There was a worrying development in the European Union's military role in March 2021. In what could probably be described as a watershed moment for its Defence policy, EU Foreign Ministers agreed to create a fund to allow the EU to send aid and military equipment all over the world. The money for these arms and military equipment comes from a so-called European Peace Facility budget heading. This fund is financed through contributions from member states. It is intended that €5 billion will be available in the fund to be spent in the years up to 2027. The measure met with stinging criticism from Hannah Neumann MEP who is a foreign policy spokesperson for the Greens in the European Parliament. She said: "This so called European Peace Facility will allow the EU to export lethal weapons around the globe, including to conflict regions." The funds being made available to this new budget heading are being kept separate from the EU's main seven-year budget to get round the bloc's rules against spending its budget on weapons. At the end of February 2022 it was being reported that through this so-called Peace Facility the European Union will provide Ukraine with €500 million in arms and aid. According to European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell €450 million of the money being provided to Ukraine will be for lethal arms. While the much smaller amount of €50 million will be provided for non-lethal supplies such as fuel and protective equipment. Many supporters of the EU would argue that it is an organisation which can provide a path to a more peaceful world through promoting trade and cultural links. However, the creation of this so-called Peace Facility seems to be a cover for increased involvement of the bloc in a military role. It could also, as organisations such as Oxfam have warned, risk fuelling conflict and human rights abuses around the world.

A PEACEFUL WORLD There is now a case for looking to other organisations such as the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to provide a way forward to a more peaceful world. The OSCE is the largest security-oriented organisation in the world and has observer status at the UN. Its mandate includes involvement in issues such as promoting arms control, human rights and freedom of the press. It can also play a role in supervising fair and free elections. The organisation employs 3500 people and has its secretariat in Vienna. It has 57 participating states that includes both Russia and the US. A progressive and sensible option for Scotland and the UK in these post Brexit times might be to support and help strengthen the role of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. It would provide a refreshing alternative to being involved in the increasing military direction of the EU.

Perhaps one of the tasks which could be remitted to the OSCE could be to set up a Europe wide consultation to begin the difficult task of drawing up a new common security framework for the whole of Europe. This might seem unlikely given the current unimaginative and narrow positions being adopted by political parties across Europe in relation to building a peaceful and stable world.