France and Germany support the proposal and have pressed the European Union to do more to ensure its own defense and counter the threat of terrorism. Britain has long opposed anything that resembled a European military command — but it has voted to leave the European Union, and that has altered the dynamic of the debate. The European Union and NATO have overlapping memberships: Of the 28 nations in the European Union, all but six — Austria, Cyprus, Finland, Ireland, Malta and Sweden — also belong to NATO. Albania, Iceland, Norway and Turkey are in NATO but not part of the European Union, as are Canada and the United States. The Military Planning and Conduct Capability office is expected to be based in a building already staffed by European military experts and to have a core staff of about 30.

Source: New York Times March 06, 2017 12:56 UTC