From Julian Hale, Defense News:  Italian Defense Minister Mario Mauro called for EU leaders to cooperate more on defense at the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee meeting here Monday.

Aside from reasserting the importance of defense, he wants a December summit meeting of EU leaders to set out a timetable to boost integration. . . .

In 2010, he said that €34 billion (US $44.6 billion) was invested by EU countries in systems and equipment, of which €7.5 billion went into joint procurement by two or more EU countries. By comparison, €246 million was spent on technology between two or more EU countries. . . .

Asked by British MEP Geoffrey Van Orden about how Italy wanted to see NATO strengthened, he said that “a stronger Europe with a more integrated military cannot help but strengthen NATO.”  (photo: Italian Ministry of Defense)

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