CHAMPIONS CUP
2017
European Union
Co-Chair’s Introduction
A very warm welcome to all the delegates of the European Union. My name is Muhammad
Rehhahn bin Daniel Tudball, and I have been given the amazing opportunity of being your CoChair for the upcoming NUMUN 2017! I began my experience with MUN back in 2014 with an
inter school conference held by AISM, and it opened myself up to an amazing platform for
constructive debate to be had regarding issues that are being and have been tackled on the
world stage on a daily basis. This sparked a deep passion within me, allowing me to attend a
myriad of conferences while giving me the opportunity to meet all kinds of astounding and likeminded individuals. This will be my first time being a part of the dais under the EU, as a majority
of my delegating and chairing experience has come from committees such as DISEC, UNHRC
and SOCHUM. To be able to consider a situation that directly affects my family and I, is a big
responsibility, and my personal aim for this conference is to be able to encourage and inspire
passionate and constructive debate in considering the topics at hand.
MUN details aside, I’m an extremely approachable and accommodating individual. I have
always believed that successful debate lies in the reciprocal nature between the chairs and the
delegates; this would include key characteristics such as mutual respect, understanding and the
ability to empathize with one another. When I’m not debating or chairing, you can find me
playing football (the kind with the round ball and 12 people on each side), jamming on the
guitar with my mates, or overcoming the salt on video games such as DOTA and Rust. I also
appreciate a good meme, thought provoking conversations and seeing the world through the
eyes of a dreamer. Please feel free to approach me should you need help in preparing for this
conference, or should you want to get to know me as an individual better! I genuinely look
forward to meeting each and every one of you at this year’s iteration of the conference. Here’s
to an amazing few days with you all, and to quality preparation.
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” - J.R.R. Tolkien
Sincerely,
Rehhahn Tudball
An Introduction to the Topic
The establishment of a unified European Army has been the subject of debate and
consideration quite recently, with the peak of discussion being reached in the September of
2016. Europe began to plan to forge ahead with their plans to create an EU army around this
time, with much of the pressure of the UK’s decision to vote the EU has left weighing down on
European leaders. There has been fear that the creation of such an army could even displace
NATO’s role in Europe, as a result of the growing incentive to create such an army. Some
leaders such as EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini have stated that they now have the
“political space” to do things that would not have been considerable to act upon years ago.
Steps have been made to create a timetable to accommodate the creation of EU military
structures that would act autonomously from NATO. Europe’s top diplomat views the shocking
decision made by the UK as a catalyst for the EU’s “relaunch”, as the formation of a European
army could prove to be a step in the right direction.
This military plan drafted by the EU policy maker expects to see nations such as France,
Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland to create permanent military infrastructures to act on behalf
of the European Union and for the deployment of the EU’s battlegroups as well as the l8
national battalions. Countries such as the Czech Republic and Hungary backed this notion,
referring to it as the basis to setting up a joint European Army. There have even been reports of
there being support from Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who has been pushing for more
defense cooperation. A timetable for such a plan was held in Bratislava in the middle of
September last year; this summit consisted of 27 EU leaders excluding Theresa May.
However, regardless of all the efforts made towards establishing unified armed forces under
the European Union, these progressions have also come under heavy criticism. Issues such as
the possibility of a direct rival to NATO following what would be the creation of an EU military
planning and operations headquarters in Brussels. Furthermore, many conservatives and NATO
officials have seen this notion as an undermining factor to the core values and purpose of
NATO, as they view NATO as the guarantor of a collective armed force. This sentiment is backed
by the belief that it will only lead to division between transatlantic partners at a time when
solidarity would be needed due to the many threats to these democracies. There has also been
the criticism that the creation of an EU army would lead to the deprivation and transfer of
sovereignty from EU nation states to unelected bureaucrats in Brussels. Some critiques of this
notion even link the consideration of the creation of an EU army as policy makers inability to
learn from BREXIT, as a result of their determination to build a European super state regardless
of opposition from some large powers in Europe.
With all of this being said, the question of the establishment of a European topic is certainly
one that can be viewed from a variety of perspectives. There are many considerations that
need to be made in order to consider whether the creation of an EU army would unify Europe,
or threaten to undermine its sovereignty. Bear in mind the political repercussions of the UK’s
decision to leave the EU, and the threat that this notion poses to NATO. Ask yourselves, bearing
your country’s stance in mind, does the European Union need an independent and unified
armed force in order to set the basis for certainty and diplomacy in a Union so shook by recent
events?
Key Definitions of Terms
European Union - The European Union is a unique economic and political union between 28
European countries that together cover much of the continent. The EU was created in the
aftermath of the Second World War. The first steps were to foster economic cooperation: the
idea being that countries that trade with one another become economically interdependent
and so more likely to avoid conflict. The result was the European Economic Community (EEC),
created in 1958, and initially increasing economic cooperation between six countries: Belgium,
Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Since then, a huge single market has
been created and continues to develop towards its full potential.
NATO - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an
intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4
April 1949. The organization constitutes a system of collective defense whereby its member
states agree to mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party.
Sovereignty - Supreme power / authority
Brexit - A term for the potential or hypothetical departure of the United Kingdom from the
European Union
Bill - A draft of a proposed law presented to parliament for discussion
Current Issue at Hand In Line With Current Events
Following the rise in demand across Europe regarding the creation of an EU led army
throughout 2016, the question of whether the EU should be establishing its army this year still
remains unanswered. Tensions are rising with President Trump in America’s seat, uncertainty
lingers throughout the world as Brexit still maintains its repercussions are still felt economically
and politically, NATO representatives and conservatives still maintain a stance of opposition
against the creation of an EU army. All of this controversy mixed in with the strong opinions
maintained by the leaders of countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic make it hard for
a consensus to be made amongst the countries and international organizations that remain
seized on this matter as a whole.
One instance of how current events come into play with the question of the establishment of
an EU led armed force is the recent decision from UK voters to leave the European Union, and
how the politics behind that have affected the feasibility and likelihood of the creation of such
an army. EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini stated in September 2016, “We have the
political space to do things that were not really doable in previous years. “, referring to how the
shocking Brexit vote represented a chance for the EU to relaunch itself. Such a statement was
backed by how some countries billed the military plan as the foundation of a “European Army”.
This stance maintained by the optimistic EU Policy Maker can be heavily contrasted with the
stance brought up by a group of EU leaders, being that efforts to move forward on European
defense integration shows that a majority of leaders have not learnt from Brexit. The reasoning
behind such a claim lies in how some leaders are still very much determined to continue their
endeavors in building a European super-state despite opposition from some larger powers in
the European Union.
Another ongoing discrepancy that continues to plague the ability to come to a consensus
regarding this matter is the fact that NATO officials continue to express their concerns
regarding how these proposals to create a unified “European Army” would only create rivalries
and challenge their alliance’s primacy as the main defense structure. This is backed by how a
myriad of British leaders have repeatedly blocked and spoken against the creation to create a
European Army as it would undermine NATO’s purpose as Europe’s main defense structure
since 1949. However, a more recent contender has entered the playing field. President Donald
Trump has openly criticized the efficacy of NATO’s role in Europe, particularly in combating the
terrorist threat. Referring to NATO as “obsolete”, Trump openly condemned the alliance for not
receiving enough contribution from its member states, as well as for not taking a more
aggressive approach regarding the terrorist threat.
Addressing the elephant in the room, the UK’s decision to leave the EU has a very large and
direct effect on the efficacy of creating a European armed force. A very important thing to bear
in mind is that the UK currently contributes to almost 25% of the EU’s defense expenditure.
Although the UK has stated that they will be willing to continue their commitment to working
with its European partners in security, smaller EU states in particular have their concerns
regarding whether they will be able to compensate entirely for the lack of the UK’s contribution
to the EU as a whole, particularly where EU-Russian relations are at a low. Without the UK, will
the creation of a European Army prove to be efficient in a time where civil conflict and
terrorism plagues Europe’s neighbors in North Africa and the Middle East, ask yourselves
whether it really is time to revive the old idea of having a unified European Army.
Key Players Involved
Austria
Belgium
Czech Republic
Denmark
France
Germany
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Luxembourg
The Netherlands
Poland
Spain
The UK
European Commission
NATO
The United States of America
Council of the EU
European Parliament
Donald Trump
Federica Mogherini
Theresa May
Geoffery van Orden
The EDA
Liam Fox
Angela Merkel
Possible Solutions
Some kind of consensus must be made between all the members of the EU regarding the issue.
The truth is that there is no single way of coming to a solution regarding this matter, due to the
myriad of opinions and perspectives maintained by the variety of organization, international
bodies and countries involved in considering whether the establishment of a European army
would prove to be one that maintains a level of efficacy. In order to come to a constructive
consensus regarding whether the establishment of a European Army would be effective, we
need to consider the varying perspectives maintained by the key players. We must figure out
whether the establishment of a European army would truly undermine the purpose of NATO.
We also need to consider whether Brexit will have an effect on the feasibility of funding and
maintaining such an armed force. Furthermore, we need to consider the existing
establishments and armed forces such as NATO and the international armed forces that are
provided by each individual nation already, and how effective they have been. All in all, in order
to consider whether a European Army would be able to counter the existing problems faced on
an international level better than existing methods, we need to be able to understand the
underlying factors mentioned above, taking into consideration the consequences of such an
establishment.
Links for Further Research, And References
http://www.trunews.com/article/french-pm-cazeneuve-renews-calls-for-creating-an-eu-army
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/761175/Guy-Verhofstadt-backs-EU-arm
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201702011050226658-eu-army-danger/
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201702021050270059-europe-nato-defense/
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/763774/Joint-Expeditionary-Force-UK-Sweden-Finlandsnub-EU-army
http://www.usda-eu.org/eu-basics-questions/who-are-the-key-players-in-eu-decision-making/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/06/europe-forges-ahead-with-plans-for-eu-army/
http://www.businessinsider.my/eu-army-creation-economic-and-logistical-analysis-20169/?r=UK&IR=T#X4Hyp5MplQVKSXtV.97
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/8935/european-army
http://www.debatingeurope.eu/2016/08/26/is-it-time-for-a-joint-europeanarmy/#.WJmqARt97IU
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201702021050270059-europe-nato-defense/