the decision-making procedures must be simplified, from unanimity in the Council to a qualified majority voting (QMV) procedure. The EU does not have a common position on a number of issues, such as the question of Jerusalem, human rights in China, and the European Commission will propose QMV in civil security and defence missions. He also defended Europe’s PESCO plan to increase military cooperation within the EU. This “emancipation” was not done against Nato or the USA, but Europe planned to do more because it had to.

The British prime minister Teresa May, meanwhile, said that “it is our defining responsibility to come together and reinvigorate the transatlantic partnership.”

However, while Juncker mentioned the Balkan states (and said that, while they did not yet fulfil any of the criteria to join the EU), he did not mention the UK or Brexit.

Meanwhile, the British prime minister Teresa May said in her speech that “Europe’s security is our security” and that “the United Kingdom is unconditionally committed to maintaining it.”

She started off by listing where the UK had opted in to EU initiatives on security cooperation, and then referred to the relations after Brexit:

“I recognise there is no existing security agreement between the EU and a third country that captures the full depth and breadth of our existing relationship.

But there is precedent for comprehensive, strategic relationships between the EU and third countries in other fields, such as trade. And there is no legal or operational reason why such an agreement could not be reached in the area of internal security.

However, if the priority in the negotiations becomes avoiding any kind of new co-operation with a country outside the EU, then this political doctrine and ideology will have damaging real world consequences for the security of all our people, in the UK and the EU.”

New security treaty before Brexit

May proposed a new treaty which must preserve operational capabilities, such as the exchange of data through Europol and the European Arrest Warrant. She added that the UK would respect the remit of the European Court of Justice in those cases where the UK participated in EU agencies.

The new partnership had to “respect both the decision-making autonomy of the European Union and the sovereignty of the United Kingdom.”

May said that “it is right that the UK will pursue an independent foreign policy”, but “distinct arrangements for our foreign and defence policy cooperation in the time-limited implementation period” could be found by 2019.

She proposed that regular consultations should take place on global challenges and “coordinate how we use the levers we hold where our interests align”, especially on sanctions.

Furthermore, common operations on the ground should continue, and the UK should be able to continue contributing to an EU operation or mission.

In return, the UK asked to play “an appropriate role in shaping our collective actions in these areas.

The British prime minister also pleaded for continued cooperation in developing capabilities, in defence, cyber and space. She added that many jobs in Europe were linked to the UK defence industry, and that therefore:

“the UK wants to agree a future relationship with the European Defence Fund and the European Defence Agency, so that jointly we can research and develop the best future capability that Europe can muster.”

Teresa May wanted to reassure the public that the relationship between the UK and the EU in security matters was “a dynamic relationship, not a set of transactions.”