b'6.6. European Security Council In the Meseberg Declaration published inAs the EU develops its own army and military June 2018, Chancellor Merkel and Presidentcapability, this must raise key questions Macron proposed an EU Security Council.63 about the future and role of NATO. For The aim is to progress towards a betterdecades, it has been NATO rather than integrated European defence, incorporatingthe EU which has, in practice, maintained all civil and military aspects and meansthe balance of power and the reality of of crisis management and response ofdeterrence. An EU army must put this the EU and develop the emergence of aat risk as North American taxpayers ask shared strategic culture. On 13 Novemberquestions about what they are now paying 2018, Chancellor Merkel made a similarfor and whether EU taxpayers should pay pronouncement, stating: We have tofor themselvesespecially if the EU is reconsider our ways of deciding and todetermined to develop its own foreign and renounce the principle of unanimity wheresecurity policy. The EU cannot have it both the European treaties allow and wherever thisways. It cannot be independent and expect is necessary. I proposed a European securityothers to pay. Thus the EU plans could and council, in which important decisions can beprobably will not strengthen butironicallyprepared faster actually reduce European security. .Nonetheless, this is the route the EU is clearly takingand this is all part of a bigger picture.201'