BRUSSELS, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Increasing defense cooperation in the European Union (EU) depends more upon the political will to make it happen, said members of European Parliament (MEPs) in a resolution on Thursday.
According to European Parliament's statement, the resolution underlines that developing an EU common defense policy depends, above all, on the political will of member states, given that the Lisbon Treaty already provides a sufficient framework for building a truly common defense policy.
The resolution was approved by 360 votes to 212, with 48 abstentions.
MEPs stressed that member states can, and should, use the treaty tools in place to build a truly common defense policy.
They also called for the the European Defence Agency's political backing and resources to be strengthened, and encouraged EU countries to join the Permanent Structured Cooperation.
Esteban Gonzalez Pons, vice-chairman of the European People's Party said that there is also a general agreement that achieving a common defense is now more necessary than ever.
"In an unpredictable international climate, we need a common defense policy," Pons said.
