Activities of Sophie MONTEL related to 2016/2052(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
European Defence Union (A8-0316/2016 - Urmas Paet) FR
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the European Defence Union
Amendments (10)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that, with around EUR 200 billion of annual military spending, European countries are unable to avert the deterioration of their security environment and to weigh on global affairs because of fragmented defence policies that create inefficiencies and hinder their force projection; believes that a more integrated framework for defence could result in significant savings, additional capabilities and more sustained investment; recalls that, according to ‘cost of non-Europe’ estimates, annual efficiency gains in this area could range between EUR 26 billion in the less optimistic scenarios and EUR 130 billionnot least due to budgetary constraints, Member States have been making continuous military spending cuts;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Points out that French defence spending, as percentage of GDP, has hit an all time low, down from 3.6 % in the late 1980s to below 1.6 % in 2012;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Stresses, however, that the numerous threats to our security have made defence spending more important than ever;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that, at a time when public support for the EU is being called into question in some Member States, defence is an area where the individual and collective benefits of more Europe can be easily demonstrated, especially regarding the likely challenges to EU’s standing as a strategic actor following Brexitfederalisation in such an eminently sovereign domain is unthinkable;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. UrgAdvises the Member States to engage more actively in cooperative projects, e.g. research programmes or pooling and sharing of assets; supports, in this framework, the proposed preparatory action on defence research which should pave the way for a dedicated programmemeet the 2% GDP threshold for defence spending;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that the time is ripe for unfreezing the budget of the European Defence Agency and is convinced that more should be done to close the investment gap in defence capabilities, including via EU innovative financing; endorses, finally, the proposal for a ‘European Semester’ on defence, whereby Member States would coordinate their defence spending plans in an open process involving the European Parliament and the national parliamentsto shut down the European Defence Agency;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Takes the view that the agency has in fact been conspicuously futile;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Considers that the money saved by closing down this exorbitantly expensive agency could be returned to the Member States;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Advises the Member States accordingly to earmark these funds for military expenditure.