Italy's Foreign Minister says post-Lisbon EU needs a European Army - Times Online

Italy's Foreign Minister says post-Lisbon EU needs a European Army - Times Online

From Times Online

November 15, 2009

(Hrvoje Polan/AFP/Getty)

Mr Frattini said the experience of Afghanistan strengthened the 'necessary objective' of a Europe-wide army

Richard Owen in Rome

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Italy is to push for the creation of a European Army after the "new Europe" takes shape at this week's crucial EU summit following the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty.

Franco Frattini, the Italian Foreign Minister, said that the Lisbon Treaty had established "that if some countries want to enter into reinforced co-operation between themselves they can do so". This was already the case with the euro and the Schengen accords on frontier-free travel, and could now be applied to "common European defence"...