Moves are afoot in Europe to abolish NATO.

For many years, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, better known as NATO, has provided Europe, the US and Canada with the combined strength and security against any perceived threat coming from the former Soviet Union and her allies. NATO, as it was during those days, was a sound solution to a combined problem, the problem being that the Soviet Union had ambitions to expand its influence into Western Europe through the Warsaw Pact as well as it in fact did worldwide.

The Soviet Union fell apart, a number of Warsaw Pact countries substantially changed their systems of Government, their economies and their defence outlooks in so doing bringing the demise of the Warsaw Pact.

NATO, the other hand, expanded but fundamentally remained the same in terms of its mission statement. Essentially, NATO, as it currently is constituted, has outlived its usefulness requiring a new all-European approach to defence issues.

All is certainly not well within NATO. There is now an increasing notion through Europe that the interests of the US, and to a certain degree those of the UK, are no longer compatible with those of the majority of EU countries, and changes toward increased European defence focusing is required. Fact is, the majority of EU countries are either uncomfortable, or unhappy, with current US foreign policy, and would prefer to have as little as possible to do with the US and its military adventurism.

The suggestion is to wind-up NATO and replace it with a structure along EU-Defence lines, comprising all 27 EU countries. The prime function of EU-Defence would be to provide unified defence mechanism, structures, equipment and other defence processes for the defence of Europe, while not compromising independent defence capabilities that each EU country currently has. In the longer term, there would be increased integration of defence capability throughout the EU-Defence system as to maximise defence-spending efficiencies.

As the US and Canada would not be a part of EU-Defence, all US facilities within EU countries would have to be removed within five years. As the UK is currently the closest ally of the US within Europe, the UK would have to make a choice of either joining EU-Defence or remain allied to US interests. Should the UK not wish to join EU-Defence, all UK facilities throughout continental Europe would have to be removed within five years.

While EU countries would be free to participate in any alliance with the US, such alliances must not impact on EU defence capability and EU policy, and such countries will do so without EU support and at their own peril.

In terms of defence spending, EU Defence would be able to assist manufacturers in developing European defence systems and equipment as to enhance European capabilities in terms of the development, production and operation of European-made weapon systems as a main priority. Common development and deployment of defence systems throughout the EU are economically beneficial for all EU countries.

In overall terms, NATO, perhaps in a modified form, could still have been a viable tool to provide unified defence capabilities of Europe as well as the US and Canada. However, the unacceptable and aggressive and, in some cases, illegal nature of US foreign policy have made the notion of NATO continuing as it currently stands, no longer an option.

The US is no longer a credible defence entity in Europe and the US needs to look elsewhere to gain support for its global adventurism.