Actually a EU Army has its benefits and a significant benefit is the costs reduction that will be spread over the participating nations.
There are loads of nations in the EU who are do have a significant industry and a even better skill set, but due economic problems these nations are forced to make cuts in army departments where a "smart" person would never want to make cuts.
A clear example is the Dutch MBT Battalions, ones there where the pride of the Dutch Army...today they are a memory of better times, the Navy is another clear example ones it was a very capable force within the EU and NATO and today its stuck with 4 frigates and 2 or 3 subs.
Bringing the EU nations into on army would seriously enhance the Army capabilities, Military Industrial capabilities and would give the EU a more credible footprint (Army wise)
As some have mentioned today the EU is a desk show where every nation has its own say and its own reasons to dispute virtually everything in the EU.
So bureaucracy is a nightmare in the EU, and imo it makes the EU look like a bunch of rich spoiled kids with to much time and candy.
The Netherlands did set a example by signing a extended treaty with Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany to integrate the army capabilities under on HQ where each nation has its own representatives joining the Staff.
So far it has given the mentioned nations a credible boost to their overall capabilities and it has reduced the costs significantly.
I am not sure if you guys remember this but it has been discussed some months ago here of Def talk.
Most back then did agree on the fact that this whole idea could be taken as a example how to form a EU based Army under one unified control and staff.
So it can be done and the red tape where sort of eliminated due the fact that at the beginning each of the nations made it clear that the joined HQ-Staff must NOT find itself strangled by redtape, and they have made significant efforts to make sure that political elements could not directly minimize the effectiveness of this joined operation. (I do not have specifics of this but i am sure that most older Def talkers could explain it better)
Anyway to get back at the topic, the EU redtape machine is a really serious problem where to much people have a say and where to many key figures have a dispute with actions taken by the EU.
This has been a problem since the fall of the great wall and it seems that it will haunt the EU for another decade.
But on paper the EU itself has everything it would need to play with the big boys, It has the Economics, It has the Industry, resources and it has the research capabilities/knowledge pool to be on a pretty much equal foot with the US.
Most do see the EU as a joke and as a incapable "idea" but in the past the EU has proven it can and will, The major problem with the EU is neither de options available as they are plenty, its more the red tape and the constant power struggle of the smaller nations who like to keep some sort of power, while bigger nations like France, Germany and the UK seem to forget that without the smaller nations they would be done for sooner or later.
The delicate balance between EU member states is fragile and often member nations where allowed to cut way to much under the idea that bigger nations would jump in, while some of these nations actually do not need to cut down.
Now today you see loads of member states who MUST cut to meet the insane standards of the EU.
Again conflicting red tape and interests are a serious danger to a EU army idea.
Personally i believe that if you become part of the EU then you must start thinking and acting as being a part of the EU, which will point all the faces in the right direction and will cut down on the red tape.
But to many nations within the EU should be given a choice:
Either play the EU ball, or ring out because the EU as a "system" can only work if nations are willing to give and take and to make decisions that sometimes will hurt their own nation in order to help the EU, and this will apply vice versa.
The problem with the bigger nations is that France, UK, and Germany seem to forget that they are the 3 major forces within the EU that give the EU its balls, but at the same time its the Achilles heel of the EU because their constant political bickering is exactly the reason why the EU is a sort of fail.
As for the smaller nations they should be part of the EU in every way, not just because of their money contribution.
Imo its either EU all the way, or nothing at all.
And i believe that this would be the solution to make a EU army, and even a EU head government possible as has been explained many times in the past.
There is so much good in the EU and its has serious options and capabilities (Way way more then most others give us credit for) Some might even think that the EU is a collective of weak nations and that it cannot play with the big boys, well personally i would say that if the Redtape problems are being solved and the EU finds a new " goal" where all the faces are pointing in the same direction then the EU can play with the top tier of the big boys.
But if i am wrong with my one sided commend please correct me.
