UK seeks 'closest possible' security pact with EU after Brexit - minister

 

Britain's Minister for the Cabinet Office David Lidington appears on the Marr Show on BBC television in London, Britain, June 10, 2018. Jeff Overs/BBC/Handout via REUTERS

 

BERLIN (Reuters) - Britain wants to cement its foreign policy and security ties with the European Union via the "closest possible cooperation agreement" for when it leaves the bloc, a British minister said.

 

Britain was also open to a close partnership with Europe on a crisis intervention force post-Brexit, depending on key details, cabinet office minister David Lidington told the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper.

 

Those details would include ensuring London's control over any deployment of British troops, he said.

 

As Europe's biggest military power along with France, Britain is central to European security efforts but has long blocked defence integration, fearing the creation of an EU army.

 

Separately, the European Commission, which is handling the Brexit talks with Britain, released on Friday a document setting out both the British and EU positions in initial talks on future foreign, security and defence cooperation.

 

While member states also want to keep close security ties after Brexit, Britain's desire set out in the EU document for "a new security partnership that goes beyond any existing third country arrangements" clashes with the Commission's view.

 

"The modalities of the future relationship should reflect the third country status of the UK," the Commission said in its document, stressing Britain's future status as a non-EU nation.

 

A group of EU countries agreed in March to develop their first joint defence projects under a pact that excludes Britain, giving London a taste of life outside the bloc's foreign policy decision-making process.

 

The 25 signatories also delayed a decision on whether to let non-member states join the projects, prolonging uncertainty over any future role for Britain.

 

The Commission's document also said that the new relationship "should be formalised".

 

One possibility, Lidington said, would be to have the British foreign minister participate each quarter in meetings of the EU's Foreign Affairs Council, although EU officials have so far ruled out such a possibility.

 

Asked if he favoured new formats for cooperation between Britain and the EU, Lidington told the newspaper: "If the EU always orients its proposals in the negotiations to existing agreements with other countries, there is a risk that in the end it will result in less security for everyone."

 

Lidington said the biggest risk in the Brexit negotiations was a bitter, divisive divorce that would be welcomed by Russia and those who rejected European values and cooperation.

 

Prime Minister Theresa May is struggling to unite the Conservative Party around her plan for leaving the EU, trying to balance the demands of those who want the closest possible ties with the bloc and others who want a clean break.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-06-16

Why should the EU help with security of the UK WHEN ITS VOTED TO REMOVE ITSELF  from the EU , they should look at ways of defending itself and not rely on others as it wants its Independence and not associate with others . 

4 hours ago, keith101 said:

Why should the EU help with security of the UK WHEN ITS VOTED TO REMOVE ITSELF  from the EU , they should look at ways of defending itself and not rely on others as it wants its Independence and not associate with others . 

Yes except we are so intertwined with the EU when it comes to security and defence it is not possible to just break all those ties.  Nor would we want to as it would weaken our position.  

35 minutes ago, dunroaming said:

Yes except we are so intertwined with the EU when it comes to security and defence it is not possible to just break all those ties.  Nor would we want to as it would weaken our position.  

An argument made with respect to business, research and development environmental protection.... 

 

But ignored by Brexiteers.

The EU has already stated it will limit information shared with the UK if the U.K. is not bound by EU human rights and personal data laws where the requested information is, within the EU, subject to those laws.

 

So yes the UK ‘seeks’ the closest possible security pact with the EU, but the ‘closest possible security pact’ is the one the U.K. already enjoys as a member and is subject to governance under EULaw and the EU Courts.

 

How much closer can you get ? The GCHQ is alreay spying on everyone .

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Britain wants to cement its foreign policy and security ties with the European Union via the "closest possible cooperation agreement" 

Yet the EU refuses to countenance the UK's continued participation in Galileo, won't permit UK companies to bid for Galileo contracts ... but wants to hang onto the GBP1.0bn the UK has already contributed. David Lidington needs a rethink. 

2 hours ago, Jonmarleesco said:

Yet the EU refuses to countenance the UK's continued participation in Galileo, won't permit UK companies to bid for Galileo contracts ... but wants to hang onto the GBP1.0bn the UK has already contributed. David Lidington needs a rethink. 

The money’s been spent and the U.K. helped spend it.

 

David Lidlington needs to learn how to whistle.

23 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Britain wants to cement its foreign policy and security ties with the European Union via the "closest possible cooperation agreement" for when it leaves the bloc

I would have thought this was good news for the eu, particularly bearing in mind:-

 

23 hours ago, rooster59 said:

As Europe's biggest military power along with France, Britain is central to European security efforts

I also suspect that the uk is at the top of the list (or close) when it comes to 'security intelligence', so it seems extremely counter-productive for the eu to restrict intelligence sharing (e.g. Galileo)....

Imo..T May should tell the eu to SHOVE IT..and walk away from the " divorce ".
No 39 big ones..also pull out every British troop on Nato duty wherever in the eu.
Then watch many eu member countries act like feral animals to junker..barnier etc etc.
the eu will BOTTLE IT BIG TIME !!!

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

15 hours ago, Jonmarleesco said:

Yet the EU refuses to countenance the UK's continued participation in Galileo, won't permit UK companies to bid for Galileo contracts ... but wants to hang onto the GBP1.0bn the UK has already contributed. David Lidington needs a rethink. 

We've already placed our order at the bar, and the barman has started pouring the drinks - of course we need to pay what we promised initially. 

7 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

We've already placed our order at the bar, and the barman has started pouring the drinks - of course we need to pay what we promised initially. 

Not if the barman then refuses to let us drink the ordered drink!

 

Having said this, we're arguing about 'contracts' in the case of Galileo - and the eu is likely right that the money already paid by the uk towards the project, is lost once we leave 'the club'.

 

Even so, it's still a stupid decision to exclude the uk from the eu security 'club'  - purely as a 'punishment' measure - when the uk is one of the most important members in the eu security club!

Edited June 17, 20188 yr by dick dasterdly

Look, Brexiters voted to leave the EU so tough titty if the EU won't play ball. Just accept the UK will be treated as a third country by the EU - and probably could  be a third-world country in ten years time when the £, economy and businesses fold up with immense job losses. 

 

First to go will be the car industry - it's happening now as some EU car manufacturers won't buy British parts. Right now the Bank of England states that Britain is losing £149m a week since the referendum.

 

Tasty, huh?

 

 - and still Theresa May ploughs on, determined to deliver Brexit even if there's no deal. Political suicide, IMO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25 minutes ago, stephenterry said:

Look, Brexiters voted to leave the EU so tough titty if the EU won't play ball. Just accept the UK will be treated as a third country by the EU - and probably could  be a third-world country in ten years time when the £, economy and businesses fold up with immense job losses. 

 

First to go will be the car industry - it's happening now as some EU car manufacturers won't buy British parts. Right now the Bank of England states that Britain is losing £149m a week since the referendum.

 

Tasty, huh?

 

 - and still Theresa May ploughs on, determined to deliver Brexit even if there's no deal. Political suicide, IMO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This thread is about security ties between the eu and the uk, but you have posted nothing about this aspect!

 

Please post your 'general' comments on the thread that has turned into the 'general' brexit topic thread.

Edited June 17, 20188 yr by dick dasterdly

1 hour ago, dick dasterdly said:

This thread is about security ties between the eu and the uk, but you have posted nothing about this aspect!

 

Please post your 'general' comments on the thread that has turned into the 'general' brexit topic thread.

My first paragraph relates to the security topic, which is one aspect of Brexit, i.e the EU aren't playing ball and will be treating the UK as a third country. As you are aware there is a bigger picture to make comment about as well as security. 

 

As far as security is concerned, the UK is probably in a better negotiation situation, but as I've said above, there's no guarantee that the EU would embrace the UK as a working partner once Brexit is enacted.

Edited June 17, 20188 yr by stephenterry