{"id":17189,"date":"2018-02-14T15:11:36","date_gmt":"2018-02-14T15:11:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/02\/14\/us-warns-against-protectionism-with-new-eu-defense-agreement\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:36:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:36:25","slug":"us-warns-against-protectionism-with-new-eu-defense-agreement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/smr\/munich-security-forum\/2018\/02\/14\/us-warns-against-protectionism-with-new-eu-defense-agreement\/","title":{"rendered":"US warns against \u2018protectionism\u2019 with new EU defense agreement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BRUSSELS \u2015 A top American diplomat is concerned that a new European Union defense agreement<\/a> could lead to \u201cprotectionism\u201d that could ice American firms out of sales in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kay Bailey Hutchison, the U.S. permanent representative to NATO, on Tuesday issued a preemptive warning about the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) on security and defense, an EU initiative launched late last year which could potentially lead to joint procurement of European defense<\/a> products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCertainly, we do not want this to be a protectionist vehicle for EU. And we\u2019re going to watch carefully because if that becomes the case, then it could splinter the strong security alliance that we have\u201d Hutchison said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There have been concerns from the U.S. about PESCO, as the new agreement excludes several NATO nations, including the U.S., U.K. and Canada, and includes several non-alliance nations in Austria, Cyprus, Finland, Ireland and Sweden<\/a>. U.S. officials are concerned the group could become a competitor to NATO for military resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hutchison specifically called out the idea that nations outside PESCO could find themselves cut off from sales among the European nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe want to have a fair process. We want the Europeans to have capabilities and strength<\/a>, but not to fence off American products, of course. Or Norwegian products. Or potentially U.K. products,\u201d she said. \u201cI think it\u2019s very important that there be transparency and openness in all of those areas where PESCO would be in a bidding process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis will be attending a NATO-hosted event Wednesday<\/a> evening with EU High Representative Federica Mogherini, as well as officials from Sweden and Finland, two non-NATO nations who have embraced PESCO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, that meeting will include discussions on how best to align PESCO and NATO.<\/p>\n\n\n\t