brussels twenty-five eu governments agree defense pact mark new era great european military integration britain decision quit bloc list date european defense cooperation 1949 unite state canada european countries set north atlantic treaty organisation nato u.s.-led military alliance 1950 european defence community propose european alternative nato incorporate west germany create european army joint budget share arm 1954 french parliament reject european army plan belgium france luxembourg netherlands britain form western european union common defense group share air force joint command 1993 eu maastricht treaty redefine european integration introduce common foreign security policy one goals allow european governments take joint action foreign policy 1998 britain france agree common defense saint-malo declaration london pledge play central role security defense policy european union 2003 european union launch first independent military mission outside europe operation artemis unite nations back democratic republic congo 2004 european defence agency form help eu governments develop military capabilities 2007 rapid-reaction force 1,500 soldier call eu battlegroups form control council european union however never use 2009 eu lisbon treaty strengthen common foreign security policy create eu foreign policy chief 2011 france britain lead campaign oust libyan leader muammar gaddafi impose no-fly zone without u.s. aircraft munition 2017 25 eu governments launch defense pact integrate military plan weapons development operations rely billion-euro 5.83 billion defense fund chronology take seven decades path eu 's defense pact